{"id":515215,"date":"2016-11-01T12:17:25","date_gmt":"2016-11-01T16:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/?p=515215"},"modified":"2024-01-24T14:56:47","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T20:56:47","slug":"12-biggest-breakthroughs-nike-kobe-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.snkrsday.com\/12-biggest-breakthroughs-nike-kobe-line\/","title":{"rendered":"The 12 Biggest Breakthroughs of the Nike Kobe Line"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today, Nike Basketball is expected to unveil the Nike Kobe 12<\/strong>. This is big news, as the Nike Kobe line<\/a> has long pushed the envelope in regard to innovation and performance. It’s also big news because the Black Mamba is now retired from the NBA – making this the first signature shoe of his post-playing career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over his time in the league with the Swoosh, the Laker legend has changed the industry in a plethora of ways. As Nike debuts his 12th signature shoe, we look at 12 ways his series has impacted the game and the culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For updates on the latest Kobe releases, take a look at the upcoming Kobe release dates<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. Pulled from the pitch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\"mambacurial_hero_v3_1_original\"\/Kobe Bryant has long loved soccer. While many athletes are fans of other sports, Kobe’s interest in the pitch pulled over to his signature shoe line in both color blocking and construction for an amazing cross-genre mashup. “Mambacurial” and “Barcelona” makeups still cause a stir every time they drop, with futbol cleats inspiring the cut of the revolutionary Zoom Kobe 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Helped introduce multi-silo model<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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image via Photo Bucket<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Just as Air\u00a0Jordans would play with the .5 and SE formats, the Nike Kobe line pushed the modern era when the Kobe II launched in multiple variations. Though the Strength \/ Sheath \/ Lite variations may have been a bit confusing in the marketplace, it was an early preview of the path signature shoes across the industry would take in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Collaborated with HTM<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"nike-kobe-9-elite-low-htm-officially-unveiled-03\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want to get an Ekin’s attention by only saying three letters, then ‘HTM’ is a pretty good start. Referencing the brain trust that is Hiroshi Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield and Mark Parker, the Nike Kobe line has been a muse for their creative colorways and unique updates. Kobe models with said tagging created a new subculture for chasing the rarest of the rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Brought Eric Avar back to the forefront of Nike hoops<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"kobe-eric-avar-podcast-1\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tinker Hatfield is a household name in sneaker culture and for good reason, but when it comes to performance hoops, Eric Avar<\/a> is as big of a boss as it gets. Doing work for Penny Hardaway, Charles Barkley, and countless others throughout the 90s, the designer made his mark in the 2000s on the Nike Kobe series. Pushing the boundaries of tech and innovation for the game’s most studious player, the result was perhaps the best performance basketball line ever made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Actively paid homage to the past<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Nike Zoom Kobe 1 was a collage of great Nike Basketball shoes, pulling pieces ranging from the Blazer to the Zoom Turbine. While later models were more forward-thinking, they would still highlight peaks from previous models by pulling out old colorways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Thrived on NikeiD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Of all the signature basketball lines to hit NikeiD, few have had a more impressive and impactful run than the Kobe series. Starting early, the line has seen creative color blocking on the likes of the Kobe 2 to Flyknit threading on later models. In addition, NikeiD also allowed fans to create colorways he would wear on court, like the “Kid Hollywood” pair seen above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Revamped Nike Basketball’s viral marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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