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Kobe Continues Reign as Champ
Lighter and Lower. Kobe Bryant worked with the Nice Kicks Designer of the Decade, Eric Avar, on his fifth installment in his signature series with Nike to take his product to new heights, (well actually, lows). Many in the sports and footwear world thought Kobe was asking for an ankle injury when he and Nike Basketball unveiled the lightest and lowest cut Kobe IV, but those shoes took him to another NBA Ring. The Kobe V took all the great aspects of the Kobe IV a step further with a better fit, lower cut, and lighter weight. The shoe was adopted by not only Kobe, but was the most worn signature shoe across the NBA and NCAA in 2010. The shoe also demonstrated its versatility with players from every position wearing the Nike Zoom Kobe V.
Lunar cushioning was replaced in the forefoot with the more responsive Zoom Air. ? This move seems to be a permanent change with the Nike Zoom Kobe VI calling for the same cushioning set.
The Kobe V was again available on NikeiD, giving the consumer the ability to get the Kobe V however they saw fit. ? Across the league many NBAers had iD makeups of the shoe, which was one of the first shoes on Nike’s new streamlined production channel that delivers products direct to consumer faster than ever.
The Lakers, led by Kobe, got past the Boston Celtics, (further reviving the rivalry) and helped Kobe earn a new piece of hardware for his now full hand.
Just as the year was winding down, the Nike Zoom Kobe VI was introduced with a number of Lakers wearing a green Kobe VI from the “Stoplight Pack” on Christmas Day. An inline Black/Del Sol was released and welcomed by the public. In 2011, Kobe and the Lakers will be on the hunt for yet another three peat to earn Kobe his sixth ring – further continuing comparisons between KB and MJ.
