Kobe 8

Another season and another shoe

In October 2012, Kobe Bryant began his 17th season in the NBA. It was also his 17th with the LA Lakers, having spent his entire career there after being traded from the Charlotte Hornets immediately after the 1996 Draft. On the court, he had already achieved more than most players could ever hope to, and yet he still had the desire to win further titles. Off the court, meanwhile, the NBA legend had been responsible for one of the most influential lines of basketball trainers in history. As the 2012-2013 season got under way, Kobe was already working on his next signature shoe, the Kobe 8, and this one would turn out to be among his very best.

A difficult start

Going into Game 1 of the regular season on October 20th, 2012, the LA Lakers were in a great position. The team had been strengthened, first by the signing of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns, then with the acquisition of powerful All-Star Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic. Along with the towering Spaniard Pau Gasol and the brilliance of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers were considered to be a superteam. However, things weren’t quite as they seemed – Howard had spent much of the off season recovering from back surgery, Gasol was suffering from tendonitis in both knees, and Nash had injury concerns of his own after 16 seasons in the NBA. In fact, the former Suns player fractured his leg in just the second game of the season and missed the next 24 matches. Following this, the Lakers lost 4 of their first 5 games, leading to a change of management within the team that slowly began to turn things around. By the end of November, they had recovered to a record of 8-8 as Kobe continued to lead the team with two 40-point games and a notable triple-double against the Houston Rockets. It was at this point that Nike decided to unveil Kobe’s new signature basketball shoe.

Intriguing insights

At the launch event for the Kobe 8 System, fans of the series got an insight into the thinking behind its design. Kobe spoke about his boundless desire to improve his performance in any way possible, which meant making a shoe that matched the pace of his game and gave him the feeling of moving “at the speed of light”. After his success with the four previous Kobe shoes, Eric Avar was the footwear designer tasked with creating such a model. Just like before, he listened carefully to what Kobe had to say, implementing his request to make the silhouette feel like it was a part of his foot and removing small increments from its height and weight to make a basketball trainer that was even lighter and lower than those which had come before. Kobe was now 34 years old, but Avar’s inventive basketball trainer still allowed him “to play faster” and “with more control” as he tried to take the Lakers to another NBA title.

Two masterful innovations

Everything about the Kobe 8 was oriented around the performance of the athlete. In creating it, Avar innovated perhaps more than he had done since first switching the line to a low-top format four iterations earlier. Two additions in particular made a strong difference to how it performed. One was the full-length drop-in Lunarlon midsole, which was an evolution of the bulkier inserts introduced on the Kobe 7. For the first time on any Kobe sneaker, there was no Zoom Air, and the all-foam midsole was so slight that its weight could barely be felt. It provided incredible impact absorption and stability by spreading the player’s weight evenly across the foot, thus reducing the pressure on their ankles and knees while also giving excellent court feel. Avar’s second great innovation was the Engineered Mesh he used for the upper; the first time this had been done on a basketball shoe. This advanced textile weave was stronger and more flexible than standard mesh materials, and its perforations facilitated high levels of breathability all the way around the foot. It was also extremely lightweight, making the Nike Kobe 8 the lightest of the signature line. Meanwhile, its malleable nature meant that it comfortably hugged the foot without being restrictive, thus allowing the wearer to move naturally and freely to obtain maximum agility.

A design optimised for speed

On top of this, the Nike Kobe 8 had a series of other performance features which gave it the speed required by Kobe and other NBA players, particularly guards. At just over one millimetre in thickness, the webbed rubber outsole cut even more off the shoe’s weight so that the wearer could comfortably feel the court beneath their feet. Its blend of herringbone grip lines and snake-scale tread patterns produced excellent grip, particularly on indoor surfaces, allowing precision cuts without slippage. Such sharp movements were also supported by the TPU heel counter, which, like on previous editions, offered high-top-quality lockdown in a low-top design. Below the moulded arch of the Lunarlon midsole, the usual carbon fibre shank plate provided rigidity and support to the foot, while its glass-based construction ensured that it was more lightweight than other shank plates. Meanwhile, no-sew synthetic overlays were scattered across parts of the upper to enhance its structural integrity without adding too much extra weight. The eyestay was made from a minimal amount of TPU so as to hold the laces securely in place, and the tongue was thin and lightly padded; both elements serving to keep the weight as low as possible.

A compelling aesthetic

Avar’s performance design maximised speed and lightness for the most agile shoe possible, allowing Kobe to, as one early advert suggested, “Strike at light speed”. While Kobe himself wasn’t too interested in the aesthetic, Nike’s experts worked on a look that reflected his Black Mamba persona, giving the release models snake-inspired graphics and other signature effects. The new mesh upper absorbed colour in different ways to earlier materials, and the Sulfur Electric colourway was infused with a dynamic mix of black and yellow, while the Christmas edition was decorated with irregular diamonds in muted shades of red, yellow, blue and white that some have likened to the scales of the fearsome rhinoceros viper. A swoosh appeared down the centre of the lateral flank, a second one was placed higher up towards the medial collar, and Kobe’s ‘The Sheath’ logo showed up on the tongue and the outsole, with a further one subtly debossed into the lateral forefoot. Kobe’s signature returned on the lateral side of the heel counter and the unique ‘Kobe Code’ graced both the heel and the outsole. This Braille-like text was first used on the Kobe 5, prompting fans to translate the dotted figures in order to read the code on future Kobe apparel. The symbols around the heel of the Kobe 8 stand for the words ‘chase perfection’, and those in a small disc on the forefoot of the outsole spell out ‘accuracy’ – both important aspects of Kobe’s personality and playing style. The final aesthetic touch of the release colourways was the thick silver lines on the heel. These markings only reached their full potential when the Kobe 8 was worn with the special socks included with each pair as the two silver bands on the shoe’s heel formed the bottom half of The Sheath logo, while the upper half was completed on the socks, so the full emblem could only be seen when both were worn together.

A record-breaking streak

The Kobe 8 was released to the public in December 2012, when Kobe himself began wearing it on the court. Perhaps inspired by his new basketball trainer, the masterful player went on a magnificent run of point-scoring throughout the month that gave a huge boost to its release. He started with 39 points against the Houston Rockets on December 5th – a game in which he became only the 5th player and the youngest ever to surpass 30,000 career points – before going on to hit 30+ points in ten consecutive matches. At the time, it was the longest such streak for anyone aged 34 or more, and it was bookended with a 35-point game against Kevin Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder and a 40-point masterclass against the Denver Nuggets on 26th December. In the last game of the month, Kobe was on 27 points by the end of the 3rd quarter but was taken off for the whole of the 4th, thus ending his remarkable run.

Injuries and struggles

Despite these amazing performances, the Lakers were still struggling to find form under new head coach Mike D’Antoni. Injuries continued to afflict the squad, and they opened 2013 with a run of six defeats, prompting D’Antoni to experiment with Kobe in a defensive role against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 13th. Charged with marking a young Kyrie Irving, he restricted the 2012 Rookie of the Year to just 15 points, while also top-scoring with 23 of his own to see his team win by a 20-point margin. Nevertheless, January was a poor month for the Lakers, and Kobe’s scoring output dropped with his adjusted role.

A vibrant All-Star colourway

In the meantime, the Kobe 8 proved itself to be an incredibly popular shoe, and new designs were released. Classic models from that time include the Black History Month colourway, which had eye-catching geometric patterns across its black and orange outer, and more snake-inspired editions such as the Python. Kobe himself wore various editions on the court, thus raising the profile of the shoe, but it was the colourway created in honour of his 15th All-Star appearance that became one of the most popular. Once again, Kobe proved how beloved he was amongst NBA fans by accruing the most votes of any player, making even more than fellow greats like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade. During the game, Kobe played more of a supporting role, making eight assists and crucially blocking two shots from James towards the end of the game to help the Western Conference team to a 143-138 victory. All of this was done in one of the most colourful of all Kobe 8s: the All-Star Extraterrestrial. Its marbled outer featured roiling patterns in vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red, somewhat like the surface of the sun, while its inner incorporated a pattern that evoked the starry expanse of space. Performance-wise, it was also slightly different to most other Kobe 8s in that its midsole incorporated a Zoom Air unit for a touch more responsiveness underfoot.

A point-scoring revival

Returning to the regular league after the All-Star weekend, Kobe took on a more offensive role, and his scoring increased in turn. He signalled this change with a 40-point game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 22nd as the Lakers finally looked to be turning things around. One week later, Kobe received the Player of the Month award, having led his team to the brink of the Playoffs once more. With less than a third of the season left to play, they sat in 9th place in the Western Conference, needing to make 8th to reach the end-of-season tournament.

Pushing for the Playoffs

In March, the Lakers pushed hard to make the Playoffs, and Kobe played some of his best basketball for the season, all while wearing the Kobe 8. In two unforgettable back-to-back victories, he scored 40+ points and 10+ assists, firstly against the New Orleans Hornets, then the Toronto Raptors, who were undone by a trademark Kobe performance which saw him take the game to overtime by making 15 in the 4th quarter, thus allowing the Lakers to get the all-important win. Going into April – the last month of the regular season – the Lakers were in a tight battle with the Utah Jazz for 8th place in the Western Conference. They needed to win as many games as possible to ensure a Playoff berth, and with so many injuries and absences, Kobe was putting more and more pressure on himself to be the man to take them there. The burden was even greater given the fact that Kobe had promised the fans that the Lakers would make the Playoffs. Starting on March 30th against the Sacramento Kings, he went on a run of seven straight games in which he played a minimum of 40 minutes. In that first match, he was on court for all but 23 seconds, and in the penultimate one, he played every single one of the 48 minutes, not stopping even for a second. In this last match, Kobe made his highest score of the season, with a massive 47 points, but the tremendous court time was clearly taking its toll, and before long it would bring his season to an early end.

Warnings

Two days later, the Lakers faced the Golden State Warriors in another must-win game, and Kobe was keen to play as many minutes as possible, despite warnings from the team’s general manager, Mitch Kupchak, and coach D’Antoni, who were growing more and more concerned about their ageing star player picking up an injury. Kobe, however, was undeterred. Not wanting to disappoint the fans, he worked harder than ever, staying up late to study opposition players and directing those around him to ensure that everything went to plan. Showing his trademark determination and grit, he took to the court knowing in his mind that he wouldn’t take even a minute of rest as it was his duty to get the team through to the Playoffs.

A heartbreaking moment

As the game got underway, Kobe could see that it was going to be a tough one as the great shooter Steph Curry threw a series of three-pointers for the Warriors to end the 1st quarter on 22 points with his team up 32-26. Kobe fought back with 13 in the 2nd to level the scores at 57-57 at the end of a 1st half in which he was the only man on either team to play every single second. The intensity did not drop in the 3rd quarter, and with both teams tenaciously challenging for the ball, Kobe went down under a tackle from Festus Ezeli and Harrison Barnes. Hitting the ground hard, he stayed down for a moment holding onto his left knee, but soon got up, determined to carry on. A few minutes later, he jumped to make a field goal and, on landing, limped away in pain as the commentators questioned whether or not he would be able to continue. Despite these moments, Kobe incredibly reached the end of the 3rd quarter without missing a second of the game. The Lakers were five points down, and a strong push was needed to ensure victory. In the final quarter, Kobe came out swinging, making field goals and three-pointers to close the gap on the opponent. It was looking like he would snatch a famous win for his team until with just over three minutes to go and still without even a moment of rest, he pushed off his left foot in an attempt to move past Barnes and suddenly collapsed to the floor. Feeling the back of his ankle, he realised that his Achilles tendon had torn. In an almost unbelievable moment of defiance, Kobe, wearing a pair of Kobe 8s in the purple and gold tones of his beloved Lakers, clutched at the back of his leg as he tried to pull the tendon back into place. He was so determined to finish the job that he stood up, limped over to the free throw line and calmly made two shots before finally accepting his fate and hobbling off the court. As he wandered towards the locker room, the commentator summed up Kobe’s famous Mamba Mentality with the words, “Don’t ever question the heart, the emotion, the grit, the tenacity of that guy.” Although he was devastated with the injury, Kobe’s free throw shots had brought his team level with the Warriors on 109 points, and the Lakers went on to secure the victory. Just five days later, their place in the Playoffs was confirmed after they beat the Houston Rockets to finish tied with the same team in 7th place in the Western Conference.

Magic Mamba

Kobe’s heroics had vindicated his guarantee that the Lakers would make the Playoffs, but without him at the helm, the team struggled during the first round, losing in 4 straight games to the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe was lauded for another amazing season, with the New York Times calling it “some of the finest work of his career” and others naming him Magic Mamba for his incredible distribution, which rivalled that of Lakers legend Magic Johnson. These amazing passing skills saw him go over ten assists eleven times in the season, while he continued to score prolifically, making 40 or more points in eight different games. During the season, he also passed the great Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list as he moved into fourth place overall. Despite this, his Achilles tear was the defining moment of that year. A day after suffering the injury, Kobe went into surgery and, following that, underwent months of rehabilitation. He finally returned to action almost eight months later in a game against the Toronto Raptors on December 8th, but he soon became injured again and never quite got back to his pre-injury best. He had given everything for his team, pushing his body to the limit and putting his physical health on the line until it finally broke.

A powerful symbol

For this heartbreaking moment, the Nike Kobe 8 will forever be remembered, but it has also gone down as one of the best basketball trainers in history. Over the months that Kobe was recovering from his Achilles tear, iconic colourways like the multi-coloured Venice Beach, the richly toned Pit Viper and the vibrant Mambacurial all came out, fans flocking to pick up each new design in a show of support for the player. As well as being an excellent basketball shoe and an eye-catching lifestyle sneaker, the silhouette now symbolised Kobe’s courage, dedication and incredible strength of will, making it an even more desirable fashion item. In fact, the Kobe 8 was such a great shoe that the OG version was taken up by young NBA All-Stars like Ja Morant and Tyrese Haliburton in the early 2020s, even as others donned Kobe Protro releases of his 5th and 6th signature models. Then, the Kobe 8 itself became a Protro and its popularity rose once more.

The Kobe 8 Protro

Kobe’s Protro designs are new versions of classic silhouettes that have been altered in some way to enhance their performance. Not only does this reflect the fact that Kobe constantly worked to improve his own game, it also means that they are relevant for the modern era, so the NBA’s top players can continue to wear them on court. The Kobe 8 Protro was symbolically released on August 23rd, 2023 – a day which would have been Kobe’s 45th birthday. His wife, Vanessa, teamed up with Nike to create a commemorative all-white version known as Halo that would pave the way for future Halo designs to celebrate Kobe’s birthday each year. Like with his other Protro releases, it’s hard to see where such a high-performing shoe could be improved, but Nike’s major innovation on the Kobe 8 was to switch out the Lunarlon foam drop-in sockliner for one made of React foam. This updated material is even softer and more comfortable than Lunarlon while also bringing increased responsiveness and durability. To make it even sturdier, a line of tape was added on the lateral side of the insert to protect against tearing during sharp cuts and turns. While this change was the most significant, others could be seen across the design. The rubber outsole was thickened up, making it slightly more durable, and the Engineered Mesh upper was even stronger due to the use of up-to-date textiles. A little extra padding on the tongue reduced lace pressure, and the TPU eyestay was changed to a more lightweight stitched one. Many of the branding effects were also embroidered, including the sidewall swooshes and the logo on the tongue, giving it an elegant look.

Paying tribute to a legend

To mark the release of the Kobe 8 Protro, Nike arranged a two-day youth basketball tournament in partnership with the Bryant family’s sports foundation. Eight teams of girls and boys from Los Angeles high schools competed against each other, with the championship game symbolically being held on August 24th as a reference to Kobe’s 8 and 24 jersey numbers. Since then, more Protro designs have been released in tribute to the great man, including one known as Mambacita that pays homage to his daughter Gianna and a limited release Los Angeles Dodgers colourway which was gifted to the team in appreciation of the many events they have held in Kobe’s memory.

An iconic basketball trainer

For many, the Nike Kobe 8 System is one of the greatest basketball trainers of all time. While Kobe failed to win the NBA championship while wearing it, he performed many other feats with the ultra-lightweight, low-profile shoe on his feet, not least taking the LA Lakers into a Playoff series that often looked out of reach. Most memorable of all, though, was the moment in which he defied the excruciating pain of a shredded Achilles tendon to sink a pair of free throws and lead his team to a crucial victory. For much of the 2012-2013 season, Kobe had seemed on the brink of injury, but he kept on coming back and performing at the top level, even as his body began to struggle, in part thanks to a shoe that was the perfect blend of lightweight cushioning, breathable durability and elegant style. The Kobe 8 will forever represent the legendary man’s heart, drive and determination to achieve greatness as it continues to support those players who try to emulate his skill and agility.