Kobe shoes have been popular for a while, but did you know that one of his shoes was worth $12,000?
Throughout his career, Kobe had many popular sneakers through both Nike and Addidas.
If you are interested in Kobe’s sneaker history, keep reading to figure out what popular shoes you should keep an eye out for. More useful information you can find here https://www.kickscrew.com.
A History of Kobe’s Shoes
Before you look at specific Kobe basketball shoes, you need to understand some of the histories behind the sneakers. Kobe Bryant was different from Michael Jordan and LeBron James because Kobe was a member of both Addidas and Nike.
When he was seventeen and had just graduated high school, he signed with Adidas. This was a six-year contract, and that might be why he didn’t sign with Nike in the beginning.
However, eventually, he transitioned over to Nike.
Addidas
Kobe became one of the best players in the NBA during the 2000-01 season, making his Adidas shoes very popular.
Other than being associated with Kobe Bryant, these shoes also had great designs that were colorful and stood out.
However, Bryant didn’t always like all of the shoes. He was most unhappy with the KOBE TWO shoe, which is when his contract ended, and he went over to Nike.
Nike
With Nike, Kobe Bryant shoes became a signature part of his design, and he wore them in the early 2000s.
However, the Nike Air Huarache and the Zoom Kobe I making their debut. Throughout the years, these shoes have gone through a great transformation.
When they first came out, they looked like a standard basketball sneaker. They had a low-top look, almost like a soccer shoe.
After that, they slowly transformed into the shoes that we know and love today. While there have been many different variations, here are some of the most popular ones.
The Nike Kobe 1
The Nike Kobe 1 was released for the 2005-06 season. Ken Link designed these, and they’re most famous for being played during an 81-point game against Toronto.
These shoes were the start of Kobe Bryant’s line with Nike, and they were in a similar design to the Huarache series.
Nike released these shoes on Christmas Day, and he wore them in some of his most popular games.
Addidas Elevation EQT
On the Addidas side, the Elevation EQT were some of the most popular shoes.
Bryant wore these in 1996 and 1997, and he wore them when participating in the Slam Dunk Contest. While they came in many colors, like white, black, yellow, red, blue, black, or teal, Bryant wore purple shoes.
With these shoes, he started winning over a whole other generation of basketball fans.
Nike Kobe 2
The Nike Kobe 2 shoes were popular in 2006 and 2007, and Ken Link also designed these as well.
Also introduced on Christmas, Bryant wore these against the Miami Heat. He also wore them in the FIBA Americas tournament, which was where Team USA’s Redeem Team started.
Kobe transformed the team and led them to win gold medals in 2007 and 2008 while wearing these shoes.
Adidas Kobe Bryant KB8 II
When Kobe played his third season, he was becoming more popular, and people started knowing his name when people talked about basketball.
That’s when these shoes started becoming popular. These shoes were unique because they had the Feet You Wear technology. However, after having some legal issues, these shoes were the last ones made with this type of technology.
In addition to that, these shoes also had adiPRENE heel cushion support that would help absorb the shock of impact while playing games.
The Kobe
The Kobe was released in 2000, and later these shoes were called the Crazy 1. On the upper part of the sneaker, you can find Kobe’s signature.
The shoe had a moon theme, but it wasn’t all related to our space. There were still some stylistic touches that made the shoe feel very sleek.
Whenever Kobe wore these shoes, he was sure to be successful on the court.
The Nike Kobe 6
Nike released the Kobe 6 in 2010, and Bryant wore this one through 2011. Eric Avar was in charge of designing these shoes, and they might be one of the most iconic sneakers to show up on the basketball court.
These were also nicknamed the Grinch shoes. They had a snakeskin upper with very bold colors. It was very hard to miss these shoes on the Christmas Day game.
Nike Kobe A.D. 2
The Nike Kobe A.D. 2 was one of the most recent releases of shoes in 2017 and 2018.
Ross Klein designed these shoes, revamping the Kobe A.D. He redesigned the mid-top based on Bryant’s interest and focused on color psychology.
He also make sure that these shoes reflected Kobe’s journey on his way to greatness.
Zoom Kobe 4
The Zoom Kobe 4 launched in 2008, and this is when the style of the Nike Bryant shoes started to change.
This shoe had a low-cut profile in the sneaker, but there will be still enough for support. Like other shoes in the collection, these shoes were inspired by soccer shoes.
This is one of the first shoes that also used the Flywire technique in the basketball shoe for the aesthetic. These shoes were also inspired by the Black Mamba persona.
Learn More About Kobe’s Sneaker History
These are only a few of the popular models in Kobe’s sneaker history, but there are many more that you should look for if you want to buy sneakers.
We know that there are a lot of factors to consider before you purchase sneakers, but starting with one of these Kobe sneakers is a great way to start.
If you found this article interesting, explore our website to find even more great articles just like this one.
