Kobe Bryant recently launched his ninth signature shoe with Nike. The Kobe Elite 9 unveiled by the Los Angeles Lakers guard is a higher-cut shoe. The most prominent feature is on the back of the shoe, where nine short red lines are spread out along the heel to mimic the sutures from his recent Achilles surgery.
“It’s a symbol of the story we’re trying to tell,” Bryant told ESPN.com. “It’s a constant reminder of where I came from. From that night after I hurt myself and I expressed my anger in my Facebook rant to the state I’m in now. I wanted something I could draw inspiration from. Everyone doubts I can’t come back and do it again and here I am.”
Bryant fans either love it or hate it and to them he directly said, “You have to move the needle. You want people to [behave] that way. You want them to have an emotional reaction as soon as they see it. You want it to create conversation and debate and challenge how people think.”
It is also the first basketball shoe that uses Nike’s FlyKnit technology. This will allow the brand to make the entire upper part of the shoe in one piece and it also makes the shoe lighter and feel more connected, Bryant said.
What are your thoughts of the new Nike Kobe Bryant Elite 9? Will you buy a pair? –joi pearson @joiapearson
