The Nike Basketball Elite Series is the very pinnacle of basketball footwear performance and design. Returning in this year's Nike Elite line-up are LeBron with his LeBron X PS Elite and Kobe with his Zoom Kobe 8 Elite. Joining the squad is KD with his improved KD V Elite - lower, faster, and more versatile than ever.
Today, I would like to quickly share with you, visually, what this new series is all about - from designer insights, to production briefing, to the break down of each shoe's tech upgrade.
So without further delay, here it is... The Nike Basketball Elite Series 2.0.
Our favorite hoops joint TITAN is blessing their faithful club members with two of the season's most coveted kicks.
First off is the leading MVP candidate Kevin Durant's Easter inspired kicks, the Nike Zoom KD IV - Mints. Nice right?
Full size run. Exclusive to TITAN PLAYERS CLUB MEMBERS only. Php 4,995.00.
And my pick and sure-cop pair, the league's current leading scorer Kobe Bryant's Nike Zoom Kobe VII "Poison Dart Frog" - Mint. Still on that predator tip, with an Easter treatment.
These in my opinion come in at close second behind the Invisibility Cloaks for best VII colorway.
Full size run, also in GS sizes. Exclusive to TITAN PLAYERS CLUB MEMBERS only (GS pairs are available to all). Php 7,450.00.
What do Serena Williams, Landon Donovan, Jerry Rice, Hope Solo, P-Rod, Sir Richard Branson and Kanye West have in common?
Success, ladies and gentlemen. The extreme apex of human existence is where these people dwell.
But what do these successful individuals do when they dare become more than what they already are?
They book a lecture with Kobe Bryant.
Why you might ask? That's because Mr. Bryant knows a thing or two about adapting. Over the course of his
16-year career as a five-time World Champion, thirteen-time All-Star and
gold medalist, he has learned the importance of motivation, attention to
detail, preparation and leadership.
Friends, welcome to the #KobeSystem.
If you want in, check out the Nike Zoom Kobe VII System at your local Nike retailer and other Nike Basketball stockists such as Titan.
Christmas is proving to be the Lakers' least favorite holiday. My broken and battered Lakeshow collapsed under Derrick Rose and his Chi-town Bulls' clutch offensive and defensive onslaught. Heart breaker indeed. Oh well... December games don't matter that much anyway. The Lakers are gunning for June, 'blee dat!
The Lakers may have had a rough start to their season and eventhough Kobe's wrist is hurting (not to mention all that divorce drama), at least he's still slaying everyone with his shoe game!
Year after year, The Black Mamba's Nike line pushes the envelope of performance and concept! This is what I like about the Kobe series; the shoes that they come up with are actually smart, and I do dare say avant garde. Kobe's thought process is very definite per shoe. One moment everyone's hating on 'em coz they are so low. They keep on saying that it's a bum ankle waiting to happen... Next thing you know two-thirds of the league is wearing 'em! Can I get a witness? They were so good, Rondo wore them once!
Even the colorways are very well conceptualized... Witty, even! I LOL'd really hard when LeBron broke out his Captain Obvious Red and Green Christmas joints last year... Right next to Kobe's grinches! Grinches? Really? Who would've thunk that?
This year, Nike and Kobe made the entire shoe process more participative and interactive. How? The shoe adapts to your game via the interchangeable insoles. Check out my in-depth Kobe VII entry here.
Anyway, eventhough I'm a huge Laker fan and I can't be completely objective on the matter, you have to admit that Nike and Kobe's partnership has churned out a bunch of intellectually forward shoes.
This is the latest from that proud lineage, I picked it up right after Christmas: Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme. The Leopard VIIs. Or Cheetahs. Or Christmases. Or Decepticons. Or Sex-On-Feet. Call 'em whatever you want... It doesn't matter. It won't change the fact that they are sick! On with the photos...
The box is so huge, my mother thought it was cake.
Straight out of the box, ATTACK STRONG is pre-loaded already.
The print on that purple upper is MONEY! I particularly like this new typeface that Nike used.
KOBE IS A CHEETAH! #Divorced
The interchangeable insoles look so good, you'd want to wear them on their own! It proved to be a real workout taking them out, though!
Right shoe is armed with the ATTACK STRONG insole, while the left show has the ATTACK FAST. Both look good... Can't go wrong with either. Just go with your game!
Gotta love the fact that it looks like a sportscar, a decepticon, and a sneaker that a villain would rock!
The dictionary states that it is a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form.
In a more biological context, the ability to adapt and evolve is what sets top-tier predators apart from low-life organisms - it's what keeps them on top of the food chain for a very, very long time.
As a die-hard Laker, I've seen Kobe Bryant evolve. From an Oakley wearing rookie, to a halfro'd high-flying phenom; from a seemingly career-shattering scandal, to him being recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the league. From 8 to 24, from Del Harris to Phil Jackson to Mike Brown.
Like killer sharks and kings of old, Kobe has transformed his battered and almost broken body to a 5-ringed championship machine.
Evolution, my friends, is the reason why Kobe Bryant - at the wise age of 33 and after 15 years in the league, is still (arguably) the best player in the league.
Kobe's knack for evolution is also evident in his foot game... But never more so than in this year's version: The Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme.
The Nike Kobe VII System Supreme is a performance system allowing
players to customize the shoe, switching ankle support and midfoot
cushioning. The Nike Kobe VII System
Supreme edition includes two interchangeable insert options allowing players to
switch out the cushioning and ankle support to match their style of play:
ATTACK FAST
If a player’s game is based on
speed, there is the Attack Fast insert that features a Phylon midsole with Nike
Zoom units in the forefoot and heel for the ultimate in lightweight
responsiveness. It also has a low-cut, power-stretch cuff that hugs the foot
for support. Its sock-like fit eliminates the need for a traditional tongue and
innersleeve, keeping the shoe lightweight.
ATTACK STRONG
For games that get intense and
physical in the paint, there is the Attack Strong insert. It offers a
full-length Cushlon midsole and an ankle cuff for a plush, comfortable ride
with great support. The sensory cuffs
are made of an engineered power-stretch material that is padded and perforated
for comfort and ventilation.
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These two midsole options allow
players to customize footwear during practice or in a game to meet their
performance needs. The Nike Kobe VII
System Supreme offers similar performance fit and feel as the Kobe V and Kobe
VI, but offers a different look and includes additional performance
customization. In addition to the
customizable insert options, next-generation Flywire technology provides
lock-down support, a 3-D heel clip offers enhanced support, and a glass
reinforced composite shank in the midsole gives responsive midfoot support.
The Nike Kobe VII also tells a
predator story that’s inspired by Kobe’s
predator-like instinct. Predator patterns comes to life in the cast
polyurethane outer shell as a “skin” simulating the look of three predator
patterns mixed together – the Leopard, Great White Shark and Black Mamba. This raised skin pattern lives on each
shoe.
Separately, a graphic pattern
also lives under the “skin” on some colorways.
These color graphics are available for five different predators - the
Leopard, Great White Shark, Poison Dart Frog and Grey Wolf.
Nike Kobe VII System Supreme will retail for Php8,195.00
Attack Fast and Attack Strong version. Comes with
two midsoles and sleeve heights. The Attack Fast midsole contains Zoom
Air in the forefoot and heel. The Attack Strong midsole is Cushlon, and
contains no air.
On the other hand, Nike Zoom Kobe VII
System will retail for Php7,495.00
The Attack Fast version. Comes with a single
midsole with Zoom Air in the forefoot and heel.
Check out the video below. Time to adapt folks!
Get ready to evolve this December 26. Available at all your favorite Nike retailers and at Titan.
This can't be real... 66 points? AT RUCKER PARK??? C'mon son. SCRIPTED!
LOL I'm playing! Don't get it twisted, Kevin Durant sure has the firepower to do that and more. Check the viral!
But waaaay before KD, a young superstar by the name of Kobe Bryant also tore it up the legendary playground... In his uptowns. I see what you did there, KB!
I still feel the electricity running thru me. That's why it took me a minute to compose myself and blog about the event. So I apologize for the delay. Clutch, though.
Alright, the story went like this: Marc, Martin, Kris and Mackie got stuck in traffic - you can just imagine the congestion along Cubao - While I, on the other hand, was waiting for them at the Big Dome.
It was 5 minutes till showtime when the boys showed up. We rushed the turnstiles, blitzed the crowd, and ran full speed inside Araneta, only to realize that we were at the WRONG LEVEL!
So we stormed down the stairs, tackled the security, and ran at top gear! At this point the bass were already banging, the crowd was going bananas, and we were running at 200 kph. We spotted our port, and in true BLACK MAMBA fashion, we made it... A nanosecond before they shot the pyro.
CLUTCHNESS.
This, my friends, is what it means to be a fan. Braving the traffic - vehicular and human, stopping time, running at the speed of light just to see Kobe Bryant. The show was short, but sweet nevertheless. I hope that means Kobe will be back for more.
The event was electric (ah, did I say that already? Well, it truly was). Nike Philippines really knows how to throw a party! It was a dream being there... Surreal... It felt good... Something spiritual, actually.
Like our dude Mong said, how often can you see Kobe that close... And how much would your seats at Araneta cost at Staples? Gospel truth preached.
So with that said, I would like to take this moment to thank everyone who made this possible for me:
Nike Philippines (Sir Tony, Miss Mae, everyone at swoosh city),
Titan (Raoul, Dennis, the family... Thank you for the love), and
