- 28
- 61
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2012
PLEASE READ AND GIVE ME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE KOBE LINE:
It's funny how people are considering unloading their elite highs or starting to feel like they look "weird", when in reality the IX high was the first real breakthrough with the Kobe line since they introduced the original lows with the IV's.
I am the biggest Kobe guy and have annually picked up a bunch of pairs of the Kobe line to ball in as well as rock casually. However, Looking back, not that much has changed from a visual design standpoint other than the materials from the Kobe IV. Kobe's IV-IX all feature the shozoku logo on the tongue, all feature the "Kobe" signature somewhere on the heel counter, and all feature the same size Nike swoosh logo on both sides of the shoe. Imagine if after the Jordan IV was released, Nike simply changed the materials of the shoe and simply used a variety of different patterns and textures? The Jordan line wouldn't have been what it is today.
Look how different the Kobe I,II,III, and IV look compared to each other, then compare the Kobe IV-IX, it's a little uninspiring with the exception of the IX elite highs. Instead of each year having its own identity, Kobe's IV-VIII just look like an obsolete version of the Kobe's when the newest model (the IX's) release. I am willing to bet that next years Kobe's will be a low, with the Nike swoosh on both side, feature the shozoku on the tongue, have the Kobe signature somewhere on the heel counter, and feature whatever the latest Nike technology is that already debuted on some runner that year, i.e., flywire, lunar, or flyknit. I don't know I guess I am just disappointed in how formulaic the Kobe line became over the years and think it will really hurt its retro potential and legacy. I understand that their will never be a signature line that will match the Jordan line, but once they had success with the Kobe IV lows, Avar and the design really played it safe and didn't push the envelope much since then with the exception of the IX highs. Considering Kobe's age, you have to assume that he'll only have two or three signature shoes left before he retires, so it will be interesting to see how they'll end their run.
It's funny how people are considering unloading their elite highs or starting to feel like they look "weird", when in reality the IX high was the first real breakthrough with the Kobe line since they introduced the original lows with the IV's.
I am the biggest Kobe guy and have annually picked up a bunch of pairs of the Kobe line to ball in as well as rock casually. However, Looking back, not that much has changed from a visual design standpoint other than the materials from the Kobe IV. Kobe's IV-IX all feature the shozoku logo on the tongue, all feature the "Kobe" signature somewhere on the heel counter, and all feature the same size Nike swoosh logo on both sides of the shoe. Imagine if after the Jordan IV was released, Nike simply changed the materials of the shoe and simply used a variety of different patterns and textures? The Jordan line wouldn't have been what it is today.
Look how different the Kobe I,II,III, and IV look compared to each other, then compare the Kobe IV-IX, it's a little uninspiring with the exception of the IX elite highs. Instead of each year having its own identity, Kobe's IV-VIII just look like an obsolete version of the Kobe's when the newest model (the IX's) release. I am willing to bet that next years Kobe's will be a low, with the Nike swoosh on both side, feature the shozoku on the tongue, have the Kobe signature somewhere on the heel counter, and feature whatever the latest Nike technology is that already debuted on some runner that year, i.e., flywire, lunar, or flyknit. I don't know I guess I am just disappointed in how formulaic the Kobe line became over the years and think it will really hurt its retro potential and legacy. I understand that their will never be a signature line that will match the Jordan line, but once they had success with the Kobe IV lows, Avar and the design really played it safe and didn't push the envelope much since then with the exception of the IX highs. Considering Kobe's age, you have to assume that he'll only have two or three signature shoes left before he retires, so it will be interesting to see how they'll end their run.
Last edited:
imo
