John Kim 
For Kobe Bryant, last year’s NBA season was unfortunately derailed by injury, but that didn’t stop his ninth signature Nike shoe from drawing plenty of attention. Aside from debuting Flyknit construction on a Nike Basketball shoe, the Kobe 9 Elite‘s other claim to fame is that it finally deviated from the expected Kobe low-top formula with a super-high cut that instantly distinguished itself from any shoe that Beaverton has ever produced. Now with the 2014-2015 season right around the corner, Kobe will finally be wearing the shoe on court, and Nike will be keeping it front and center at retail thanks to a fresh new batch of colorways headed our way.
First up will be the “Legacy” edition, as indicated by the inner tongue label that has graced all the previous Kobe 9 Elites. The shoe features contrasting shades of blue on the Flyknit-infused upper with mint green Flywire lace loops, metallic silver Swooshes, and additional red accent stripes on the back of the ankle. Continuing the theme of honoring inspirational and influential figures from Kobe’s world, the “Legacy” installment is a nod to late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, with the color scheme taken from a classic photo of Buss at the poker table. Before the shoe hits the shelves this weekend, you can get an early look in the pages ahead.
The Nike Kobe 9 Elite “Legacy” will release on October 18th for $225 at select Nike Basketball retailers.
