The legendary basketball player left behind not only sports glory, but also a number of interesting collaborations in the world of sports shoes.
One of the most popular American basketball players, Kobe Bryant, who died in January 2020 as a result of a helicopter accident, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on May 15, 2021 (such a long break before the official event was due to ceremony delays due to the pandemic). The legendary basketball player has given inspiration to many athletes and sports enthusiasts and has become a real example for the younger generation through his perseverance and outstanding achievements.
However, in the world of popular sneaker brands, the basketball star has left his mark. The first brand that Bryant entered into an agreement with at the beginning of his career was Adidas. Initially, the basketball player simply wore the brand's sneakers during the games, and only in 1997 did the first model specially created for him appear.
But the most famous was the 2000 Adidas sneaker model, called Kobe. The model was developed by designer Eric Lund Nielsen and was inspired by the car of the company Audi, namely the Audi TT Roadster. The result was a sneaker with a somewhat unusual futuristic design with somewhat heavy lines and an unusual silhouette. Introduced a year later, the Kobe 2 model continued the same style, which, however, was not accepted by sports shoe lovers, the sneakers were considered too clumsy and bulky, they were not successful in the market. The athlete himself did not like the new model either, it became the last in the line.
But the most notable in the history of the athlete's cooperation with popular brands was his work with Nike. The basketball player even had to buy out his contract with Adidasto start a collaboration with Nike that lasted almost two decades until his death and proved to be extremely successful. One of the most sought after by brand fans and professional basketball players was the Nike Zoom Kobe line, which remains popular to this day, even after the death of a basketball player.
However, in April 2021, it was announced that the company would not renew the contract with the basketball player's widow Vanessa Bryant and stop using the athlete's name for the production of new models. This news caused a lot of negative feedback from fans of the brand, who hoped that the company would continue to develop the legacy of Bryant. It was announced that the brand's last two models, associated with the name of the basketball star, will be available in the summer of 2021. This news caused a surge in sales of the branded line.
