Nike Kobe 1

Kobe Bryant signed a Kobe sneaker contract with adidas at the start of his NBA career and released a number of signature shoes through the brand, including the adidas KB8, the adidas EQT Elevation, and the original adidas The Kobe. But once his contract was up, he decided to walk away from adidas and sign a sneaker contract with Nike. This would lead to the release of the Nike Kobe 1 in 2006.

When Nike was putting together plans for the Nike Kobe 1, Kobe was dealing with a series of knee injuries, so he specifically asked for the company to incorporate as much cushioning into it as possible. Nike agreed to do this, and the company also found other ways to make the sneaker unique to the Los Angeles Lakers star. The tongue of the sneaker, for example, featured Kobe’s "sheath" logo.

Kobe would go on to help put the Nike Kobe 1 on the map by wearing the sneaker on the court during his legendary 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Nike then took it from there, releasing the sneaker in a variety of colourways, in that same year and in the years that followed. From the Kobe 1 White Shark to the Kobe 1 Black Mamba, the Kobe 1 would eventually become available in a wide range of colours. It provided the perfect springboard for the rest of the Kobe sneakers that were yet to come.

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