The 2012-13 season was a career-changer for Kobe Bryant. After winning two championships in 2009-10, Bryant’s Lakers were bounced the next two years, only advancing to the second round each time. In contrast, the Black Mamba’s sneaker line stayed consistent in form, while still upping the performance. The drop-in midsole […]
2011 saw a big change for the Kobe line compared to the past three models. Eric Avar once again helped design the Nike Zoom Kobe 7, with two customizable midsole options dubbed “attack fast” and “attack strong”. The fast option matched the low-cut set-up on the aforementioned Kobe 4-6 with […]
One of the most recognizable silhouettes in the Kobe line was unveiled in early December in 2010, with the Eric Avar designed Nike Zoom Kobe 6 immediately polarizing sneakerheads everywhere. The cutthroat Black Mamba persona that Kobe had developed finally came to life on his footwear, as the Kobe 6 […]
Following the on-court and off-court success of the Kobe 4, Eric Avar and Kobe Bryant unveiled the Nike Zoom Kobe 5 in December of 2009. The fifth Kobe Bryant signature shoe shared a lot in common with its predecessor, as Flywire-infused Hyperfuse and Zoom Air units in the heel and […]
The 2008-09 season was epic for Kobe in many ways. The ending of this season would epitomize Kobe’s legacy, but the beginning started a trend for his signature line for years to come. Bryant did start this year in the original Hyperdunk but soon transitioned to the Nike Zoom Kobe […]
One of the very few instances that Kobe rocked a sneaker outside of his main signature line was in 2008, when he was a key part of the launch of the original Nike Hyperdunk. Nike put in a lot of marketing effort on the original Hyperdunk and had Kobe shoot […]
After a few years working on other projects, Huarache 2K4 and 2K5 designer Eric Avar returned to collaborate with Kobe Bryant on his third signature shoe. The eye-catching, rubber net design on the upper helped provide a cage-like fit, with the “holes” of the pattern providing breathability while reducing weight. […]
Ken Link returned once again to design the Kobe line, crafting the Nike Zoom Kobe 2 for his 2006-07 season. The shoe came in three versions: sheath, strength, and lite. The sheath version featured an ankle strap that Kobe loved on the Huarache 2K4. The strength version added more support […]
After leading the Huarache 2K line the past two years, it was finally time to give Kobe Bryant a signature shoe for the 2005-06 season. This time around, lead designer Ken Link had the task of creating the Black Mamba’s footwear. The Kobe 1 featured full-grain leather on the upper […]
The sequel to the year’s prior Kobe Bryant sneaker, the Nike Zoom Air Huarache 2K5 brought a similar look with the Free sole that was a decade in the making. Eric Avar once again designed the Huarache 2K5 with integration of this running technology in mind, giving people barefoot-feeling flexibility […]