Footwear in the NBA has long been a subculture of its own and one that’s gone into overdrive this season with the league allowing more freedom on colors and designs of shoes. It can be argued the last time there was this much buzz surrounding player sneakers was when Kobe Bryant revolutionized the market with the Nike Zoom Kobe 4.
He and Nike went against traditional thinking by designing a low-top sneaker that aimed to debunk myths. Bryant was successful in accomplishing such, as several players throughout the NBA began to don his signature model.
Bryant’s shoes remained among the most popular in the league as he followed up the Kobe 4 with additional low-tops.