January 10th, 2013 by John K.
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Throughout the history of the NBA, no other ‘sneaker history’ is as eventful and engrossing as that of Kobe Bryant. Sure, MJ had the Air Jordan line and LeBron James is currently etching out his own legacy, but Kobe Bryant’s timeline of kicks goes up and down, left and right, covering two signature lines with two brands and a jaw-dropping load of Player Exclusives. Starting with his iconoclastic adidas The Kobe signature line, his stint rocking Nike Basketball and Air Jordan PEs, the relatively unknown period during which Kobe rocked Reebok PEs (yes, the Answer IV and the Question), and stopping at his current Nike Kobe 8 model, there’s a lot to talk about. This sick showcase of Kobe Bryant’s kicks covers a good portion of what’s been laid out, and what’s more impressive is that these shoes are not only game-worn, but also autographed. Flip through below and let us know which of the shoes featured below gets you excited the most!
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August 9th, 2012 by Aaron Hope
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Upon seeing yesterday’s look back at the original Hyperdunk’s role in the past twenty years of Nike Basketball innovation, one Sneaker News reader predicted that the next model we’d see would be its peer in the performance roundball arena, the Zoom Hyperfuse. It’s a reasonable guess given the chronology, but also overlooks a model that, while using some of the same technologies that debuted on the Hyperdunk, has been arguably even more potent in its influence. The Nike Zoom Kobe IV is the result of designer Eric Avar (the man behind more of these ’20 Years…’ styles than any other) realizing Kobe Bryant’s desire for “the lowest, lightest weight basketball shoe [they] can make.” The Zoom Kobe 4 set its sights on soccer for a new generation of lowcut basketball sneakers, released in a huge range of colorways that’s since become the norm, was the first Nike Basketball signature with NIKEiD custom options from day one and marked the Black Mamba’s first Shaq-less championship. Click through to read more about the Kobe line’s defining formula, let us know your opinion on its place in history as well as lowtop b-ball shoes in general, and stick with Sneaker News as we inch toward the finish line on this Swoosh roundball retrospective.
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January 11th, 2012 by John K.
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In 2003, Kobe Bryant was officially added to the exclusive bunch of Nike signature athletes, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Anfernee Hardaway, Charles Barkley, and more. The addition of Kobe, alongside the new acquisition of prep-to-pro prospect LeBron James, would mark a brand new era of Nike Basketball, one that has fortified Nike’s role as the pinnacle of performance basketball outfitting. It was in 2006 when a Nike shoe would officially bear Kobe Bryant’s name, but it was originally the Nike Zoom Huarache 2k4 that was set to be the starting point to a long-lasting partnership; following the Zoom Huarache 2k4 was the 2k5 version, which paved the way for Kobe’s official introduction as a Nike signature athlete in 2006 with the release of the Air Zoom Kobe 1.
Since that ’06 debut, we’ve seen Nike accomplish hat it had set out to do when it first brought on the Lakers superstar; six more installments as well as the Nike Zoom Hyperdunk (another ‘unofficial’ Kobe shoe), with the game-changing Kobe System setting new precedents in basketball footwear and design. So by our count, it’s ten shoes for Kobe thus far, and there’s no end in sight just yet. It’s not often we get to see all ten shoes bunched together, but thanks to wmsky of Kenlu, we’re given a nice side-by-side comparison of the Kobe V, VI, and VII as well as a unique look at original vs. current Kobe model. Check out some of the nice visuals after the jump and let us know which Nike Kobe shoe is your favorite of all-time.
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