474406

Category Image-0

Nike Kobe 8: PEs for a Lost Season

December 5, 2013by Aaron Kr.
RATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THISRATE THIS 
4.00 / 5 1 VOTES

Sn Select Kobe Pes Cover

Nike may have unveiled Kobe Bryant’s ninth signature model yesterday, but there are still some untold chapters in the story of the Kobe 8. Under normal circumstances, we would have seen a countless amount of Kobe 8 PEs on his feet between last season and the start of the 2013-2014 campaign, but as we all know, Kobe has been sidelined since tearing his Achilles tendon against the Warriors last April and has missed a considerable chunk of court time. As a result, several player exclusive editions of the Kobe 8 that Nike had lined up and waiting for their superstar endorser never got to experience the bright spotlight of the NBA hardwood.

Before we transition all of our attention over to the Kobe 9, we’re bringing you an exclusive look at some PE colorways of the Kobe 8 that fell through the cracks in terms of public visibility, including a super-rare White/Gold installment of this year’s Elite series model. The other pairs that you’re about to see may have never made it into a Lakers game, but they’ve all recently been worn by Kobe during his rehab workouts and return to team practices. As you can see, they’ve also been autographed and authenticated, and now thanks to S. Sami, who’s amazing Kobe collection you’ve already seen here on Select, we’ve got an up-close look for all our readers.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 1

Sn Select Kobe Pes 2

Sn Select Kobe Pes 3

Sn Select Kobe Pes 5

Sn Select Kobe Pes 6

Sn Select Kobe Pes 16

NIKE KOBE 8 “LAKERS HOME” PE

Kobe colorways have become so creatively complicated in recent years, that many times, it’s actually few and far between that we actually see simple Lakers colorways. The purple and gold seemed more scarce than ever with the Kobe 8, which is why this clean

white Lakers home edition featuring a graphic-less upper and speckled midsole would have no doubt been a welcomed addition had it appeared on Kobe’s feet, or better yet, made it to retail.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 19

Sn Select Kobe Pes 20

Sn Select Kobe Pes 22

Sn Select Kobe Pes 17

Sn Select Kobe Pes 18

Sn Select Kobe Pes 21

Sn Select Kobe Pes 24

Sn Select Kobe Pes 26

NIKE KOBE 8 “LAKERS PIT VIPER” PE

Going the completely opposite route of the minimal “Lakers Home” pair, the “Pit Viper” graphic was one of the most ambitious and enticing of all the Kobe 8 colorways. While the pair that hit store shelves in October featured light blue accents, this PE version of

the Pit Viper made just for Kobe swaps out the blue for a rich yellow that even work’s its way into the snake scale pattern. Sadly, we’ll just have use our imaginations to picture how sharp these would have looked with the Lakers uniform.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 27

Sn Select Kobe Pes 29

Sn Select Kobe Pes 32

Sn Select Kobe Pes 28

Sn Select Kobe Pes 30

Sn Select Kobe Pes 31

Sn Select Kobe Pes 33

Sn Select Kobe Pes 34

NIKE KOBE 8 PP “BLACK/PURPLE” PE

Unlike the previous two colorways, this Black/Purple PE version of the Kobe 8 PP has actually been spotted on Kobe’s feet. A few days after Kobe’s return to practice last month, a video surfaced of the Black Mamba getting back to business in this player exclusive

color-up. Also seen on teammate Nick Young earlier this year, the purple installment of the PP series gave the bold graphic application its most Lakers-centric look of all and would have been a fitting addition to the collection.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 37

Sn Select Kobe Pes 38

Sn Select Kobe Pes 41

Sn Select Kobe Pes 35

Sn Select Kobe Pes 36

Sn Select Kobe Pes 39

Sn Select Kobe Pes 40

Sn Select Kobe Pes 42

NIKE KOBE 8 ELITE “WHITE/GOLD” PE

When Nike Basketball introduced the Elite Series 2.0 “Gold Collection”, something didn’t quite match up. The LeBron and KD offerings featured a clean white base, but for some reason, the Kobe 8 version went the opposite route and switched it up with an almost entirely blacked-out make-up. Months later, here we see the White/Gold edition of

the Kobe 8 Elite, which would have made a lot more sense alongside it’s gold-Swooshed counterparts. It’s unclear why the black released instead of this white pair, and with Kobe barely getting to play in the Elite before his injury, it remains one of the only additional colorways to surface.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 43

Sn Select Kobe Pes 45

Sn Select Kobe Pes 47

Sn Select Kobe Pes 44

Sn Select Kobe Pes 46

Sn Select Kobe Pes 48

Sn Select Kobe Pes 49

Sn Select Kobe Pes 9

Sn Select Kobe Pes 11

Sn Select Kobe Pes 10

Sn Select Kobe Pes 14

Sn Select Kobe Pes 8

Sn Select Kobe Pes 13

Sn Select Kobe Pes 4

Sn Select Kobe Pes 12

Sn Select Kobe Pes 7

Sn Select Kobe Pes 15

A huge thanks to S. Sami for sharing a look at these lost gems with us and all of our readers. For more Kobe heat, stay tuned to Sami’s Instagram, @s_universal.

Sn Select Kobe Pes 50

Latest News

Keep Your Legs Dry With This Nike Air Max Scorpion With Detachable Shrouds

Flyknit sneakers may not be an optimal choice for inclement weather, but Nike is encouraging you to wear your Air Max Scorpion on rainy days...

by Sneaker News 16 mins
33

"Orange Lily" Blooms On The ASICS GT-2160

The ASICS GT-2160 has established itself as a true catalog favorite, both for consumers and for a host of collaborative partners that have taken to...

by Matt Varga 41 mins
15

Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined” Shock Drop Expected At 2PM ET

The Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined” is expected to SHOCK DROP tentatively at 2PM ET via the SNKRS app. Access the shock drop HERE. The...

by Matt Varga 1 hour
12677