Okay, so it might not be fully twice as good as its predecessor, but the adidas KOBETWO somehow manages to improve upon an already excellent shoe.

by Professor K, originally posted October 23, 2001

A little over a year ago we posted our review of the then soon-to-be-released adidas The KOBE and in the review I noted my surprise at the overall excellence of the shoe. It was like nothing that adidas had previously produced, combining a forward looking elegance with the company’s historical focus on high-function. This turned out to be a winning combination as the adidas The KOBE sold extremely well, quickly selling out at most retailers. Of course, it didn’t hurt that Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers made a second successful championship run, but I think that a lot of the credit for the shoe’s brisk sales have to go to its unique design and excellent performance.

So, having set the bar so high, the team behind the KOBETWO had a very difficult job. How do you improve upon excellence? The answer for adidas; don’t start over from scratch, instead take an evolutionary approach and focus on the little things that, in aggregate, will result in an even better shoe. At least that’s the approach that I think they took. Whatever the case, the end result is a shoe that is better in every way than its excellent predecessor.

figure 1. Visible above is the outsole pattern for the adidas KOBETWO, which is almost identical to that used on the original The KOBE and continues to provide excellent traction. Also visible is the larger, sleeker shell-toe, which protects the toes, but takes quite a visible beating.

For those who are familiar with the adidas The KOBE, here’s a quick overview of the major changes in the new KOBETWO. Most obvious is the design of the shoe, which is even sleeker and more car-like than the original. An enhanced 3D TORSION system makes the shoe more torsionally rigid, resulting in a noticeable improvement in the overall stability of the shoe. The midsole, which is now completely internalized, seems to be lower-profile, resulting in improved court feel. The KOBETWO also seems to be built on a slightly wider last, resulting in a high level of comfort right out of the box — even for people with wide feet. And, finally, a full-length internal bootie coddles the feet in seemless comfort. Basically, if you liked the original The KOBE, you will love the KOBETWO. For those who aren’t familiar with the original shoe, the rest of this review will provide a detailed look at the new adidas KOBETWO.

Starting from the bottom up, the adidas KOBETWO employs a herringbone outsole design that is almost identical to that of the original The KOBE (see figure 1). As with that shoe, the traction provided by the KOBETWO is excellent. Just keep the outsole clean and it will do a great job of sticking to the court. Another carry-over from the original The KOBE is the way that the outsole is rounded-off at the edges. I believe that this stems from adidas’ Feet You Wear concept in which a contoured outsole design is employed to provide enhanced agility and stability. It may seem counter-intuitive to think that an outsole with rounded edges could provide better stability than a flat outsole, but it actually seems to work. If you realize that your feet are rounded at the edges this starts to make sense. The rounded edges of the KOBETWO allow your feet to move more naturally and are particularly helpful when playing in the post and making pivot moves. The rounded edges combined with the solid internalized heel counter also help to prevent ankle inversion by encouraging the foot to roll flat instead of rolling over and possibly causing an ankle sprain (a shoe with a sharp-edged outsole will tend to roll over if you land on the edge of the outsole while moving laterally).

figure 2. In this shot the large 3D Torsion structure is clearly visible at both the lateral and medial sides of the adidas KOBETWO. Note also the cut of the ankle, which is lower than the original The KOBE, but still provides good ankle support.

Stepping up to the midsole, unlike the The KOBE, the KOBETWO has a completely internalized midsole. Put simply, this means that the midsole is hidden behind the material of the upper. It’s still there, you just can’t see it. From a visual perspective this clearly contributes to the sleeker look of the KOBETWO, but the changes are more than just skin deep. What I noticed first about the midsole while testing the KOBETWO is that the shoe feels lower to the ground, particularly at the forefoot. This is a good thing because placing the foot closer to the ground improves court-feel, making the wearer feel more closely connected to the surface of the court.

I also noticed that the cushioning provided by the KOBETWO seems to be more firm than that provided by its predecessor. I’m not sure what the cushioning materials are, but if I were to guess, I would say that the heel contains compressed EVA (CMEVA). The forefoot, where there seems to be some sort of structural device, is a bit more difficult to determine. If you remove the insole of the KOBETWO you can feel that there are columns of a thin, but firm material that run the width of the shoe at the forefoot. Whatever it is in there, it works, providing good, firm cushioning in a small amount of vertical space. The one thing that I wish the KOBETWO provided a bit more of is cushioning feel, but an upside of the firm cushioning is that it should be very durable and long-lasting and should provide adequate cushioining for even large, heavy players.

Integrated into the midsole is adidas’ 3D Torsion System. This is the large structure visible at the midfoot of the shoe (see figure 2). The 3D Torsion System serves two purposes. First, it provides support for the foot at the midfoot. Second, it makes the shoe more stable. In both roles it does an excellent job. The KOBETWO provides plenty of support at the midfoot, particularly at the arch. This, along with its relatively wide last makes the KOBETWO a great choice for people with wide and/or flat feet. And, in terms of stability, the KOBETWO is rock solid. By minimizing torsional rotation the basketball specific 3D Torsion System keeps the forefoot and heel working together, which helps to prevent the type of excessive heel rotation that can lead to ankle inversion and foot discomfort or injury.

figure 3. The Kobe profile logo, which was only printed on the insole of the original The KOBE, is now a prominent design element on the exposed portion of the heel counter of the KOBETWO.

Moving up to the upper, the most noticeable change is the design, which incorporates an integrated lace cover, giving the shoe a smooth, aerodynamic look. But the most substantive change is below the surface in the form of a full-length internal bootie. Instead of a traditional inner/tongue combination, the tongue and inner of the KOBETWO are integrated into a single, almost seamless bootie that wraps around the foot and feels great. The bootie and lacing system also do an excellent job of keeping the foot locked into place. I felt a bit of heel slip, but as long as I laced the shoe well this was a non-issue.

But the inner-bootie is not the only change. The upper of the KOBETWO is stiffer than its predecessor, providing better overall support for the foot. Speaking of stiffness, when I first held the shoe I thought for sure that it was going to be too stiff at the forefoot. It is almost impossible to flex the shoe using your hands, but after a few minutes of wear it does not feel at all overly stiff on the foot. The concept here seems to be similiar to that of the carbon fiber spring plate used in the Nike Air Jordan XI. The inherent stiffness of the midsole makes it actively spring back to its original shape after the forefoot area of the shoe is flexed. While marginally more energy might be required to flex the shoe, less, or really none, is required to straighten it. I’m not sure if there’s any overall upside to this, but I do know that the adidas KOBETWO feels great on the court.

Finally, in the area of ankle support, while the KOBETWO is cut a bit lower than the original The KOBE, the dense padding at the ankle and the stiffness of the upper enable the shoe to provide very good ankle support nonetheless. When you factor in the other design changes it’s likely that, even with its slightly lower cut, the KOBETWO will do a better job of preventing ankle-inversion than its predecessor. The lower cut also makes the KOBETWO a more comfortable shoe at the ankle. Better performance with improved comfort. That’s the adidas KOBETWO in a nutshell.

figure 4. A last look at the adidas KOBETWO. The auto-design influences are clear here in the smooth, flowing lines and complex curves that make up the upper. The integrated lace cover, which contributes greatly to the KOBETWO’s sleek lines, is also, I believe, an important functional element that contributes to the excellent fit of the shoe.

So, to sum up, by making a host of small improvements, adidas has managed to make an excellent shoe even better. While the overall score for the adidas KOBETWO may be the same as the original The KOBE, it is unquestionably a better all-around shoe and, with its slightly wider last and firmer cushioning, is an excellent choice for an even wider range of players. Fast, aggressive guards who like to drive hard to the basket will love the great court feel and traction that the KOBETWO provides. Forwards, and even smaller centers, will appreciate the firm cushioning and the agile feel of the KOBETWO. Everyone will love the excellent comfort & fit and stability.

I also think that many will appreciate the sleek and understated look of the KOBETWO. With the upcoming Reebok Answer V (due by late October) and Air Jordan XVII (due in early 2002) both featuring more traditional “sneaker-like” designs, the adidas KOBETWO represents an alternative that stands apart both in its elegance and simplicity. The quality of the shoe’s construction is also quite remarkable. The build tolerances are so tight that it’s almost difficult to believe that this is a mass produced product. It’s as if a car manufacturer committed to building a full-production car with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship as a one-off prototype. It’s obvious that there’s been a lot of love put into this shoe and, if you’re a serious basketball player, you’ll get a lot of love out of the adidas KOBETWO.

Who’s Worn It
Kobe Bryant (G- L.A. Lakers)

adidas KOBETWO Review Update
by Professor K, posted March 13, 2002

“Never Follow” is Audi’s new tagline in the U.S. market, but it applies just as well to adidas’ approach to the KOBETWO. With an already controversial design, adidas continues to push the envelope with the latest All-Star colorway of the KOBETWO.

figure 5 a & b: Pictured here is the adidas KOBETWO in its special white/cadmium/eggplant All-Star colorway.

I found this pair to perform identically to the graphite colorway that we originally reviewed. On the topic of the performance of the adidas KOBETWO, I’ve read a lot of negative things about the shoe on various message boards. Everything from complaints about the shoe being too stiff, to too poorly cushioned, to simply being uncomfortable. At first I thought that this was simply attributable to the Kobe haters who frequent those boards, but because of the volume of messages I started to doubt my own assessment of the shoe — so much so that I decided to re-test it.

I started with the original pair that I wear tested, then a new pair in the same colorway, then two more pairs in two more colorways. And the result? After all of that additional testing I came to the same conclusion, that the adidas KOBETWO is an excellent performance hoops shoe that is a great choice for guards and forwards with an all-around game.

figure 6: Pictured here is the adidas KOBETWO in white/graphite/lead (top) and silver/black (above).

adidas has also released white and silver colorways of the shoe since our original review of the KOBETWO. All three new colorways exhibit the same quality and attention-to-detail of the original.

Clearly the adidas KOBETWO is not for those of a conservative nature. But, if you don’t mind standing out in a crowd, the KOBETWO is a shoe that won’t disappoint where it really matters — on the court.