John Kim 
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.
