Sole Collector Magazine is a must read for all the sneaker heads around the world and the magazine is celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Sole gave its readers great insight on the world of sneakers and how popular it has become to this day. Their 45th issue celebrating their anniversary included their top 10 interviews in the last 10 years and Kobe Bryant made the list.
Bryant is known for his tireless work ethic on the court and takes the same approach when designing his signature shoe every year. When Bryant first entered the NBA he signed with Adidas, but in 2003 he signed with Nike and they have made the Kobe shoe series very successful.
In the interview with Nick DePaula of Sole Magazine, Bryant acknowledges that he does not care how the shoe looks in a casual setting:
“Actually, none. That’s never even something that’s crossed my brain. This shoe, I personally wanted to play in. Whether it [works] well off the court or not is really irrelevant to me at the time.”
Bryant sole importance is the performance of the shoe on the court, which makes perfect sense because Bryant is the utmost competitor. Although Bryant does not care for the look of the shoe, his sneakers continue to be very popular and widely used off and on the court.
Kobe would go on to say that the Kobe I is very special to him because of the significance of the shoe:
“It’s special, man, because when you see that shoe, that’s the first thing people think of: the 81. It’s special to have those moments with shoes and how people tie in your years or games to a shoe.”
Nobody will ever forget the 81-point game and all the sneaker heads will never forget what shoes he was wearing: The Kobe I. One of the first shoes he designed with Nike and it became very popular around the league because of its cushioning and comfort. If you want to find the Kobe I now, you likely won’t have much luck. Unless you’re willing to pay much more than they are actually worth, which the most dedicated sneaker heads will do to get their hands on a piece of history.
Bryant once again dedicated a lot of time on his latest shoe, the Kobe 9. This time he went away from his low top design and went with a high top design. The shoe once again surprised the sneaker world, but it will continue to sellout and be successful.
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