The Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant left Adidas for Nike and established one of the most influential partnerships in performance basketball. He reintroduced low-tops to the game with his Kobe 4 and 5 silhouettes and introduced a comprehensive signature line with The Swoosh.
In 2002, he made waves by entering a groundbreaking sneaker-free agency period, making headlines with a rumored $8 million payment to terminate his Adidas contract. This meant that he could wear whatever shoes he wanted during the 2002-03 season, which is now widely considered one of the most fascinating seasons in sneaker history.
In addition to reintroducing a pair of high-tops from the ‘Kobe’ line, Nike also brought back another custom-made player exclusive for Kobe during this coveted sneaker free agency period. This Bruce Lee-inspired “Enter The Dragon” edition of the Nike Zoom Kobe 5 pays tribute to the martial artist and features a del sol-based upper with black, silver, and red accents.
Next month, Reebok will release the Reebok Mid or Yellow Toe in its Alternates Pack, paying homage to historic alternate uniforms of the ’90s and ’00s. The Player Exclusive inspires the shoe that Kobe wore during his sneaker free agency season and is also a nod to the Lakers’ special all-white alternates that were typically worn on Sundays and holiday games.
Design highlights include a white leather upper with yellow on the toe, heel, eyelets, and purple on the branding.
