Unlike the Air Jordans, which were really only worn by Jordan himself and a handful of players, Kobe’s sneakers took things like stability, movement, weight, cushioning, and energy return into mind as key aspects of each design.

That has less to do with the way they look and more to do with the way they’re constructed.

Year after year, Kobe’s sneakers are routinely the most worn sneakers in the NBA. I’m not just talking about the people who play at the park every weekend, I’m talking about professional ballplayers. The people who strive to live with that Mamba mentality. That’s because Kobe’s signature silhouettes resonate with a different audience entirely: people who, like Kobe himself, live, love, and breathe for the game.

If you gift any of your friends a random pair of Air Jordans for Christmas, there is a chance they’ll recognize them as a pair of Jordans, but hand an unsuspecting friend a Kobe Protro IV, and they’ll probably just think you got them a new pair of running shoes.ĭon’t get us wrong, a Kobe branded sneaker will still sell out instantly (or would sell out, as Nike’s contract with Kobe Bryant’s estate has expired), there just isn’t an endless line of celebrities or streetwear brands clamoring to redesign a Kobe VI the way there is a regular rotation of new colorways for the Jordan I, III, IV, V, and beyond week after week. Kobe Bryant’s signature Nike sneakers don’t seem to carry the same kind of cultural weight as the Air Jordan does outside of your average sneakerhead.

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