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SHOES + NEWS
Kobe Bryant: Building The Perfect Shoe
words & interview_Nick DePaula
images_Tom Luedecke
Kobe Bryant doesn’t think like other athletes. He’s maniacal about every facet of his game, every facet of his daily routine, and yes, even every last detail of his footwear. In working with the Nike Innovation Kitchen and designers Eric Avar and Tom Luedecke, they’ve developed a relationship over the years that’s allowed them to continually push performance that’s quite frankly leading the industry. They’re willing to push the cuts of collars, the heights of midsoles and the degree of outriggers where nobody has gone before.
As part of a detailed conversation that touched on his latest signature shoe, the Zoom Kobe V, as well as the feedback he’s been getting from around the league and much more, read along for select excerpts of Sole Collector’s interview with Kobe Bryant. You can find the full-length interview in Issue 32, available now at Foot Locker stores and on Eastbay.com.
Nick DePaula: Based on the fact that you wore the Hyperdunk even with the IV bottom on it early last year, you were really feeling the IV. What were some of the things you planned to improve on for the V?
Kobe Bryant: One of the things that we wanted to add was more responsiveness in the shoe, in terms of the flexibility. For example, if you bounce on your toes up and down, you want to feel like the shoe is more responsive and a quicker response. We also wanted the shoe to be lighter, and play even closer to the ground. Also, there’s always a constant source of improvement from shoe to shoe, to be able to shave down seconds in your change of direction, so that the foot is not sliding within the shoe. We’re constantly looking to improve on how the shoe is molded onto the foot itself.
The V is even lower than the IV. How low can you go, or are you in a zone with this one that you’re really pleased with?
It’s not necessarily about going low just for the sake of going lower or to see if we can top this or top that, it’s really about functionality and about doing something that makes sense. It’s not just about having a shoe that’s low to the ground for whatever reason, but having something that’s functional, and we felt like we could cut out an ounce and significantly lower the weight by going lower and we’re not losing any of the functionality or comfort in the shoe.
The Zoom Kobe V features the same exact cushioning set-up as the Zoom Huarache 2K4.
One of the big changes with this shoe is going from Lunar Foam last year to Zoom Air with the V. Was that your call?
That’s something that we talked about, because once I sit down with Eric Avar and the team, I tell them what I’m looking for and what I want to accomplish. And they in turn, right away, will start talking about different technologies that they have available, and different materials that they have available, and certain things that we can use to accomplish these goals that I’m giving them.
And what was the biggest difference that you noticed between Lunar Foam and Zoom Air?
I’m very familiar with Zoom, cause I’ve played in Zoom going back to 2004. So I’m more familiar with Zoom, and Zoom Air gives me, I think, a faster reaction time, but I love them both.
…
One of the big stories with the IV was how it really got guys thinking that playing in a low-top wasn’t a taboo subject. There’s a guy from practically every team wearing them now. What was your reaction once you started seeing guys wearing your shoe and iD’ng their own pairs?
Well, it means we were doing it right, because professional athletes aren’t going to throw shoes on their feet just to throw shoes on their feet. That’s how they make their living, on their feet, so they want to make sure they put something on their feet that’s comfortable, that’s going to help them perform and that’s safe. To see so many people wear ‘em, and even have more players that can’t wear them, but still request to wear them is a tremendous honor, and it’s a great credit to Eric Avar and his team.
When you were first starting to wear the IVs, were you hearing from certain guys like, “Oh Kobe, you’re crazy for playing in a low top.” What was the initial reaction from guys around the league?
Not at all actually. Their first reaction was “Hmm…” [laughs] You know, “That must do something.” You know what I mean? Because they know how meticulous I am and how detailed I am about my game, and I’m not going to throw something on my feet just to throw something on my feet. The reaction that I got was more of a curious one, and they were like, “You know, let me try this thing and see what it does. This must do something if he’s wearing them.” Once they put them on, they didn’t want to take them off.
Not all Zoom Kobe IV iD colorways seen from around the league have been pretty.
And that’s the feedback we’ve heard from everybody. You know, Steve Nash and other guys had worn lows, but you validated it on a different level there. Have you noticed any iD colors from some other guys around the league that you really liked or didn’t like?
Oh yeah, I see some sometimes, and I don’t even recognize that it’s my shoe! [laughs]
CJ Watson’s man. [laughs]
Exactly! [laughs] I was like, “Wait a minute, he did something real interesting with that one.” [laughs] It’s pretty cool to see though, because you know, yes, it’s a signature shoe, but it gives everyone its own life to it. I think that’s very important to have.
What’s the feedback been like from guys on your own team, like Lamar, Josh and Shannon?
They love ‘em. They’re just really comfortable. They feel like they’re running around on pillow cases they always say. You can’t get those guys out of ‘em either.
How important was it then to return back to NIKE iD with the V, and what’s it like having such a different approach to launching a signature shoe?
Well it just makes sense. Obviously with the IV, we were the first signature shoe that you could ever iD first. It was something that was very important to us, because I wanted kids to be able to feel like they could create their own Kobe shoe. Yes, it’s a Kobe shoe, but it’s something that’s personal to them. That whole thing just took off, and you see people putting their own personalities into the product, and it’s of the utmost importance that we continue to do that with the V and even going forward.
…
Last year, you were saying how you didn’t really have any concern for how your shoes would look with jeans, and it was just all about the performance for you. What kinds of shoes are you into casually?
Air Force 1s, and honestly, the IVs. [laughs] A lot of guys on my team say that the IVs are the new Air Force 1s, and that’s been pretty cool to hear. I’m a sneakerhead, so I like retro stuff too. I got some Bo Jacksons that I have at the house, and I have some ‘88 Jordans that I really love, and I collect a whole bunch of stuff.
Do you have any favorite Forces? I’ve seen that picture of you with the Playstations and that shoe is crazy.
Oh yeah! [laughs] It’s tough to have a favorite Force, man, but I guess you gotta go with just the originals. The white on white. That’s kind of where it all started from.
…
And by all accounts, you’re looking to be a Laker for life, but how crazy is the free agency of this next summer going to be? What are you expecting to happen, and are you keeping an eye on how things might be shaping up?
Not really actually. Our roster is pretty much set over here. [laughs] We don’t really have to worry about anything, so I don’t keep my eye on that stuff.
As a guy that’s in a pretty big market in LA, what do you think LeBron going to New York could possibly do for him? Or do you think that he can accomplish all he hopes to by staying in Cleveland?
I think the market is overrated, in terms of what you can accomplish in that market. The world of technology is such that it doesn’t matter whether you’re in Cleveland or New York City, you’re still going to reach your maximum visibility and have just as much fanfare as you would playing in New York nowadays.
Tags: interview, kobe, kobe bryant, nike, nike basketball, zoom kobe V
13 Responses to “Kobe Bryant: Building The Perfect Shoe”
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Thanks Nick..thank you very much for the interview!!
Very nice interview Nick, I like how you keep on asking him about the Lunar/zoom setup.
Sweet interview… it’s cool that Kobe’s as involved with the design process as he is. He seems to have great attention to detail. A lot of guys throw on any pair of shoes and it’s all the same, but not Kobe.
Those CJ Watsons are nice… Rockets throwback colors!
Kobe is looking at those Dark Knights thinking, “daaaaaamn!”
I just played in some Kobe IV’s for the first time today. No break in time needed, which was great. Now I’m curious to give the V’s a shot.
Another great insight into the design process of athletic footwear!! Great job Nick
Very nice interview
disculpa que no hable muy bien el ingle spero me encantaria poseer o una de las zapatillas de koby yo soy jugado rde baloncesto nunca pero nunca me e puesto unas tenis de alguin ni buena solo las mas baratas y las de salir me gustaria poder hacer ese gesto como lo hace koby gracia spro la atencion
he stills got nothing on b roy, and everyone here knows it
The lakers lead thunder
At king b503 tell B Roy to get one ring Kobe is playing for his 5th stop with all the hatin Kobe owns the west good luck with that Oden guy does that # 1 PICK STILL LOOK GOOD
Llegué a tu blog de casualidad y los artículos que publicaste me gustaron mucho. Hace bastante que estoy leyendo tus artículos. Agregaré la dirección a mi lector de noticias. ¿Tienes tiempo?, comenta en mi sitio. Suerte!
magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat…air zoom kobe v ay magandang panlaro ng basketball….sakto sa sa paa ng mga pilipino.mabuhay ka kobe bryant,mabuhay ka james yap.just keep praying james to save to your marriage to kris.more power to you.godbless