L.A. Laker Kobe Bryant and Nike have unveiled the latest Kobe 8 shoe in homage of the Black Mamba himself, following a press conference on Thursday in Los Angeles. The exclusive reptile-inspired, mesh-upper sneaker comes in a black and sulfur yellow combination, similar to a mamba print, a mid-sole made with a super lightweight foam known as Lunarlon and a 1-mm-thick rubber outsole, making the athletic shoe complete with comfort.
The Kobe 8 is much more lightweight than Nike’s last iteration of the shoe. The shoe weighs just 9.6 ounces for a U.S. men’s size 9. This is by far a huge incentive for any basketball player that that in an average game can run well over 4 ½ miles.
The unveiling event took place on the 32nd floor of the AT&T building nearby the Staples Center on South Olive Street. In attendance was of course, NBA player Kobe Bryant and the team that help put together the Kobe 8, Jeff Spanks and graphic designer Erick Goto.
Bryant has been known for being the very best in his sport, but many may not know that his sneaker game has reached new heights as well. Bryant revealed his love for sneakers. In fact, the basketball player wears a brand new pair at each game.
“I only recently started saving them,” he said. “I used to give them away to family, friends, whoever.”
Just at Thursday’s Lakers practice, Bryant wore his new Kobe 8 shoes for the first time, but has not confirmed when he’ll debut them in an official NBA game.
The Kobe System 8 will hit the stores in the U.S. on Dec.20, launching in China on Jan. 12 and in North America on Feb. 2, coincidentally in time for the Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 10, but the shoe release has nothing to do with the concept of the Chinese zodiac, which just so happens to be the Year of the Snake in 2013.
Many will just have to stay glued to the next few Lakers basketball games in order to see a glimpse of the new reptile-inspired kicks.
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