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Kobe Nike : Top 5 Kobe Bryant Shoes made by Nike as Vanessa Bryant ended the partnership this month

Amulya Shekhar
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Kobe Nike : Top 5 Kobe Bryant Shoes made by Nike as Vanessa Bryant ended the partnership this month

A long and successful partnership between Kobe Bryant and Nike came to an end yesterday. We take a look at their top 5 Kobe Nike shoes of all time.

Kobe Bryant was an Adidas guy for 6 years since debuting in the NBA. He wanted to build an opposing legacy to Michael Jordan with the 3 stripes, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Most of Kobe’s Adidas releases were not found to be suitable for the market, and it petered out. Bryant became a sneaker free agent in the 2002-03 season. He rocked shoes from both Nike and Jordan Brand while turning out for the Lakers in one of his best individual seasons.

Bryant finalized a deal with Nike in 2003, but the Denver sexual assault scandal knocked askew their signature shoe timeline. The first Kobe Nike shoes were released in 2006. We take a look at some of Bryant’s best sneakers through the course of his partnership with the sporstwear giants:

Top 5 Kobe Nike sneakers

#5 Kobe AD NXT 360

This shoe came out on Mamba Day – 13th April – 2018. It was received with a great deal of fanfare. The shoe sports a ribbed knitting characteristic of the Primeknit technology.

Possibly the best colorway of this shoe was in the Lakers’ colours of Purple and Gold – they ‘Yellow Strike’.

This shoe hasn’t been worn all that much by NBA players – primarily because it’s a low-ankle sneaker. It still has one of the dopest exteriors and looks sported by any Nike Kobe release.

#4 Kobe 1 Protro

The Kobe 1 is the embodiment of basketball sneakers from the noughties. Its 2018 re-release with refurbished grip and technology was called the Kobe 1 Protro.

With a tough leather exterior, the Protros sport a rugged look and feel all-in-all. It has also made for some first-class basketball experiences, and is more conducive to outdoor courts than the average Nike shoe.

Also Read: “They really put Kyle Kuzma over Brandon Ingram”: NBA Fans react to a poll from 2017 predicting Kuzma would be the most successful out of the young Lakers’ core

#3 Zoom Kobe 9 Elite

Kobe preferred playing with low-top or mid-top sneakers. But there came a time in his career when he had to use high-ankle options too. The Mamba was at the tail end of his career at the time, and needed to play with maximum protection.

The Zoom Kobe 9 Elite was released as a result in February 2014 – 10 months after his Achilles tear occurred. It had a great reception – it’s good enough a throwback that you’ll spot it every now and then on NBA courts.

#2 Zoom Kobe 6 ‘Grinch’

Designed by Eric Avar, a figure who’ll rear his head more than once on this list, the Nike Zoom Kobe 6 was originally released from 2010-2011. The Grinch version hit the shelves on Christmas Day 2010, featuring a beautiful Green Apple colourway of the grumpy Dr. Seuss character.

The shoe was so wildly successful that it has been re-released twice after Kobe’s death. We’ve seen quite a few players turn out in this colorway over the years.

#1 Nike Kobe 11 ‘Fade to Black’

There are many moments in Kobe’s career that were career-defining, but none more so than his final game. Bryant dropped 60 on the Utah Jazz and mic-dropped his way out of the NBA.

He wore the Nike Kobe 11 ‘Fade to Black’ shoes in this game. The low-profile design comes in a black-based color scheme with gold accents and a translucent outsole. It’s truly a platinum-level shoe both to play in and to look at.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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