Yes kids, you read that correctly Adidas Kobe 1 not the Nike Kobe 1 we’ve seen so much of recently. Bryant’s footwear career has evolved greatly from the days of appearing on Moesha, but there was a time when Kobe was synonymous with Adidas. Young Kobe repped the /// from his rookie season through the 2001-02 season and served as the brand’s marquee athlete on the hardwood. The Kobe line was progressive, bold and unique (much like Bryant’s game) with models that challenged what basketball shoes could be/ should be. With the simple name of The Kobe, Adidas and Bryant partnered to deliver a new-age basketball shoe for a new millennium. For today’s sample Sunday we’ll be taking a look back at a rare sample of The Kobe in a clean Ice Blue colorway, enjoy!
First, lets talk about this Ice Blue colorway – it’s perfect, why they didn’t release it is a mystery. The molded synthetic upper plays off of the grey accents very well, and the mesh tongue and heel provides much needed upper contract.
The ‘Frobe’ logo as it’s commonly referred to as is one of the best logos ever. Before the shaved head, Bryant rocked an iconic baby fro as he jammed on opponent after opponent. Bryant reportedly paid 8 million dollars to get out of his Adidas contract, too bad he didn’t get to keep his logo.
We’ve always appreciated the understated method of branding Adidas uses while designing their basketball shoes. The Kobe was inspired by the Audi TT automobile and the shoe’s aggressive and bold lines really brings inspiration to life.
Isn’t it crazy how Adidas still uses adiPRENE for everything? The technology popped up in the D-Rose line over ten years later (in Adidas’s defense Nike still uses Air).
Soooo icy! Adidas, can we get a retro of these and call The Kobe instead of the Crazy 1!!!
Sneaker History
Aaron Nojima