John Kim 
We just covered the respective All-Star sneaker history of Kevin Durant and LeBron James, so its now to focus on the elder statesman of the Nike Basketball signature trio – Mr. Kobe Bryant. Kobe just tied an NBA record by being voted as a starter for the fourteenth straight time, but unlike Kevin Durant and LeBron James’ consistent appearances with their own signature shoes, Kobe’s All-Star sneaker history is quite the mixed bag of brands and models. It started with adidas footwear and today’s selections reflect his current status as Nike’s global leader of basketball, but there’s plenty in between that you might not be familiar with.
As you may remember, Kobe Bryant was signed by adidas before he stepped foot on an NBA court. He wowed the crowd with his ’97 Dunk Contest win, created some controversy by being voted on as a Starter while being a bench player, and then went on to win four MVP trophies (sharing one with Shaq). He’s worn Air Jordan Retros and signature models from two different brands, making up the most diverse All-Star Game footwear history in comparison to LeBron and KD. Read on below!
What: adidas EQT Elevation
When: 1997 NBA Dunk Contest
Although not an All-Star, Kobe Bryant participated – and won – the ’97 Dunk Contest while wearing the adidas EQT Elevation. Kobe was under contract with adidas to start his NBA career.
What: adidas Crazy 8
When: 1998 NBA All-Star Game
One of the most controversial All-Star selections in NBA history was Kobe Bryant’s selection as a starter for the ’98 game. What makes his appearance so questionable was that he wasn’t even a Starter for the Lakers. His immense popularity garnered him enough votes to be a starter, but those who felt he didn’t deserve to be in the game were in for a shock as he provided quite the level of entertainment as he faced off against Michael Jordan. This All-Star Game is often viewed as the ‘passing of the torch’ from Jordan to Kobe.
What: adidas Top Ten Supreme
When: 2000 NBA All-Star Game
Remember when Kobe and Shaq enjoyed playing with one another? This All-Star Game would come right before the two won their first NBA Title. For this game, Kobe rocked the revamped adidas Top Ten Supreme in White/Grey.
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What: adidas The Kobe “Sunshine Yellow”
When: 2001 NBA All-Star Game
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What: adidas The Kobe II
When: 2002 NBA All-Star Game
Kobe brings home his first NBA All-Star Game MVP while wearing the adidas The Kobe II. This would be Kobe’s final All-Star Game appearance with adidas shoes.
What: Air Jordan III Retro “True Blue”
When: 2003 NBA All-Star Game
The All-Star game uniforms went back to the classic designs from the late 80’s, to which Kobe paid tribute to by wearing the Air Jordan III Retro ‘True Blue’.
What: Nike Zoom Huarache 2k4 “LA” PE
When: 2004 NBA All-Star Game
After signing a contract with Nike during the 2003 off-season, Kobe began to wear Nike Basketball models – although no actual ads with Kobe and Nike were ever aired or publicized in the States. He would be the unofficial representative of the Huarache 2k4 as some GR releases featured the Kobe Shozoku logo.
What: Nike Zoom Huarache 2K5 “LA” PE
When: 2005 NBA All-Star Game
For the second straight year, Kobe would wear the Huarache flagship model to the All-Star Game. While not his official signature shoe, some GR releases featured the Shozoku logo.
What: Nike Air Zoom Kobe 1 “All-Star” PE
When: 2006 NBA All-Star Game
Kobe’s first signature shoe with Nike was finally unveiled in 2006, with the Mamba wearing a special PE colorway for the mid-February event. The above colorway is that GR version of the shoes that Kobe wore.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe II “Lakers”
When: 2007 Skills Challenge
Kobe Bryant participated in the Skills Challenge alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul. Wade would go on to win the event.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe II “All-Star” PE
When: 2007 NBA All-Star Game
Kobe Bryant brought home his second NBA MVP during the 2007 game while wearing a PE colorway of the Nike Zoom Kobe II.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe III “All-Star”
When: 2008 NBA All-Star Game
Kobe was injured for this game, playing just three minutes. Here he is wearing a PE colorway of his Zoom Kobe III.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe IV “All-Star”
When: 2009 NBA All-Star Game
The low-cut movement of the Zoom Kobe line began with the Kobe IV, and clearly it was the right choice; Kobe went on to win the MVP trophy for the All-Star Game and even took home his fourth NBA Championship.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe V
When: 2010 NBA All-Star Game
Despite being voted as a Starter, Kobe was forced to miss the game due to injury.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe VI ‘All-Star’
When: 2011 NBA All-Star Game
With the game being held in Los Angeles (albeit for the Clippers), Kobe Bryant made sure he took home the game’s top prize. He took home his fourth NBA All-Star Game MVP in the Kobe VI ‘All-Star’.
What: Nike Zoom Kobe VII “Galaxy”
When: 2012 NBA All-Star Game
Kobe put up yet another MVP-style performance, dropping 27 points in the amazing “Galaxy” Kobe VII.
