Nike Reveals Kobe Bryant’s Final On-Court Shoe
Nike announced that Kobe Bryant’s final on-court basketball shoe will be the Kobe 11. The low-top sneaker, designed by Eric Avar, features Flyknit technology that includes thermoplastic polyurethane yarn for superior strength. The Kobe 11 will be the first Nike shoe to feature the new iteration of Flyknit.
“Throughout my time with Nike, I’ve obsessed about the details of my shoes. For the Kobe 11, we worked to perfect Flyknit for basketball,” said Bryant in a statement.
The launch colorway of Bryant’s final on-court shoe, called the Achilles Heel, has deep red and black details with subtle nods to the Greek god Achilles and Bryant’s career.
The colorway features a graphic representation of the Greek god on the right heel, while the left features four stitch marks representing the four feet of thread used in Bryant’s 2013 Achilles surgery.
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Bryant’s 11 signature sneakers with Nike began in 2004 with the Nike Huarache 2K4. The line has repeatedly introduced technical innovations to basketball, including Flywire, which debuted in the Nike Hyperdunk Kobes; Nike Free-inspired natural motion; advanced proprioception; and Flyknit.
“The legacy for the Kobe shoe would hopefully be first and foremost true performance, lightweight, responsive and the essence of simplicity,” said Avar. “But I think more than anything, what I would hope for would be that the product is just a representation of Kobe.”
The Kobe 11 Achilles Heel will be available Jan. 9 globally at nike.com and select retail locations.
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