Nike Kobe 10 | Officially Unveiled

Set to premiere in February, the Nike Kobe 10 was officially unveiled this weekend, the seventh Kobe Bryant signature model designed by Nike creative director and VP of innovation Eric Avar. The design of Bryant’s latest performance masterpiece is focused on three essential elements: cushioning, nike free run traction and light, breathable support.

From the ground up, the Kobe 10 truly reimagines the limits (or lack thereof) of a basketball shoe. The traction system may be the most effective in the 43-year history of Nike basketball shoes, claims the brand, starting with an outsole that boasts hundreds of “nodules,” gripping the court in the same way that racecar tires grip the racetrack, promising slipless traction at high speeds.

The outsole’s tremendous traction works in tandem with a radically reimagined midsole, meanwhile, nike free run nz deftly delivering cushioning and enhancing natural movement by mixing together three often disparate technologies: responsive Zoom Air in the heel; Free-inspired siping grooves for flexibility and natural motion; and plush, cushy Lunarlon foam. Those three innovations, along with the outsole, are encapsulated in a new translucent rubber casing, allowing a view into the model’s impressive tech.

Finally, there’s the lowtop upper, stunning in its minimalism. In fact, the Kobe 10 marks the debut of a new open-weave textile that’s inspired by the pattern and strength of sharkskin. The advanced textiles bring lightweight support and stability to the shoe, while the mesh inner-bootie enhances ventilation and delivers a snug fit, and a nubuck fabric on the tongue spells out mamba-inspired patterns and graphics.

The heel of each shoe is then finished in Bryant-specific imagery: on the left heel, four red “stitches” that represent his resilient return from an Achilles tendon injury and resulting surgery; on the right, the Kobe logo.

The first Kobe 10 — dubbed the “5am Flight,” and specifically inspired by his return from the Achilles injury — will release globally on February 7. Check out plenty of photos below, and stay tuned for a window into the next four colorways in the coming weeks.