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The Zoom Kobe IV Is equIpped wITh all The Tools for The game’s mosT ThrIllIng player.

Zoom Kobe IV 11 10 Zoom Kobe IV

he Zoom Kobe IV is an exceptional shoe that was made

for an exceptional player and created by an exceptional

team. It is a sneaker that could have never come to fruition

without the absolute top efforts of everyone involved.

From Kobe himself requesting the industry-defying low-

top cut, to the breakthrough material known as Flywire,

to Nike legend Eric Avar’s sleek and modern design, the

Zoom Kobe IV represents the best of the best.

Of course, none of this would be possible, though, without

Kobe, who has pushed the limits to such an amazing

extent as a player that he has inspired the footwear to

keep up the pace. It takes a special athlete to be able to

communicate so accurately why something works for him,

and why something doesn’t. Kobe is just such an athlete,

and he uses this innate ability to inspire everyone around

him. The result of this has come in the form of many of

the best performing shoes in recent memory. He not only

plays with an intensity rarely seen in professional sports, he

approaches his footwear design with the same passion and

knowledge that he displays on court.

Kobe has also set a new standard in terms of becoming

an international star. His popularity, particularly in Asia, is

something that is greater than anything seen before in an

NBA player. In the following pages, you’ll read more about

how Kobe offers a truly unique insight into his needs as a

player, and thanks to him, the Nike team has been given a

helping hand in taking their footwear to the next level.

—Zac Dubasik

f o r e w o r d

Pushing Performance

table of contents

foreword

greatnessIt has been quite a journey for Kobe since he first entered

the NBA straight out of high school. Along with the many

awards, accomplishments and records, he has also earned the

respect of some of the sneaker industry’s top names as not

only an amazing player, but a player who has helped push the

performance of today’s top kicks.

retrosPectiveSince signing with Nike in 2003, Kobe has played in, inspired

and helped design some of the most high-performance kicks

in recent memory. Take a look back through the history of his

Nike line.

a conversation with KobeKobe dissects his latest kicks, looks back on his entire line, and

reminisces about his Olympic Gold in this in-depth interview.

how low can you go?In the history of basketball, hi-tops have been the standard in

footwear. But the Zoom Kobe IV is looking to break that trend.

What do the studies say?

flywire technologyIn terms of lightweight support, Flywire has been an industry

changer. This performance breakthrough didn’t happen

overnight, though. Read the story of its over seven-year

journey.

zoom Kobe iv sneaKerPhileFrom the materials, to the cut, to the inspirations, here is the

full breakdown of the Zoom Kobe IV, straight from the source.

collector: gou yuGuo Yu has compiled a collection of Kobe memorabilia that

could humble even the most die-hard L.A. fans – and he has

done so all the way from China. Find out how he got started

and where he received his favorite pair.

mentuKobe Bryant leads China’s finest up-and-coming players in their

pursuit of basketball greatness. He also lends his heard to a

player in need.

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ome athletes are born great. Some have to

push themselves through years of training and

dedication to their sport to achieve greatness.

Kobe Bryant is not an example of just one of

those types of athletes, but both. By choosing to

push his natural talent to even greater heights

by putting in the long hours and hard work to

improve, he has managed to improve upon his

already stellar skills. Throughout his already

tremendous career, he has shown a passion, skill

and knowledge that has rarely been seen. And

the incredible thing is that he is still in his prime.

Bryant began his NBA career as few have, going

straight from high school to the League. After

excelling academically and achieving nationwide

recognition for his basketball skills while

attending Philadelphia’s Lower Merion High

School, Kobe was selected 13th in the 1996 Draft

by the Charlotte Hornets (the team now resides

in New Orleans). The Hornets didn’t play into

Kobe’s plans, however, and less than a week later,

his draft rights were traded to the team he still

calls his own: the Los Angeles Lakers.

the resPonsibility of

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Words by Zac Dubasik

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Kobe wasted no time exciting the fans by winning

the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in his rookie season.

By his third season, after firmly establishing

himself as an important part of the team and

playing an increasing number of minutes, he was

added to the Lakers’ starting lineup. Just a year

later, in 1999, the legendary coach Phil Jackson

took over coaching duties for the Lakers. With

the pieces of Bryant and Jackson, along with

Shaquille O’Neal in place, the Lakers went on to

win three consecutive titles in 2000, 2001 and

2002, cementing their place as one of the NBA’s

greatest legacies.

In the season immediately following that

championship run, Bryant put together one of

the most amazing individual achievements the

NBA has ever seen. While averaging over 30

points for the season, Kobe strung together nine

consecutive games where he scored at least 40

points. He was also named to both the All-NBA

and All-Defensive First Teams, posting career

highs in steals, rebounds and assists that season.

Of all of Kobe’s individual accomplishments,

though, the one that truly stands out – perhaps

even over his 2008 MVP award – is the 2006

game in which he single-handedly scored 81

points. It was the second highest single-game

point total in NBA history, behind only the 100

points scored by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962.

He has also built up an exceptional library of

signature shoes after signing with Nike in 2003.

From the now-classic Huarache 2K4, to the shoe

he wore for the 81-point game – the Zoom Kobe

1 – to this year’s daring low-cut Zoom Kobe IV,

his sneakers have offered some of the highest

levels of performance and technology ever seen

from Nike.

With those three World Championships, an NBA

MVP award, a successful sneaker line, and now

an Olympic Gold Medal, Kobe Bryant seems to

have all the makings of a basketball legend. His

accolades and accomplishments put him right

up there with all of the greats, like MJ, Magic

and Bird. But there is one thing he has that

they didn’t – the world. Kobe’s appeal on the

international level, and even more specifically

in Asia, is something that hasn’t previously been

seen in a basketball player. That’s not to say

that the aforementioned hall-of-famers weren’t

international stars, but never has an NBA player

permeated the Pacific like Kobe.

The game of basketball is going through a

period of rapid growth in Asia, fueled by the

Chinese market – and at the center of that

basketball world is the popularity of Kobe

Bryant. Characterized by a strong, aggressive

and athletic style of play, basketball in China

is taking on the same significance and cultural

importance it had in the U.S. in the late ’80s and

’90s. This passion for hoops has been building up

for years, and thanks to the Bejing Games, it has

become apparent to the world. This has only

been aided by Bryant’s presence. His diverse, yet

smooth style of play, mixed with his leadership

and killer instinct, topped off with his history of

accomplishment on both the personal and team

levels have endeared him to the fans. According

to Kris Aman, VP/GM of Athletic Training at

Nike, who previously spent many years working

in Nike Basketball, Kobe is an athlete “that

represents the best in individual skills, that

represents the ultimate professionalism when he

goes to a foreign market.” But he does more than

just respect the culture and people. According

to Aman, “He is there to be a teacher.” Kobe

has now been traveling to Asia for several years,

teaching and sharing the game with communities

just waiting to soak up his knowledge and

experience. He has responded with an equally

open mind to learn, too.

Nico Harrison, Nike’s U.S. Pro Basketball

Director, has known Kobe since he first signed

with the brand, and says that when Kobe

travels to the region “he doesn’t just go do an

appearance and leave. He’s really ingrained in

the culture. He’ll go eat the food, he gets with

g r e a t n e s s

the people, he’s out and about. You can see him

shopping, or wherever.” Because he manages

Kobe’s business relations with Nike, Harrison

has had the opportunity to travel him to Asia.

He adds that, “when he does a clinic, he’s giving

a lot of himself. He’s kind of making himself

vulnerable. I think they really appreciate that. He

approaches it just like he does basketball.” Archie

McEachern has also spent years working with

Kobe, beginning with product in Nike Basketball,

and now serving as General Manager of Asia-

Pacific Basketball. “Kobe Bryant has become an

icon at the highest level of proportion,” he begins

“He is a world champion, he’s an MVP, he’s a great

individual and he’s also a great teammate. He’s

respectful; he’s had great engagement with the

Chinese consumer.”

With his presence in Asia at an all-time high, the

Olympics couldn’t have come at a more ideal

time for Kobe. The eyes of the entire planet

were focused intensely on China for the Beijing

Games, and one of the biggest features of those

games was Kobe Bryant and the USA Basketball

team. And for those that didn’t previously know

the love he felt in China, it became obvious

the moment he appeared at the Opening

Ceremonies, entering to one of the loudest

ovations of the entire Games. It was the first-ever

Olympic Games that Kobe had played in, and

the urgency and intensity he played with made it

apparent how important the Games were to him.

He also endeared himself to the fans by displaying

that as one of the best offensive players in the

game, he had the work ethic to take his defensive

to the next level as well.

Even during the off-time between games, he

still managed to deliver quite a performance.

Harrison tells a story of when he and Kobe tried

to catch the second half of a women’s basketball

game. Many of the other USA basketball players

were already in attendance, and during the

halftime of the game, these players had the

attention of the fans. “So, all the fans are down

there trying to get to LeBron and Chris Paul,”

he begins. The bus they were riding could not

make it to the correct entrance, so the two were

then forced to enter through the arena’s main

entrance. “Kobe said he never had walked in the

front doors of an arena since his rookie year,”

Harrison laughs. “So, we walk in, and as soon

as we do, I’m like, ‘Hey, Kobe walk fast.’ It’s just

me and him – there’s no security, no nothing,”

he continues. “All of sudden you start hearing

the buzz going. And we walk in, and then we go

kind of inside into the little inner ring, and all of a

sudden you hear people just like buzzing. So, he

tucks his necklace in, gets underneath my right

arm, and we shoot through the crowd and get to

where the little roped-off section where all the

rest of the NBA guys are, and the fans just start

chanting, “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe.” And they almost

forgot about what they were doing with LeBron

and those guys before. It was surreal.”

Following this Olympic appearance, U.S. fans

seem to have taken notice of his massive

international popularity. Kobe’s visibility and

recognition appear to be at-all time highs back

home as well. Taking back the Gold was an

honor for Kobe. “When that moment finally

came, and we’re all together [at] that podium

standing in front of the crowd, and you look out

there and see all these USA fans waving flags,

with tears in their eyes, and their hands over

their heart, there’s no moment that can ever

top that,” he said.

Kobe’s Gold Medal, along with each and every

one of his countless accomplishments, didn’t

happed by accident. According to Harrison, Kobe

“always says having natural, God-given talent is

responsibility. So, it’s his responsibility to make

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pairs are made. McEachern sees Kobe’s insights

changing “how we’re now creating footwear and

how we are connecting with consumers,” he

begins. “He has kinda pushed us back to product

excellence as the lead, and he’s pushed us back

to seeking the ultimate solutions for the game.”

This influence of the entire direction of basketball

footwear couldn’t have come at a better time.

The sleek, low-profile, and well-cushioned

designs are not only what Kobe wants, but also

the style preferred by the emerging Asian market,

which is led by China.

With a renewed energy surrounding the

NBA this season, largely thanks to an exciting

rookie class and continued excitement from

the Summer Games, Kobe has lead the Lakers

to an exceptional start. His influence in the

U.S. and Asia is becoming evident in not only

his star power on court, but with the way he is

influencing the culture of basketball. Harrison has

seen an important transition in China especially.

“They’ve grabbed onto the culture of basketball,

which takes it to another level. It takes it beyond

just the courts, but outside the courts.” As a

player, as a worldwide ambassador to the sport

and as an influence in the sneaker world, Kobe

has taken on the role as a leader – doing this with

intensity, and acting as if it were his responsibility

to do so.

into projects than they had previously imagined.

“Most basketball players aren’t that cerebral when

it comes to insights into a shoe and what he

wants. It’s definitely a different level. He’s very

specific,” notes Harrison. When teamed with

a designer who has an equally elevated level of

insight, the product can be pushed that much

higher. “The relationship between Eric Avar and

him is really a synergy that’s hard to duplicate,”

beings McEachern. “You have individuals – Eric

on the design side and Kobe on the basketball

side – that are the best at what they do. And

they are all about pushing the needle to seek the

ultimate performance and how do you continue

to get better.” The team of Kobe and Avar

has embraced the process, and some industry-

changing footwear has been the result. “He has

unconventional ways of looking at things that

force you to solve the problem differently,” says

Aman. The development of the Zoom Kobe IV

as a low-top serves as a perfect example of how

Kobe’s confidence as a player, knowledge of his

own body, and fearlessness allowed them to try

something so drastic. And that small advantage

Kobe felt he could gain in speed and quickness by

having a lower cut provided more than enough

reasoning to go through with the project.

Kobe even stays connected at the level of keeping

up to date with which colorways release next,

where they will be available and how many

sure he gets the best out of it and not just rest

on his laurels – and not just be good, but be the

best. So, that’s what motivates him to work out

as hard as he does.” That passion and intensity

even inspire those around Kobe. “He pushes

you to bring out your best,” begins McEachern.

“He does that as a basketball player, he does

that as a team leader, and he does that working

with brands – and specifically with us. He really

pushed us to deliver innovation at the highest

level we can.” From his body to his mind, Kobe

works tirelessly to gain each and every advantage

he sees an opening for, however big or small it

may be. He approaches both his training and

even his footwear with the same passion he

displays when he plays the game. “He has that

intensity,” says Aman. “He respects the game at

that level of intensity, and he also respects the

sneaker game at that level of intensity. He’s not

afraid to call people out, and he’s not afraid to

get called out. That’s just one of the reasons that

I respect him at such a high level – because he’s

not just telling, he’s listening. And to me, that’s

always a sign of the great ones who are able to

do that.”

Kobe’s desire for greatness, mixed with his

finely tuned sense of his own body’s needs,

have made him an athlete unlike any Nike has

ever developed shoes for. His insights have

allowed Nike’s team to go deeper and deeper

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r e t r o s p e c t i v e

ust after the turn of the millennium, there

was quite a bit of uncertainty about Nike’s stable

of basketball athletes. Michael Jordan had just

retired after an illustrious career, only to return

and briefly play for the Washington Wizards

for just two seasons. Surely, that didn’t mean

much in terms of having a long-term face of the

brand that would carry the brand deep into the

future. At the time, Kevin Garnett was no longer

a Nike athlete, LeBron James wasn’t yet signed

to his monstrous endorsement deal, and there

was still a void in the realm of superstar athletes

as Tim Duncan’s personality didn’t quite excite

consumers, and the youthful skill of Gary Payton

seemed to be diminishing. Vince Carter may

have been leap-frogging actual humans while

dunking, but there still wasn’t a proven franchise

athlete that the brand could depend on. Luckily

for Nike, Kobe Bryant was a sneaker-free agent

of sorts, and the brand was looking at the three-

time champion as a vehicle for not only the

future of Nike Basketball, but also the future of

performance footwear and innovation.

It was around that same time that Nike had just

opened its Innovation Kitchen, an advanced

timeline sector of the company’s headquarters

where designers and developers would be given

the space to work years ahead on projects

of the future, toying with everything from

new materials to new cushioning systems and

anything that could potentially revolutionize or

improve their current athletic categories. Just

before Kobe Bryant was officially signed to the

brand, current Nike CEO Mark Parker called

upon accomplished designer Eric Avar, who had

previously had great success with the signatures

lines of Penny Hardaway, Gary Payton and

Jason Kidd. “I had just transitioned from in-line

Words by Nick DePaulaPhotographu by Steve Mullholand

basketball down to the Kitchen, and actually, I

was looking forward to having a break from

basketball,” admits Avar. “I was looking forward

to working on running, cross training and other

things. I was there for all of two months and Mark

Parker called, and he said, ‘Hey, we’re thinking of

signing Kobe, and we would like you to work on

his product.’”

The return to working on basketball product

would be different for Avar this time around as

compared to the decade he had spent within

Nike Basketball, as he would now be working

out of the Innovation Kitchen and be given more

resources, more room to try new things and

more freedom to attack high performance with

no restraints. He would also be working with

Kobe Bryant on creating a series of signature

sneakers that could speak to his sleek style of

play and his unyielding demand for excellence.

“From there, Mark, myself and Tinker [Hatfield]

went down to L.A. and met with Kobe for the

first time,” Avar reflects. “We sat across the

table, and I went in with an open mind, and

right from the start I could just tell that he was

so passionate about basketball, but [also] about

product and design as well. He literally blew

me away within the first two minutes of talking

with him. I had worked with a lot of athletes

prior to that, but it was just an eye-opening

experience for me, and I was amazed at how

intelligent, articulate and passionate he was

about every aspect of the game, product, design,

performance and aesthetics. Right from that

moment I was super excited to be working with

Kobe.” After that initial meeting, the tone had

been set, and the duo was ready to tackle the

performance basketball industry head-on.

in retrosPect the history of Kobe’s KicKs


air huarache


While the Zoom Huarache 2K4 might be the first

Nike shoe you recall Kobe Bryant regularly wearing,

the Flight Huarache was actually what he rocked

during the beginning on the 2003-2004 NBA season

in player exclusive Lakers colors. Just before he

debuted the Huarache 2K4, Bryant paid homage

to the ancestry of the line, which began a decade

prior with enhanced fit and targeted support in

mind. The shoe featured quite a few overlays, but it

was also very minimal along the collar, allowing for

a conforming fit unique to each wearer. Legendary

designer Tinker Hatfield reflects about how the

entire Huarache series almost never was …

So the Huarache concept came out of a singular

experience I had. This doesn’t always happen this

way. But I was water-skiing one day, and I was

sitting in the water slalom skiing. Both feet were

actually in these neoprene booties, and you’re

strapped in. So I’m getting ready to get pulled out

of the water, and I got yanked up and either the

boat wasn’t going fast enough or I wasn’t doing

something right, but I crashed. So I’m sitting

there, waiting to get pulled up again, and I’m

looking down, and I’m just kind of waiting, and I’m

looking at how these neoprene booties sort of fit

nicely around [my feet]. They just sort of conform

around anybody’s ankle. The neoprene bootie

in a water ski fits a bunch of different people, so

I’m thinking, “That’s kind of cool,” and then …

whup! [laughs] In the middle of that thought, all of

a sudden I’m skiing again. [laughs]. So afterwards,

I skied on, and then I got out of the water, and I

was just looking at the booties, and I’m just going,

“That’s one of the problems we have with shoes,

they don’t really conform to different shapes of

feet very well,” and I said, “Neoprene does that.”

I went back to my studio a couple days later and

started sketching up neoprene-based shoes. A

lot of people think that Huarache comes from

the Sock Racer, but it doesn’t come from the

Flight

Sock Racer at all. The Sock Racer was stretchy

[in the forefoot], and I’m going, “That’s not really

where you want stretch.” You want stretch

to be [along the collar] where your feet are all

different shapes. You want it to fit better [at the

collar], that’s where shoes should fit better, right

there. So I started sketching up booties and then

realized that it needed, for support, some sort of

exoskeleton, because I thought it would be cool

to be seen. So the whole exoskeletal approach

to the shoe design sort of came out of this sort

of desire to want to develop this Dynamic Fit

shoe. In some ways I guess you could say it has

an internal bootie. It’s not really internal; you see

most of it in this or in the original running shoe.

I started drawing this exoskeleton over it, and

I took it into Sandy Bodecker’s office, this first

sketch, and it’s in archives. We actually have it.

The first sketch sort of showed this neoprene

idea with this exoskeleton over it and Sandy, he

thought it was really cool, and in a red pen he just

wrote, “Sneaker of the Gods.” Like it looked like

something that Zeus would wear, like a sandal,

kind of like a sandal. I was not thinking sandal or

Huarache or anything at the time, it was Sandy

who wrote “Sneaker of the Gods” and [he was]

kind of thinking, “Yeah, this is what Zeus would

wear or Mercury or somebody.” So I came back,

I’m going, “It’s sort of like a sandal.” And then

I’m going, “I don’t want to call it a foot sandal or

a something.” So a lot of us had been to Mexico,

and I’m thinking, “Instead of calling it a sandal, I’ll

call it a Huarache.”

So that’s how the whole thing got started. The

idea was interesting in that it focused on the fit

of the shoe around your ankle and your heel and

your instep rather than sort of being stretchy and

conforming up in the toes. Sock Racers always

make my toes go numb, so the last thing I wanted

to do was create another one of those, because

the stretchiness was pulling on my toenails,

and it just made my toes feel funny. This was a

minimalist concept of what we called conforming,

or in our case, we called it Dynamic Fit with

the exoskeletal support system. We didn’t need

a heel counter, and then we combined it with

this sort of cupping. As I was finishing up the

running shoe, which, by the way, was developed

by Michael Donohue, and Sandy Bodecker got

involved, and Mike Quinn got involved … some

of our very best people today were some of our

very best people way back, in a different role.

Quickly we realized that this had more legs

than just being in a running shoe. So, I thought,

“Well, I’ll just sort of take this same idea, and

transfer it into both a cross training shoe and

a basketball shoe.” Kind of the big three at the

time: running, cross training and basketball. I did

this sketch [for cross training] that pretty much

mimicked the running shoe. It was very similar,

but with an extra strap for the upper to go up

higher in a hi-top silhouette and then a deeper,

bigger midsole cradle and then, of course, the

rubber was different than we would have on our

running shoe.

So my recollection is that I had this sketch,

the original sketch of the basketball shoe, and

I handed that off to Eric Avar. And he was still

pretty young at the time, so it was just sort of

given to him to finish it all off. So he finished his

design, put in some of the other little details, and

he did the outsole, too. I didn’t do that particular

outsole. He took it to its conclusion and that was

because I was busy working on the cross trainer.

He was doing this one, and the running shoe was

kind of just up and rolling. So that’s really how it

got sort of birthed. The running shoe, by the way,

it didn’t book at all, the original Huarache shoe, it

did not book.

It was going die. Only 50 pairs were booked by

maybe only one store. I remember Tom Parks

saying, “You know, it’s just a niche product, [we]

probably shouldn’t even make it.” Tom Archie

believed in that running shoe so much that he

ordered 5,000 pairs, and he didn’t even have the

authority to. He was the PLM for running, and

he ordered 5,000 pairs without bookings, which

Nike, at least then, never would have done. He

just did it anyway, which is awesome. That was

so cool. Then he was kind of in a sense on the

hook for these 5,000 pairs. [laughs] He took

them to the New York Marathon, put them in our

booth at the New York Marathon, and started

selling them. He sold them all, and people were

putting them on, and it was one of those rare

products that looked different, but when you put

it on it also felt different and felt different for the

better because it sort of fit in a new and more

conforming way, and going back to the water

ski analogy, it sort of just conformed to your

particular shape, and it was interesting. Now

there’re 5,000 pairs out there, and the orders

just start rolling in. And then the rest is history

for that running shoe that, I think, at the end of

that first year had sold 250,000 pairs. So, we

were probably a little more able then to change

and ramp up production than we are today just

because of the way factories were a little looser.

So they were able to ramp up production and

get more shoes into the marketplace, and then

the design stayed around. They kept it for the

following year or two maybe. In the meantime,

what was cool about the basketball shoe was

that the Fab 5 at the University of Michigan were

given these shoes, and they all wore them. They

thought they were great. This shoe developed

a life of its own partly because there was no

basketball shoe that ever looked like that before

it, and these guys all at the University of Michigan

were all wearing them. Again, it was an explosion

after that. That’s how I remember the story. …


With Kobe Bryant now part of the Nike

Basketball family, Eric Avar and the team of

developers he was working with in the Innovation

Kitchen aimed to provide him with a more

modern piece of performance footwear rooted

in light weight, support and minimalism. “It

wasn’t a pure Flight shoe, it wasn’t a Force shoe

and it wasn’t an Uptempo shoe; it was just a

shoe unto itself,” explains Avar. It drafted back to

Tinker Hatfield’s original Flight Huarache, as the

2K4 would incorporate a similar ankle area cut-

away, but it also took on a more streamlined and

simplistic aesthetic based on the needs of Bryant.

“He’s an extremely dynamic and versatile player,”

says Avar. “He can be extremely quick, but at

the same time he can be extremely explosive

and powerful. Early on, we just figured that his

product had to be versatile, and it really had to

cover off all ends of the spectrum. It had to be

the best of everything, like Kobe’s style and his

game. That was the thinking with the 2K4.”

From there, Avar designed the shoe to

incorporate a collection of proven components

that would help in the goal of making the shoe a

dominant performer. The upper was comprised

of a simple leather base with a toe cap for

reinforcement, and the heel was locked in place

with the help of a TPU external counter. A

breathable, perforated Neoprene tongue lined

the shoe, and the strap along the collar added an

extra sense of security and fit. “We used Zoom

Air, kept the midsole heights low to the ground

and used a simple, almost one-piece upper,”

notes Avar. “It was very lightweight, very minimal

and just what you need.” While the Zoom

Huarache 2K4 became a staple shoe on the feet

of nearly all of Nike’s collegiate- and professional-

air zoom huarache


level athletes, it was quite a departure for the

brand, as during recent years before it, they

often relied on more visible cushioning elements

in their flagship and most featured models.

It was for good reason that the brand shifted

away from previous cushioning systems like Shox

or Tubular Air, as the hope with the 2K4 was

that its simple nature and no-frills approach to

performance would lead to its overall playability

being the focal point of the shoe and not a

specific technology, gimmick or seasonal theme.

“The 2K4 was designed around the best of all

worlds,” says Avar. “At the time, there was a lot

of visible technology going on, and we envisioned

this being much more [of] a simple, modern

product grounded in classic elements. At the

time, some of the classic elements of basketball

shoes were getting lost.” Right from the start,

the 2K4 was a huge success, as its classic lines

translated well for team product at the college

level, and yet the more flashy and personalized

Lakers colorways Kobe Bryant was wearing at

the time took on a buzz of their own.

The 2K4 served to be an excellent starting point

for Kobe Bryant’s footwear coming from Nike,

as it would lay the foundation for the contoured

fit, responsive cushioning, lateral stability and

attention to detail that Bryant’s line would later

become known for. “He said that the 2K4 was

one of the first shoes that he felt like was an

extension of him,” Avar reveals. “That Nike had

captured the essence of his performance style.

That’s manifested itself in some of his other

product that we’ve done and certainly in some of

the future product that we’re working on.”


air zoom huarache

After the tremendous success that the Zoom

Huarache 2K4 experienced just a year prior, Nike

Basketball now had a market of fans eagerly

awaiting the next iteration of the Huarache

line. They were rightfully expecting the same

top-notch performance attributes, and the next

evolution of the line wouldn’t disappoint, as the

Eric Avar-designed Huarache 2K5 featured a

similar collar strap for protection and once again

incorporated the highly responsive Zoom Air for

cushioning. “We felt like we had something good

going with the 2K4, and Tinker [Hatfield] always

says, ‘Every third Jordan or so, you really change

things up from a performance and construction

standpoint and from a visual standpoint,’” says

Avar. “The 2K5 was coming very much on the

heels of the 2K4, and we felt like we had a good

thing going. And we didn’t want to reinvent the

wheel too much with this one.”

Rather than entirely re-craft the look of the

Huarache 2K4 that people seemed to be

falling in love with, Avar looked instead to the

performance attributes of the shoe that could

use some improvement. “We were wondering,

though, ‘Could we make it a little lighter, could

we make it a little more dynamic?’” recalls Avar.

“We were working with Free at the time, so we

wondered if we could make it more flexible and

make it have a little more responsive toe-off.”

Avar, who also designed the original Nike Free

5.0, sure enough decided to incorporate what

he learned from that running shoe and several

of its Free principles into the 2K5, as he carved

out weight along the midsole and added in

segmented flex grooves for increased flexibility.

Along the heel, the crash pad and point of contact


was also more radiused for a more natural

landing and improved heel-to-toe transition. But,

the biggest shift from the 2K4 to the 2K5 was

certainly the newly segmented flex grooves along

the forefoot’s midsole and the more pronounced

outrigger, which provided some stellar lateral

stability.

While the Zoom Huarache 2K5 was once again a

team shoe worn at the collegiate and professional

levels, Kobe Bryant was a headlining act for the

shoe, and he could often be seen wearing it in a

mean Black/Canyon Gold colorway and various

other Lakers-related styles. The Huarache 2K5

was also the shoe that debuted his Sheath logo,

as three colorways that released in the summer

of 2005 incorporated his logo just above the

external counter along the heel. While the shoe

featured several trusty performance attributes,

it also included the use of laser etching, as the

toe and tongue featured hits of leather removed

with the help of a laser machine for an added

graphic element. The 2K5 wasn’t as revolutionary

as some of the sneakers to come in the Zoom

Kobe line, nor was it as iconic and simplistic as

the Zoom Huarache 2K4, but it did do a great

job of foreshadowing the role that Nike’s Free

ideology would have in Kobe Bryant’s sneakers

in the coming years. It also began the evolution

of the outrigger within the line, which seemingly

becomes more pronounced every year in order

to support the lateral needs of the ever-active

and explosive Bryant. More than anything else,

it continued to build from the stellar on-court

performance that brought the 2K4 such adoration,

and it offered up several added benefits – like

increased flexibility – along the way.


After spending two seasons wearing both the

Huarache 2K4 and 2K5 in several player exclusive

colorways, the time came for Kobe Bryant

to receive his very own signature shoe, and

immediately there were several key components

that had to be incorporated into his first sneaker.

With designer Eric Avar away on medical leave,

Nike Basketball Design Director Ken Link

stepped in and crafted the Zoom Kobe I, which

proved to be full of things he learned from his

previous shoes and also full of personal touches

and core attributes specific to Kobe’s needs. “I

think the best thing about Kobe is when he looks

at a shoe, he wants to see himself and his game

in his shoe,” says Link. “I think that’s one of

the things about Kobe is that he gives so much

information that it truly drives the process.”

The shoe began as a modern approach to offering

lateral support and stability in a cushioned ride,

and right away, there was a move away from the

strap that had become so recognizable on both

the 2K4 and 2K5 before it. “He said he didn’t

want one,” reveals Link. “We wanted to focus

on the collar, and you’ll start to see it in other

shoes [later in his line], because a lot of times he

was already thinking about, ‘Could I get to a low?’

Getting to a low is not necessarily the easiest

thing to do, but he felt like his game and where

he was headed was getting to that low thought

process.” It would be another three shoes

before Bryant truly got into that low-cut height,

but the Zoom Kobe I serves as a great opening

to his signature series and included several

performance merits.

The heel and forefoot Zoom Air was carried over

from the 2K series for outstanding cushioning, and

at Kobe’s request, the shoe was more padded

and cushioned at the expense of some weight.

He was willing to sacrifice a few ounces in the

shoe because he was just coming off of a summer


of grueling two-a-day workouts and weighed in

higher than he had any other season before at a

chiseled 225 pounds. While the shoe may have

clocked in at a slightly higher weight than his other

shoes, it still included attributes of protection and

support that his line has become known for, with

the pronounced lateral outrigger providing the

shoe with a stable base. Along the heel, a molded

TPU wrap served as a chassis for the foot, helping

Bryant as he quickly changed directions during

games. “The back heel wrap was based more

around [the thought] that you lock the heel in, and

you’re cool,” says Link. “That has everything to do

with the control of the foot.”

For Bryant, the shoe was everything he needed

at the time, offering a great multi-directional

traction pattern, reliable support and the

cushioned ride he demanded. The various

colorways offered up were also extremely

personal and specific to Bryant, like the Retro

Nights version in the colors of the MPLS Lakers

that paid tribute to retired former Lakers greats,

as well as the Black/Varsity Maize colorway that

was inspired by the movie Kill Bill and Kobe’s

ability to be an assassin with the ball. It’s also

a shoe that holds a special place in the hearts

of both Kobe and Link, as he was wearing the

White/Black/Varsity Purple on January 22, 2006

when he exploded for 81 points against the

Toronto Raptors. It was one of those moments

in Link’s life where he could recall exactly where

he was and what he was doing. “I was in Taiwan

watching the game, and it was like, ‘He’s out of

control.’ I’m thinking, ‘He could go for 100,’” Link

says. “I remember it being big – it was in the

paper the next day. I remember just thinking like,

‘Wow, when he wants to, no one can stop him.’”

While some people thought afterwards that the

Raptors simply didn’t bother to show up and

gave Kobe free reign on scoring, Link remembers

quite a different scene taking place as Bryant

earned every last basket. “If you go back to those

highlights, there were a lot of cats in his face,

leaping, surprised as they can’t try and stop the

shot. It was not old lady defense,” he jokes.

Once the season concluded, Kobe had a full

summer of workouts ahead of him and he began

to reduce his weight and frame, getting to a

more nimble playing style, but once again, he

had the foresight to call out his specific needs in

the Zoom Kobe I, that would most benefit his

game at that time. “Kobe, he’s so far along the

spectrum of what he expects out of a shoe and

what he wants to put into it, and so he’s been

there every step of the way,” says Link. It made

things easy on Link, who had an articulate and

decisive subject to work with and a set list of

needs to infuse into Bryant’s first sneaker. “He

really is ahead of his time, the way that he thinks

about his game, the way he thinks about training

for his game, the way he thinks about how his

game interacts with the rest of his world and the

world around it – he really gets that on a level

that most people don’t get.”

zoom Kobe



As Ken Link and Kobe Bryant paired up once

again to work on his second signature sneaker,

the Zoom Kobe II, they looked to innovate on

many new fronts and take Bryant’s footwear to

new levels of court feel and construction. Kobe

had lost some weight and bulk from previous

year, and now he was looking to take advantage

of his explosive first step and slashing style of

play. Rather than build directly from the Zoom

Kobe I and its more sturdy construction, Link

looked to Bryant’s favorite weapon of choice

for his more stealth frame: the Huarache 2K4.

“If you take the 2K4, a great shoe, how can you

make it more flexible, less layers, lighter, lower

to the ground and provide better cushioning?”

questioned Link. “Could you really change one

of the best playing shoes we’ve done? And could

you take it to the next level for Kobe?” Surely

those were the type of questions Link was hired

to solve, so he set out to find the solutions for

Kobe’s current set of needs.

In order to make a shoe that sat lower to the

ground and offered greater flexibility, Link

and his crew of developers at Nike decided to

incorporate the methodologies of both Nike Free

and Nike Considered, which at first appeared

to be a daunting task. Almost immediately, it

was decided that this new approach to the shoe

would fundamentally change the way it would be

constructed, and for the first time in basketball a

shoe was made with reduced waste, and without

toxic chemicals or bonds, as the Zoom Kobe II

was instead fully stitched throughout. The upper

was comprised of a series of panels that worked

to provide flexibility and targeted support, albeit

in a single-layer construction. “The single-layer

Considered upper was a way to get to a lighter,

better system,” says Link. Rather than develop

the shoe with a traditional midsole in mind, the

shoe’s outsole featured a sidewall that crept up

along the perimeter of the shoe, serving as a

footbucket to provide the athlete with lateral

support and protection.

The shoe was also crafted differently in that the

heel and forefoot Zoom Air cushioning units

were embedded within the insole, which helped

in ridding the shoe of its traditional midsole

and allowed for it to sit just millimeters off of

the ground. The outsole was then created with

Nike’s Free principles in mind, as it incorporated

a series of liner and lateral flex grooves for

amazing flexibility never before seen in hoops

footwear. The Zoom Kobe II became a new

way to make a shoe. Unlike previous shoes that

included the upper, the midsole and then the

outsole, the Kobe II’s upper was stitched directly

to the shoe’s footbucket, so it was the insole

within providing all of the shoe’s cushioning. The

result was a shoe that was lighter, lower and

offered greater control of Bryant’s movements

when planting and changing directions. “Kobe has

an incredible first step, and we asked, ‘How do

we get that separation [from his defenders] for

him?’” Link recalls. “We feel that Free could give

him great court-feel, and it’s going to give him

that quick first step, and really let him feel the

court and move with it.”

Once again, it was the insights from Kobe

Bryant through a series of discussions and

meetings that helped Link and Nike Basketball

create the Zoom Kobe II. Link feels that Kobe is

able to provide those bits of inspiration simply

because he thinks the game through differently

than any other athlete, for basketball is truly

his relentless passion. “Vincent Van Gogh was

asked, ‘Do you love what you do?’ He said, ‘No,

I obsess it.’ I think most people understand that

people that are great at what they do, they don’t

really love what they do, they obsess it. That

obsession is what we see in Kobe,” Link says. “I

don’t really know of any athlete on the court

that lives and breathes basketball like Kobe.

He’s so intelligent, he’s so into it, and at the

same time he just really loves it.”

As the Zoom Kobe line would progress beyond

the II, Bryant’s sneakers would always come

back to the notion of daring to try new things,

which can include new cushioning setups, new

methods of construction and even new heights.

“We want to think of Kobe in a test pilot type of

manner, and how can we really begin to push

the envelope with him and do some different

things,” explains Link. “Instead of incrementally

getting there, really taking a big leap as far as

function goes. The Kobe II is not a complete

departure for a Nike shoe, it’s more about how

we got there and the functionality of it, and that

when you put it on, it does have a different feel

than most basketball shoes that we’ve done.” As

Link would hand back the reigns of the Zoom

Kobe line to designer Eric Avar after the II, it

would also signal a noteworthy change in Kobe’s

line, as Avar sought to remove Bryant’s series

from the normal business sector and work on his

signature line from the Innovation Kitchen. Now,

the shoes were given more than the normal 14-

month window that products from the basketball

category are provided for their design and

development process. “I think the way that Eric

works now is really important for a guy like Kobe

and how important he is as a kind of test pilot for

Nike,” Link says. “It’s important to get out, to

get ahead of stuff and try new stuff. The vibe is

really amazing, and it’s all because of that time to

really work with the athlete, fine-tune the idea

and push the envelope for performance. But, Eric

recognizes that, ‘Hey, if I get out of this system, I

can really help this guy out. I can really develop a

bond and a true insight that will help the category

beyond even what it thinks it can be and show

it where it could be.’” As we’d find out in the

coming years, Link couldn’t have been more right.

zoom Kobe


After two great performance successes in the

first two installments of the Zoom Kobe line, the

Zoom Kobe III took on its own unique styling

approach as designer Eric Avar came back into

the fold. Avar again took Tinker’s advice of

changing things up every so often in a shoe line

to heart. This sneaker was undoubtedly unlike

any other shoe in the line, as it took on a theme

and aesthetic all its own. “He’s very, very big on

analogies and metaphors,” Avar explains about

Kobe’s approach to design. “That’s great from

a design standpoint, because it’s just so rich in

design inspiration and how you pull different

inspirations. At that time, he had talked a lot

about the black mamba snake and it being one of

the most deadly and sleekest creatures on earth

and how that related to his game.”

It was the notion about the black mamba’s lethal

abilities that immediately clicked in Avar’s mind,

as he instantly knew where he planned to take

Bryant’s third shoe. There were a few goals

he had right from the start as he attacked the

design of the shoe, namely, he wanted it to be

lightweight, incredibly stable, and very sleek and

comfortable against the foot. “We always talk

about how good design is the perfect balance

between science and art,” says Avar. “And it

starts with science, and you always have to make

sure that the product performs well.

From there, how do you bring some of the

performance to life, and how do you mix [in] the

character of the athlete … so that, as Kobe says,

the product becomes an extension of him.”

With the Zoom Kobe III, the approach was

actually fairly straightforward, as Avar and his

team of developers implemented a decidedly

protruding outrigger for unmistakable support,

as well as Nike’s reassuring Zoom Air in both the

heel and forefoot for cushioning. “The upper was

really pretty simple. It was one piece of mesh

with this injected, molded structure, and it was


really breathable and very conforming,” notes

Avar. “Kobe says it’s one of his favorite shoes to

this day. The shoe played great, there was great

cushioning and a great responsive feel.” Unlike

the Zoom Kobe II before it, the III goes sans

strap, and it includes a simple lacing setup for

quick and easy entry along with a full Sphere

Liner for amazingly plush comfort. One thing

the shoe did carry over from Bryant’s previous

signature kicks was the diamond touches along

it – this time appearing in the forefoot’s traction

pattern, as the configuration served as an ode to

his daughter, Diamante.

The shoe became an instant hit among basketball

players for its incredibly light weight and close-

fitting comfort, though some people were

certainly initially uncertain of its at-first awkward

appearance. “We tried to bring some classic

elements into this shoe, but we also pushed the

needle with this one, and it’s kind of a love/hate

shoe definitely with athletes and consumers,”

admits Avar. “And every so often, I think that’s a

good thing to do. You push the boundaries and

have people question what footwear can be.

We created a unique product that is very much

manifested from Kobe’s unique style.”

Despite whatever initial resistance to the shoe’s

appearance there may have been, consumers

were won over either once they wore the shoe

themselves or because Kobe was having a career

season in them. It would be the shoe he wore

during his first-ever MVP Award season, and he

also wore the Zoom Kobe III while leading the

Lakers all the way to the NBA Finals. Either way,

Eric Avar has no regrets for the shoe’s daring look.

“First and foremost, it’s about performance,” he

says. “It’s about creating the best product for him,

but also for all ballers. He likes being on the cutting

edge of new technology and new style, but also

to push the dynamics of what a high-performance

basketball shoe could be.”

zoom Kobe



Just as Eric Avar was beginning to put the final

touches on the Zoom Kobe III, he had already

begun working on the Nike Hyperdunk, a shoe

that would not only hope to clock in at the

lightest weight yet for a Nike Basketball shoe,

but that also would provide more support and

stability when compared to shoes of the past.

Once again, Avar and his team of designers and

developers tapped into Kobe Bryant and his

explosive and active style of play as they began

to build a shoe that would debut two of Nike’s

newest technologies: Lunar Foam and Flywire.

“We had presented some of the early concepts

to him in terms of what we were doing and

what we were thinking with Flywire,” explains

Avar. “Of course he was very interested and liked

the notion of new performance.” After getting

some initial feedback from Kobe and beginning

the design process, the team aimed for the shoe

to be worn on quite the global platform during

the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. “It was

never specifically meant to be Kobe’s signature

shoe, but it was designed definitely with him in

mind,” says Avar. “It starts with an athlete and a

close relationship with a designer and a couple of

innovators.”

For Nike Basketball, the Hyperdunk looked to

reintroduce some familiar ideas from previous

shoes and also go where no shoe from the

category had gone before. The shoe’s upper

was entirely new to the sport, incorporating a

large, clear panel of Nike’s Flywire construction

that proved to not only reduce weight, but

also provide great lockdown and support for

the game’s most active players. With the help

of Lunar Foam cushioning in the forefoot and

an otherwise minimally constructed upper,

the shoe was able to clock in several ounces

lighter than previous shoes in the Zoom Kobe

line, which are always considered to be the

lightest basketball shoe for every season. Once

the Summer Olympics rolled around, the shoe

was validated quite well on court, as players

of all sizes and positions relied on the sneaker

during the world’s most important basketball

tournament. From guards like Kobe Bryant to

active big men like Yi Jianlian, the Hyperdunk was

able to provide protection and containment for

an array of players and at the same time provide

the lightweight cushioned ride that all ballers

dream of.

Even before it was widely released, the shoe

took on a life of its own thanks to one of Nike’s

most extensive viral campaigns yet. Whether

it was the creation of a fictitious Hyperdunk

Recovery Center for victims of a posterizing

dunk, or the series of viral videos that showed

Kobe Bryant jumping over anything from a

speeding Aston Martin to a pool of snakes, the

Hyperdunk was given top billing from Nike on all

fronts, and it looked to define a new era of design

and performance going forward. “We’ve talked

internally quite a bit about the Hyperdunk being

a catalyst,” reveals Avar. “We’ve been doing a

lot of great product in basketball, but I think the

market, too, is somewhat turning, and I don’t

know if it’s going to go back to the craziness

from the ’90s, but in terms of new and honest

innovations and a return to classic elements, I

definitely feel like we’re seeing that shift. The

Hyperdunk was a good catalyst to start and re-

point the arrow for where basketball and product

in general can go.”

With the Hyperdunk serving as the signal of

change in the direction of basketball shoes going

to more minimal and simplistic uppers with

protection and support where needed, Nike

had made a statement that Flywire was here

to stay. For ballers worldwide, the technology

was a welcomed change, as it’s able to reduce

the weight of a shoe without compromising its

stability. “I think we knew after we made that

one there – we were like, ‘Oh, shit, this could

be something,’” says Jay Meschter, Innovation

Director of Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. “This

is the real deal, and we were pretty confident

about that internally. To hold your tongue

for four years about something you know

that’s going to be impactful, that’s the hard

part.” After the success that the Hyperdunk

experienced on a global scale, Nike Basketball

now had a new direction for the category, as

the shoe’s lightweight and soft cushioning

properties proved to work for people of all sizes

and playing styles.

hyPerdunK


Words and Interview by Nick DePaulaPhotos courtesy of Nike

hen most athletes are asked about their

sneakers, they oftentimes have only a surface

level of interest in the details surrounding their

footwear, from the way the shoe looks and is

developed to the way it fits and feels. For some,

they might not get past saying, “I just want them

to be comfortable.” And that’s OK, because after

all, it’s not their jobs to design and construct a

high-performance basketball shoe to suit their

needs. But that’s what makes Kobe Bryant so

different. He’s not like most athletes. He not only

understands on a technical level the componentry

and logic behind his footwear, but he also guides

the direction of design and innovation at Nike.

If his shoes are too high from the ground and his

court feel is being compromised, he knows it, and

he’ll make sure the necessary changes are made.

An obsessive analyst of game film and images

of his playing form, he’ll even notice if his foot is

sliding too far off of the footbed in shoes, and he’ll

push for improvements in support to help with

his reaction time.

Rarely has an athlete been so involved in the

back story of his shoes, calling out specific

inspirations and needs in his footwear as he

looks to improve not only the playability of his

shoes every year, but also his performance on

the basketball court as he seeks out an NBA

championship every season. His sneakers are

a crucial component to that quest. It was at

Kobe’s request that the Zoom Kobe IV be made

as a low-top in order to help with his range of

motion, help reduce weight and also help the

shoe become a part of him, ridding him of any

worry or distraction that might prevent him

from making that lightning-quick first step as

he splits a pair of defenders and heads right

towards the rim. He also has been closely

involved in the development of every one of his

shoes, and it’s his attention to detail and close

working relationship with Nike Designer Eric

Avar that allow the two to continue to push

the envelope of design and the boundaries of

performance. Follow along as Kobe has quite a

lot to say about how his shoes are created and

designed, how the Kobe Mentu project came

about, and how important it was to capture a

Gold Medal at this past August’s Beijing Summer

Olympic Games.

i n t e r v i e w

a conversation with


Nick DePaula: How long ago did you get

involved with the process of designing the

IV and what made you decide to go in the

direction of a low-top shoe?

Kobe Bryant: Maybe about a year and a half

ago. It was a couple of reasons. One is, I wanted

the foot to move comfortably. I felt like hi-tops

at times can be a little bit restricting of your

movement. Also, I wanted to decrease weight. I

wanted to cut the shoe [in height], make it lighter,

make it sleeker, and we were able to accomplish

both of those things.

How much of a role did your background of

growing up in Italy around soccer have on

this shoe?

It actually just came from a functional point of

view and just thinking about the game and how

I feel when I play. I just wanted to have better

range and flexibility within the ankle and be able

to move and cut and not feel like that movement

is restricted. I think how the soccer background

came into play is understanding how much stress

you put on your ankles and how hard you play

the game. In soccer, you can still wear low-tops,

and they put more stress on their ankles than we

do, but they can still wear low-tops. So I think

you need a confidence to be able to push the

boundaries a little bit.

Were you met with any resistance when you

approached them with the idea?

No, not really. They know that once I come up

with an idea, whether it was with the 2K4 or all

of the other shoes that we’ve developed, all of

the technology that we’ve put into them comes

straight from me, from a necessity and basic

need [perspective]. And Nike, they’re so true to

the athlete and what the athlete wants that I’ll

say, “Hey, this is what I need in my shoe,” and

everyone else will just jump on board.

Where there any elements or technologies

that you wanted to see incorporated in the

IV?

Well, we kind of developed a theme for my

shoes. We always want to push the boundaries

of lightness and speed. Also, we want to

minimize the reaction time in the shoe, so

when you change directions, we want to try

and minimize that so that the foot is not sliding

within the shoe and it actually reacts quicker

with the change of direction and changes of

pace. … Another thing that we wanted to

implement into the shoe is to make the shoe

a part of the foot so that it is almost one, and

they’re moving as one and the same. The

Zoom Air technology obviously is a big part of

the reaction time, and those are some of the

core elements that we put into the shoe. [The]

Flywire Technology that you’ve seen in the

Hyperdunks as well enabled us to make the

shoe as light as it is and still be as strong as it is.

Did you notice anything different right away

once you started wearing Flywire in the

Hyperdunk?

How light they are—that’s the thing that’s the

most impressive to me is how light they are, but

how strong they are. You know, once you start

cutting in the shoe, you can feel the comfort and

the stability immediately, which is a big key. When

you have a low-top shoe or a shoe that is that light,

the thing that you want to make sure that it gets an

“A” on is stability. Making sure that the calcaneous

is locked in and that it’s sitting in there properly

and that it’s not sliding around on you.

Do you have any input into the colorways of

the shoe?

Well this is what I do: I sit down with the

designers, I sit down with Avar, and we just come

up with all these concepts, and I tell them what I

want in this shoe and the technology and so forth.

And they’ll go into the lab, and they come back

with the technology and the design of the shoe

per the inspiration that I’ve given them. When it

comes to the color schemes, I tell the designers,

“You guys just go have a good time and knock

yourselves out.” ’Cause, you know, this is what

they do, and the hard part is over. The hard part

has already been done. Now, I want you guys

to just have a good time, and they have a blank

canvas to trick it out.

Are there any materials or textures you like

most?

I like the snake print – the snake print has been

kind of my favorite.

How much importance do you place on your

shoe looking good in a casual setting?

Actually, none. That’s never even something

that’s crossed my brain. This shoe, I personally

wanted to play in. Whether it [works] well off the

court or not, is really irrelevant to me at the time.

Is there any one theme that really stands

out between all of your shoes?

It’s original. All of my shoes have all been original,

and that’s the one thing: that all my shoes stand

for themselves and there’re certain technological

components that we carry over from shoe to

shoe, but all of the designs have all been original.

You’re not going to see a shoe that you can say,

“Oh, it’s like that shoe or it’s like this shoe.” All of

my shoes are original concepts.

Can you explain what your logo means to

you?

The logo, to me, is more of a symbol and kind of

an inspirational symbol to me in terms of what

you use as fuel and what you use to drive you.

That symbol is where I store that and where I

hold that fuel.

This is also the first shoe of yours that has

your signature on it. Why is that?

It was just another touch that we put on the shoe

that we felt would just make it more personal

– to put my signature on it.

Your mentality as a determined and focused

individual and athlete seems to align with

Nike’s as a company. Did that play a part in

your decision to come to Nike?

Oh, no question. No question. I’m telling you, it

was like when Harry Potter landed in Hogwarts.

[laughs] He was home. I’m always around a

bunch of people who are competitive and just as

competitive as I am or just as passionate about

the sport as I am. I’m not looked at as being

different or anything like that because I’m ultra

competitive. I’m just around a bunch of people

who are exactly the same way as I am.

Lets talk about some of the past shoes that

you wore, starting in 2003. Were you a fan

of the Flight Huarache going back to the Fab

Five days?

It was a fun shoe, and I was very familiar with

it back in High School because of the Fab Five,

obviously. Those shoes were so tough to find,

and I think I only had one pair, and I only wore

them once a month. [laughs]

Was it different just because of the ankle

cut-away, or was there anything in particular

that was different about that shoe?

Well, the thing that I noticed, and even at that

early age, I always used to look at the technology

of a shoe, at that early age I could tell that my

ankle had a lot more freedom of movement,

which interested me because it felt different

than any of the other shoes that I played in. It felt

better and it moved better in that shoe.

Did wearing the Flight Huarache give you

any insights into what you wanted to see in

the 2K4?

Well yeah, we kind of said that we wanted the

2K4 to kind of go take it a step further. Like,

Huarache was a good place to start for us, now

what’s the next step? How do we take this

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technology and increase that and take it to the

next level, both in weight and in stability, and we

were able to do that.

What did you like so much about the 2K4,

as you wore it last fall, and what made you

decide to keep coming back to it?

Well that was my first one, and I remember

sitting in a room with Avar and Tinker and I

dropped the Great White design on ’em, [laughs],

and we just hit the ground off and running with

a classic.

Were you aware of the Free technology

through the running line, and was it

something you wanted to see incorporated

into the 2K5?

Absolutely, and we talked about that, and I was

very open to it because if your foot can move

as God intended it to move, then you’re in a

good position. When you run in Free technology,

your foot is such that you can actually feel your

feet underneath you moving as they should, as

opposed to just being one…blocky…thing going up

and down the court.

The Zoom Kobe I had a much more solid and

sturdy look and feel than the 2Ks. Was that

a reflection of your playing style at the time?

Well with the Zoom 1, what I wanted to do

was I wanted to have more cushioning. It was

a season where I was coming off of some knee

injuries and some things like that. So, we actually

sacrificed some weight with this shoe for a lot

more cushioning. As soon as you put that shoe on,

you are going to see that it has a lot more cushion.

A lot of power forwards and a lot of players that

are bigger in stature enjoyed those shoes more

than some of the others because it had a lot

more cushion in them. Coming off of that shoe, I

wanted to get back to the lighter weight stuff.

Does the Kobe I hold a special significance

to you because of the 81-point game?

It’s special man, because when you see that shoe,

that’s the first thing people think of: the 81. It’s

special to have those moments with shoes and

how people tie in your years or games to a shoe.

What was you mind-state like during that

game?

I was just in – it was almost like a trance, where

you’re just relaxing and you’re playing and

everything is just flowing. You put a lot of work

into the offseason, and everything is just clicking.

Whose idea was it to incorporate

Considered as well as Free in the Kobe II?

That’s something that we decided to do. It’s

always us sitting in a room just chopping it

up. The designer on that, Kenzo[Ken Link], is

extremely talented, and we just sat around the

table and chopped it and came up with a design

that I really liked. I love the Free Technology in

it; that really works well. It was good, but still,

the most special shoes that I enjoy the most is

when me and Avar are sitting around and we

come up and just brainstorm man, because that’s

just having certain guys that are on the same

wavelength and get each other.

With the II, you went back to the strap. Was

that something came up with, or did you

want to go back to the strap from the 2K

stuff?

The strap was comfortable, so we kind of did

take that from the 2K and just advanced it a bit.

The Kobe III is a very distinctive-looking

shoe – it draws a strong response from

anyone that sees it. Was it your idea to go

with such a daring look?

Well, me and Eric always just do stuff that’s true to

form and stuff that we enjoy. So, when people first

saw the shoe, they were like, “Oh – I don’t know.

I don’t know.” Then they see it in different colors

and different schemes and stuff is tricked out or

it’s the Lower Merion color, and then it’s like, “Oh

– that shoe is murder!” But that’s what we do;

we create stuff that you’re just not gonna see on

the shelf like any generic shoe, because it’s not a

generic shoe. It’s me and we fit our personality

into the shoe so it can’t be a shoe that looks like a

LeBron shoe or whoever else’s shoe. It has to be a

shoe that’s you and is your special shoe.

Both the II and III have a diamond-inspired

pattern based around your daughter

Diamante’s name. How much do you try and

add in those little personal touches to the

shoe?

Oh it’s always fun to do that, because that’s

part of my inspiration. So, we always try and put

things that inspire me within the shoe, but we

hide them like Easter eggs. [laughs]

Was minimizing weight becoming more of a

priority at the time of the Kobe III?

Well, it was always a goal of mine, outside of the

I. We always wanted to minimize weight, always,

and we wanted to continue to cut and continue

to slice it down. I told them after the II, “What

we’re going to do is, we’re going to continue to

cut weight, but we’re not gonna sacrifice stability,

and we’re not gonna sacrifice the cushioning of

the shoe.” And it seems, at the time, like why

the hell would you do both? [laughs] That was a

challenge that I gave to them, and they went back

to the lab, and they came back with that goal

being reached.

What were your first thoughts of the

Hyperdunk?

The thing that sold me on it was the technology.

I’m a real technology guy, and there’s not a lot of

people who would push that boundary or hop in

a shoe that’s so new or be liked or not liked. So, I

like to push those boundaries, and it was pretty

easy for me to jump into a shoe that fit everything

that I had been talking about for years.

All of your previous shoes included Zoom Air,

so what were your initial thoughts on Lunar

Foam?

I actually enjoyed it. It’s comfortable, man.

You know, the foam actually gives you a lot of

cushioning and a lot more stability, and like I said,

we continue to advance it and we continue to

progress it. I’m still a big fan of Zoom, but the

foam ain’t bad either.

How has your experience working with Eric

Avar evolved from model to model?

As soon as we first met, we hit it off instantly. The

first meeting with the 2K4, as soon as I started

to talk about the Great White and the design and

the sleekness of [the shoe] and how I wanted to

incorporate that into the shoe – “It’s fast and quick

and it can change directions, and it’s lightweight

and yadda, yadda, yadda” – and he got it right

away. Our whole conversation was about Great

White Sharks and Bull Sharks, and that was the

whole conversation. Everyone else in the room

was just kinda like, “What the hell are you guys

talking about?” [laughs] But, we were just talking

about a shoe, and he got it. Ever since then, that’s

how all of our meetings have been.

And as an athlete, how much does he push

you in performance? Were you familiar with

a designer like Avar that pushes things so

much?

Not really. I was familiar with some of the work

he had done, but to talk to someone that can

talk at the level that we talk at, it’s rare to find

someone like that. He enjoys the same things

that you enjoy, and he watches the same things

that you watch, and he gets inspired by the same

things that you get inspired by, and he gets it. We

play off of each other so well and it’s ridiculous.

We talked with Eric, and he mentioned

how big you are on metaphors, whether it

was the Orca Whale inspiring the Kobe II

or other shoes. Can you talk about the role

that metaphors from Spiderman played in

the Kobe IV?

i n t e r v i e w


The concept behind that is it being one and the

same. It’s that scene in the movie where he’s

trying to pry it [the suit] off of him, and he can’t

get it off of him because now it’s part of him.

And that’s how I want the shoe to be. I want the

shoe to be a part of my foot. I don’t want it to

be separate; I don’t want it to be my foot and

the shoe. I want the shoe and the foot to mesh

together.

What’s your familiarity with the outrigger in

your shoes, and how does that help you out

during a game?

The reason they put that in there was to be able

to reach that goal of being able to change those

directions. Knowing that when I rotate, we’ll see

pictures of my foot actually sliding to the outside

of the shoe, and that’s one of the things that we

were trying to cut out.

When did you make your first trip to Asia?

Umm…’99.

When did you realize the level of popularity

you have with the Chinese fans?

This Olympics. This Olympics was pretty crazy.

This Olympics was beyond anything that I’ve ever

imagined.

Was there any specific event? I remember

you just trying to even enter the gym

being an ordeal and a huge mob of fans

surrounding you.

Well what’s funny with that is at the Olympics,

we couldn’t get in. The person I was with, Nico

[Harrison] from Nike, he didn’t have the pass to

get in through the back. I didn’t have my pass to

get in then, and they were really, really finicky

to let people in through there – and it sounds

crazy that I couldn’t get in – so we had to sneak

in through the main way and just go through

the normal entrance and then get down to the

player’s section. [laughs]

How did the Mentu project come about?

It was a concept that Nike pitched to me when

we were in Asia of doing a Kobe Mentu show,

and I was on board with it. Any time I have an

opportunity to reach out to kids and teach them

about the game – the game is so fun and it’s been

such an inspirational part of my life, and I try to

share that as much as possible.

Could you ever imagine a project like that

growing up? Did you have any idea that the

popularity of basketball would grow so much

all throughout that region?

The project came together very well, and the

show was very successful, and I’m happy that the

kids found out a lot about themselves and how

much better they can be. Basketball is just truly

a global sport, and they’re very knowledgeable

about the game from top to bottom, and they’re

very passionate about it. Basketball has come a

long, long way.

Were you surprised at their response to the

intensity of the training?

It was very demanding, but that’s what we

wanted to do was to push them and take them

to the point that they didn’t think they could

get beyond and then let them figure it out and

let them see if they wanted to push themselves.

And they did, they pushed themselves, and they

realized they could be better than they ever

imagined they could be, and that’s when we had

the magic.

How do you rank the Olympic Gold with

your NBA titles and MVP award?

Winning an Olympic Gold is second to none, and

it’s the most special moment that you’ll have as

an athlete. Being on that stage and representing

your country, there’s just no greater honor.

How did the location of the Games impact

the importance of winning?

It was just one of those things that happens once

every so often where it just comes along where

it’s that magic time where the Olympics are in

Beijing and it’s just a perfect setting. We were

all just extremely excited and thankful for the

opportunity.

How do you see basketball in China and the

rest of Asia evolving over the next few years?

I think it’s going to just continue to grow. We

have some players here that are doing some

special things. Everyone knows Yao, obviously,

and Yi is doing a great job in Jersey, and we have

a young kid here who has a lot of potential in

Sun Yue, so it’s going to continue to develop and

continue to get better.

i n t e r v i e w


can you go?The hIgh Vs. low debaTe

Words by Zac DubasikPhotos courtesy od Nike

n the late ’80s and throughout much of the

’90s, basketball kicks with sky-high cuts were

the norm. Shoes like the Command Force, Air

Unlimited and Air Max CB ’94 appeared to

some to be a cross between a hoops shoe

and a cowboy boot. They had an undeniably

cool style and casual appeal though, which

went along perfectly with the excesses of the

times. But along with all of the extra protection

that they were supposedly providing came

added weight, a restricted field of motion and

limited breathability. All the while, a simple fact

remained: ankles kept getting injured.

According to Matt Nurse, Senior Researcher at

the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), the ugly

reality is that ankle injuries just happen if you

play hoops. He explains that with basketball,

statistically speaking, “if you play 1000 times, you

are going to turn your ankle at least once. That is

a guarantee.” Whether it is through contact with

another player, a harsh landing, a sudden change

of direction or an abrupt stop, sooner or later,

it will come. Not surprisingly, ankle inversion

injuries are the most common injury in basketball.

t h e l o w t o p

But a higher cut will at least help, right? Not so

says Nurse. He explains that the “wobble board

(a training device) is the only thing shown [to]

reduce ankle injuries – that’s it – there’s nothing

else in the literature shown to reduce ankle

injuries.” The difficulty comes from the simple

anatomy of the ankle joints. The top joint allows

the ankle to plantar and dorsal flex (to move up

and down), and the second allows it to invert

and evert (to roll from side to side). Plantar

flexion (when your heel is up and toe is down) is

a common and important position for your ankle

to be in when playing basketball. It serves as

excellent shock absorption to aid landings. The

problem is that when the foot is plantar flexed,

it loses the protective qualities of the joint’s

tendons, allowing increased motion from side

to side, where you are more prone to invert

the ankle. It’s not all bad news though. Studies

show that over the past 25 years, ankle injuries

have decreased by almost six times in the NCAA

thanks to evolving training methods

The hi-top vs. low-top debate appears to be

counter intuitive, because the high cut is stiffer

just sitting stationary. But when plantar flexed,

the line of force changes. You are working with

the same amount of material supporting you,

whether it is a high- or low-cut shoe. That area is

where resistance actually comes from, not higher

up on the ankle.[maybe a diagram to show this – I

could do a crude one to show you how it would

be] Time and time again, studies evaluated by the

NSRL have shown no significant change in the

frequency of ankle injuries when wearing hi-tops,

even when it is paired with taping or bracing.

These other common protective methods

don’t seem to add any real benefit. “There is

a lot of stuff in the scientific literature about

ankle taping for example,” begins Nurse. “The

mechanical advantage of ankle tape disappears

before they hit the court. They go out, warm up

and stretch, and that mechanical advantage is

already gone. But what it does do is give you that

proprioception feel, and I think that’s important.”

There is a big difference, though, between a

mechanical advantage and just a feeling. That

feeling won’t help you prevent an injury. But the

mind is a powerful tool, and if playing in a low-

top presents a mental barrier to playing at full

speed, then a higher cut may help you feel more

secure. The problem is that it also may limit your

potential. According to research analyzed by the

Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), a high-cut may

also limit your range of motion and may lead to

a decreased performance on agility courses and

vertical jump assessments. Nurse says that, “If

how

Air Command Force

Air Unlimited

Air Max CB ‘94

High speed video shows that by locking the heel in place, the ankle can stay firmly supported in a low-top even when making harsh cuts.


hi-top shoes were that much better, you’d see

guys playing soccer with hi-top shoes – you’d see

tennis players playing in hi-top shoes. There’s a

feeling that comes with it, and there’s a culture

that goes with it, but you can get it other ways.”

Taking that research into account, it becomes

obvious that a low-top sneaker will work

perfectly well for hoops. Low-tops aren’t

anything new in the world of basketball, looking

back to even the Air Force 1 Lows. Although they

have been often used as a casual shoe more often

than on court, players like Steve Nash and Mike

Bibby have been wearing low-cut kicks on court

for years. Going even further back, the Air Jordan

III could be looked at for originally leading the

trend of sneaker height first starting to lower. Its

three-quarter-cut was in major opposition to the

shoes of that time, but when it performed the

way it did, people took notice. So, while Kobe

isn’t the first person in the NBA to play in a low-

top, he definitely is the highest-profile player to

currently, or ever, have a low-top signature shoe.

That shoe is the Zoom Kobe IV. Kobe sought

an increased freedom through a cut that would

allow a fuller range of movement without ever

having to struggle against the shoe. “Kobe is very

performance driven,” begins Nurse. “He saw

that there were performance advantages.” By

focusing on heel stability through a meticulously

padded collar and heel, a skin-like fit throughout

the upper and exemplary traction thanks to

added herringbone, the Nike team has been able

to meet the performance needs that Kobe’s play

demands, and do so in the low-top package that

he wanted. An additional and important feature

is the Y-shaped segmentation of the heel, which

was first seen on the Zoom Kobe III. (IMAGE

OF HEEL AREA OF ZKIII AND ZKIV) When the

either side compresses upon impact, the split

sole allows the heel to then maintain a better

alignment, which is so critical to preventing injury

by providing a stable base. Check out page 50 for

the full breakdown of the Zoom Kobe IV.

For the NSRL, working with an athlete like

Kobe offers a rare opportunity. He is constantly

bouncing ideas off of his trainer and works back

and forth with Nike to fine-tune every last detail.

“Kobe is very in touch with his performance needs,”

says Nurse. “He can speak to points and then give

a reason for it, too.” Being able to connect on that

level gives Kobe an edge above and beyond his

already pure physical advantages on court. It also

helps the NSRL that much more in their continued

pursuit of excellence in footwear development.

Constantly striving for that edge is what allows

them to attempt such a highly visible project like

making the Zoom Kobe IV a low-top in the first

place. Through the use of external references on

projects like this, they were able to objectively

decide if it was even a path worth pursuing. And

once that had been determined, and coupled

with in-house research once the product hit the

testing phase, the Zoom Kobe IV was able to be

fine-tuned until it arrived at its final stage. “For

all intents and purposes, I’m Nike’s worst critic,”

says Nurse. It is refreshing to know what with

researchers like him involved, the idea of a low-

top hoops shoe – one that is every bit as safe as a

hi-top – can become a reality.

t h e l o w t o p

The use of the Y-shaped, segmented heel allows for better ankle alignment upon impact.


flywire istorically, the term “innovation” has been thrown around the sneaker

landscape in an almost reckless fashion. As brands struggle to come up with new

silhouettes and models for each upcoming season, this word is often used to profess

a new industry-shifting technology or improvement made in sneakers. Sometimes,

that just might be true, but it seems that more often than not, innovation around

the industry is filled with catchy terms and phrases that, as of late, haven’t been

living up to their billing. At Nike, there’s a sector of the expansive U.S.-based World

Heaquarters that tends to do things a bit differently when it comes to more honest

innovation, and Jay Meschter would know all about that. After all, he’s the Innovation

Director of Nike’s Innovation Kitchen. A 12-year veteran at Nike, Meschter

previously worked at Apple, designing their computers with the same crew that is

now universally renowned for creating the iPod and other product designs. After

spending several years at Nike designing eyewear and equipment, the chance to

move into the Kitchen was presented to him, and he immediately knew it would

be the best place for his talents, as the new workspace inspired by Nike legend

Bill Bowerman’s passion for creativity and problem solving provided the long-term

product timeline that would help give birth to the innovations of the future.

Words by Nick DePaulaPhotography by Steve Mullholand

The paTh To lIghTweIghT ConTaInmenT

f l y w i r e


The very first pin model that Jay Meschter built over seven years ago. This simple model would spark all of the inspiration for what we now know to be Flywire.

The innovation that Nike is currently most proud

of is Flywire technology, but it surely wasn’t

something that developed over night. It was a

long and arduous process that began well over

seven years ago, with Meschter alone in his office,

tinkering with new ways to cradle the foot and

help reduce weight in footwear. The very first

insight he had in the development of Flywire

can be seen in what is referred to as the “pin

model,” upon which he placed strands of string

strategically over a foot last. The initial goal was

quite simple: How can you minimize the weight

of a shoe without sacrificing the support and

stability necessary for high-performance sports?

Before he could even get to the point of evolving

that first model of the last and start crafting

and beginning to create what would eventually

become Flywire, Meschter had to begin to

break down the way footwear construction has

always been definitively perceived to be. “Just

think of any Nike shoe that has a lot of overlays,”

he explains. “Think of a running shoe, all of the

overlays you’ve got. The whole methodology of

footwear construction the past couple hundred

years, dating back to, god knows, Romans, has

been ‘I take a roll of material and I cut out a piece,

drape that over the last, and if I need strength,

what do you do? You put another piece over

the top of that.’ It’s the layer construction.” The

use of layers in building footwear has certainly

been a mainstay across all brands, categories

and performance needs within the industry,

but Meschter hoped to look beyond the more

traditional and perhaps archaic methods of

construction and tackle the core principles of

athletic needs: support and light weight.

As he began to look deeper into the history of

footwear in hopes of fundamentally changing the

way our shoes are constructed, he immediately

noticed a time in which reversing the traditional

layer construction didn’t work. It was during the

1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and it seemed

all anyone could talk about was American sprinter

Michael Johnson’s gold shoes, which were not

only a bright metallic gold, but also a single layer

upper and one of the lightest shoes Johnson had

ever worn. He would go on to win the 200-meter

and 400-meter individual sprints – he was quite

a fast man! – but, at the same time, Meschter

realized that in reducing the amount of layers on

that shoe, Nike also compromised the support of

the shoe. “In that model, to make it lighter, you

take off all of those overlays, and then pretty

soon you don’t have a shoe that’s very strong,”

he says. “So, what we were fundamentally trying

to do was change that idea or formula of making

footwear.”

fibers I wanted, and I would align them,” explains

Meschter. “That’s the whole premise behind this,

and this fundamentally changes the thinking of

how you’re going to build shoes, because you’re

not going to do it in overlays. And that is where

the magic is—in just that perfect alignment, that

sort of mechanized alignment of fiber, because

it is so purposeful. You know exactly where it is

going.”

In Flywire, it’s important for the panel to be

protective, firm and supportive against lateral

cuts, but be as light and flexible as possible so

the shoe’s transition and comfort can still be

maximized. An easy analogy for Meschter can

be found in everyone’s favorite childhood toy:

the Slinky. The toy can flex freely and still remain

incredibly firm and strong if you place pressure

on its coils from inside. “The Slinky is incredibly

flexible in that direction between each one of

those cells, but if I’m inside that, it’s completely

belted,” he explains. “So the dichotomy that

you’re playing with within this product is that

any time I have wire and [it flexes inward], it

still moves that way. When I cross it over itself,

when I do a double cross, I’ve locked it 100%. So,

we’re very strategic about where we over-cross

and where we don’t.”

As he figured out the research behind how a

shoe’s support could be provided by just this

type of a series of strands, he then began the

process of sorting through his ideas and trying to

figure out a way that such a shoe could actually

be created. Just as he was starting to progress

towards finding a solution to create a sample of

what he had in mind by using stitch patterns, he

stumbled across serious production struggles

and limitations. “When we did the pin model,

we actually went out to see guys in Schenectady,

New York, who were doing helicopter rotors,”

reflects Meschter. “[They used] an amazing 3D

winding machine, but, you know, it’s going to be

a $50,000 shoe. [laughs] So, we shelved it.” The

next few years became a dark period for Flywire,

as no progress was being made and constructing

the shoe with a 3-dimensional armature would

be excessively costly, even if it was the only way

the shoe could be made. “And then it wasn’t

until about three or four years after that initial

model that we stumbled on the embroidery

machine,” says Meschter. “It was like we could

do this flat and pretty much get the same

result.” The embroidery machine found in a Nike

development factory became the technology’s

saving grace, and it eventually was used to create

the strands of Flywire by stitching them as a flat

panel that could be molded to the contours of

the human foot and constructed into the upper

of a shoe.

The first embroidery machine that they worked

with wasn’t particularly special or different

from the other machines they used for stitching

purposes, but it was actually a glitch on the

machine that eventually worked in the favor

of Flywire. At the factory level, normally an

embroidery machine is only capable of shorter

and more concise stitches, but in order for

Flywire to work, the stitches had to be long

strands across the shoe’s upper in order to retain

strength. “I often get asked, ‘Why?’ and if you

go to stretch a strand, it’s got a lot of elasticity

to it, simply because I’m taking the thread and

I’m going up and down the material and you just

made a nice spring. When I go point to point, the

fiber has integrity,” Meschter points out. “So

it was very critical for us to do that, and the

machine was not designed to do the job. The

machine had a limit of 12 millimeters, and then it

cuts off. And so we literally went in and adjusted

the settings and kind of fooled the machine

into thinking it could do longer. Some of these

[strands] are super long, and for one giant stitch

we’re looking at around 300 millimeters.” The

ability of the machine to be able to stitch the

difference in the length of the strands simply

became a make or break decision in order for

Flywire to become a reality. “The machine wasn’t

designed for it, but it does a really good job of

pulling this off,” beams Meschter. “And then we

discovered that pretty much every embroidery

machine in Asia can be tuned to do the same

thing. We just had to undo this stop that was on

there, and we were able to do it.”

Once Meschter and the team of developers

he was working with were able to solve the

embroidery machine problems they faced, the

last step in perfecting Flywire and making it

ready for production rested on finding the right

fabric for the strands and also refining their

alignment. “It becomes critical that you can

place [the strands] accurately, because now

what we’re doing is much more making tendons

and muscles on the outside of your foot than

With what they learned from the ’96 Olympics in

mind, Meschter then was faced with the struggle

of not only sorting through such a concept, but

also then determining how that way of thinking

and change in construction would manifest itself

in a shoe. “A lot of times you do that, where

you try something and you know conceptually

where you want to go, but you don’t know how

you’re going to make it,” he admits. Just after

working with the pin model, he began to realize

that in order for a shoe to incorporate minimal

layering along the upper, it would have to feature

a harness for the foot and a way in which the

shoe could cradle the foot and support it during

an athlete’s harsh lateral movements or bursts of

speed in running. He continued down the path

of tinkering with potential alignments of string,

and he also realized that it would take a series of

tensile strands that could wrap over the foot in

order to provide enough support. The support,

he would find, became a result of the precise

alignment of the strands of fibers, which are

similar to the way in which a bridge’s cables are

suspended vertically to maximize the strength

and tension. By eliminating the overuse of layers

and relying on the strength of a series of fibers,

the area in between the fibers could be cut out

to help reduce the shoe’s overall weight. “If I

was really smart about it, I would just take the

f l y w i r e


This model shows Flywire progressing into the more technical and calculated alignments that we see today, as the heel features a crossing of strands for maximum lockdown.

we are strapping material around,” Meschter

says. They also decided to make the material a

package composition, meaning there is a laminate

structure that houses the strands, and there is

also a top and bottom pattern of stitches. “For

every line you see, there is a perfect parallel

behind it,” he says. As the team began to get

more comfortable with where the alignment of

the strands were placed, they still had to come to

a decision on which fiber material they would be

incorporating, and there were several.

The very first runable prototype that the

Innovation Kitchen created featured strands of

Kevlar, a composite known for its high strength

properties that can often be found in bullet-proof

vests. “That shoe is one of the strongest things

you can imagine because it is made out of Kevlar,”

says Meschter. But, as the team began conducting

an extensive series of tests, they found that the

Kevlar strands were quite vulnerable to heat

as well as compromised strength when flexed,

forcing Meschter to look to other fabrics that

were more durable under conditions footwear

faces. “Kevlar has street appeal. Everyone knows

bullet-proof vests, but it also doesn’t flex very

well over time,” he explains. “Vectran proved

to be a much better fiber, albeit it doesn’t have

that street credibility.” And so, the team went

with Vectran – a fiber that boasts absolutely

zero strength loss when flexed, as compared to

Kevlar, which can lose up to 25 percent of its

strength. Obviously in high-performance athletic

footwear, a shoe can be placed under an array

of stresses and flexing, and a fiber’s response to

those pressures is quite crucial. “In the end, the

funny thing was after all these exotic fibers, the

Vectran turned out to be great. Vectran is great

when I’m squeezing that last second of someone

racing around the track,” says Meschter. “When

you’re getting that last second out of the guy on

the track, there’s a slight difference.”

As it appeared the team of Innovation experts

from Nike’s Innovation Kitchen were getting

closer to their goal of making the shoes ready

for production, they faced quite a few struggles,

such as convincing all of their elite athletes that

this new minimal construction method could

harness their forces during their most important

competitions. While Flywire may have made

its official debut at the 2008 Beijing Summer

Olympics, Meschter began having athletes wear

Flywire-based shoes in competition over a year

prior in order for them to become comfortable

with the new approach. “You can’t just show up

on game day at the Olympics and hand this guy

the shoe and say, ‘Go race in this,’” he laughs. “If

you look at the World Championships closely and

you look at their shoes, they’re all white, and they

are all Flywire shoes, but they’re all undercover

because they’re all white-on-white, because

we wanted these guys to get comfortable in

these beforehand.” Running was certainly the

first sport Meschter had in mind when he began

refining the properties of Flywire, but as he says,

“it doesn’t take long to connect the dots and say,

‘Let’s get the weight out of basketball, too.’”

While running may be a linear sport and

basketball can place some of the harshest lateral

demands upon a shoe, there was never a doubt

in Meschter’s mind that Flywire could work in

hoops. “I would say within the first year that

we were doing track spikes, we said this would

make an unbelievable basketball shoe. And

basketball was kind of intrigued,” he reflects. He

approached the basketball group about the idea

of incorporating Flywire into their division, and

immediately there seemed to be some disbelief

that such a minimal construction could support

the frames of the sport’s largest athletes. “They

were saying, ‘You know our shoes are pretty

lightweight,’” says Meschter. “I’d say, ‘Well how

light can you go?’ Then they’d say, ‘Well, our guys

are pretty big, you’re not going to be able to hold

them in that string.’”

So, in order to convince the basketball division

that Flywire could indeed support even the

largest of frames, Meschter had a sample made

that featured extensive allowances of support

strands. While running shoes feature Vectran

as their support fiber, basketball shoes that

include Flywire actually contain strands of high-

tenacity nylon, which provide a bit more give to

hug the contours of your foot more closely, and

can also be colored for some cosmetic effect.

Under several high-speed cameras, the sample

Flywire upper that sits atop an Air Jordan XI

tooling proved to not only keep the foot locked

in perfectly over the footbed, but it actually

outperformed previous Nike Basketball shoes

end of the day, I have yet to find a category

where lightweight, responsive, close fitting

to the foot doesn’t matter. We found a better

mousetrap.”

While this past summer’s Olympic Games surely

represented the pinnacle of Flywire’s visibility up

to this point with the extensive media coverage

given to the Games, Meschter won’t ever lose

sight of the fact that it took a seven-year journey

of trial and error, a bit of luck, and relentless

persistence to finally bring the new technology

to the market. “I work in the Kitchen, and the

Kitchen is a pure innovation investment,” says

Meschter. “I like to think that you put money in,

and you’re going to get some results out, and I

think we have a talented crew working in here. I

know for a fact that we would not have done this

if I were sitting, for instance, in the day-to-day

business category, because it took us seven years

and three years of solid work to make it work.

You need to have the breathing room to do that.

That’s why I think we [can create something

like Flywire] first. We invest in it.” While most

products at Nike and other brands go through

a 14-month timeline and a series of checkpoints

along the way in the normal business categories,

it’s that extra breathing room and open-ended

space to try new concepts and new approaches

to design that make the Innovation Kitchen so

successful. “Believe me, there’s many months

where we were just hitting the wall,” sighs

Meschter. “That’s just part of the deal, and you’re

like, ‘OK, this is a waste of time,’ and then there’s

just that one day, the right glue and the right

string and the right humidity of the afternoon,

and it worked. But you’re not going to get that

unless you have that opportunity to try it. There

aren’t many companies out there that understand

that, and that’s the convenience of having a

designer [in Mark Parker] for a CEO. He gets it.”

f l y w i r e

Of course, having the alpha player in Kobe

Bryant to lead the Hyperdunk on-court didn’t

hurt either, as each time down the hardwood,

Bryant would validate the shoe’s containment

claims with his slashing moves and hard cuts to

the basket. “He’s a great guy because he gets it,”

explains Meschter. “He’s articulate, he knows

what he’s talking about, he knows what he’s

asking for, and he’s pushing the line. There’re a lot

of guys that come in [and say], ‘Well, I kind of like

what you’ve got.’ He’ll come in and say, ‘I want

something that does more of this,’ … Because

he’s so athletic, he can do it, too.” In order for

the Innovation Kitchen’s products to become a

success, having an athlete like Kobe Bryant to

draw feedback from and work with in crafting the

next evolution of footwear only further helps the

design and development process. “That’s a dream

client, it really is, because he’s pushing us as much

as we’re pushing what he can do,” Meschter says.

“That’s when you make leaps, for sure that’s when

you make leaps … He’s going to take the rest of

the industry with him.” As Flywire has already

received a tremendous amount of adoration in

both running and basketball, you’ll continue to

see its use expand across all categories within

Nike. The technology will reach across a variety

of sports, because as Meschter sees it, “At the

like the Huarache 2K5. “Just naturally, basketball

is focused on making the right shoe for basketball

players and not some gimmick,” admits Meschter.

“We were like, ‘We’ve got to prove to you that

you can make a decent shoe out of this first of

all.’ I would say once they realized and accepted

the [nylon] is strong enough to do that, then it’s,

‘Geez, this could really make something different.’”

From there, the Innovation team continued to

develop Flywire for use in basketball shoes, and

the Nike Hyperdunk would be the first shoe

to showcase the new technology, designed by

two of the Innovation Kitchen’s finest designers:

Eric Avar and Tom Leudecke. The Hyperdunk

was not only a great accomplishment in

providing a lightweight package that performed

outstandingly, but it also came in a modern and

refined presentation. “From that standpoint,

you always think internally, too, about how the

consumer is going to react,” says Meschter. “So

I think there is a lot of balancing in that original

Hyperdunk about how do you get something that

is consumer recognizable and yet introduces a

new idea that doesn’t make them uncomfortable.

I think Eric and Tom did an excellent job on

that first one, stringing that fine line between

consumer acceptance and a new idea.”


When Flywire was almost ready for production, its strands were stitched onto a flat sheet in order to get more precise and taught stitches within the structure.

This was the very first Flywire basketball shoe, with an upper featuring huge allowances of Flywire all atop the iconic Air Jordan XI tooling. It was created to prove that Flywire could support the movements of basketball players.

s n e a k e r p h i l e


Words by Nick DePaulaPhotography by Steve Mullholand

and Zac Dubasik

zoom Kobe ivTaKIng you To darIng new heIghTs



hen Kobe Bryant and Eric Avar meet

several times throughout the year to discuss

the next stage and the next evolution of

Kobe’s performance footwear, it’s unlike the

required meetings that most other athletes and

designers must sit through. These guys are on

the same wavelength, with a similar approach

to performance at all costs and a similar goal

of trying new things, and not just for the

sake of being different, but because there’s a

performance insight that backs where they’re

headed. Avar, a Senior Footwear Designer in

Nike’s secretive Innovation Kitchen, always

looks forward to discussions with Bryant, as

the two bounce ideas back and forth, and they

have developed a progressive vision for different

performance attributes that might help Kobe’s

game. “I personally always like to just get

some time for some honest design time,” he

says. “There’s a time and place for marketing

and strategies and things like that, but I like to

get some time to talk about design.” Since the

first time they met in 2003, just as Bryant signed

with Nike, they “clicked right away,” according

Earlier samples show the evolution of the collar height as the low-top cut was refined and perfected.

The original outsole design had a more stylized look to the splatter-like design. Keeping with the performance-first ethos of the shoe, it was eventually changed to a herringbone pattern for maximum traction.Kobe’s #24 on the heel of this sample made its way to the final desgn.

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continuation and a logical progression here, not

only for him, but for us and anyone that plays

basketball.” Most notably, Bryant has been a

huge fan of the pronounced outrigger that offers

up great lateral stability and support, as well

as Zoom Air for responsive cushioning and a

Carbon Fiber midfoot shank for a “springier” feel,

as Kobe describes it. Once Avar and Luedecke

gathered up all of the information to be had, it

was time to build the Zoom Kobe IV.

uPPer: Understandably, the first thing you’ll notice

on the Zoom Kobe IV is its purposefully lower

height. For some, playing in a low-top is almost a

taboo concept, as for years it has been ingrained

in every baller’s mind that a higher cut equals

more ankle support. “Not so,” say Kobe Bryant,

Eric Avar, Tom Luedecke and countless others at

Nike. With a focus placed on heel lockdown and

an ergonomic fit within the shoe that slopes to

the contours of the human foot, the Zoom

Kobe IV aims to offer not only comparable

support to shoes of a higher cut,

but actually greater stability and

control of Kobe’s next step.

“We did look back at the

2K4’s external

counter

and think that really, if we can get the heel to lock

in really well, that does a lot of work for us, and

then once we get the midfoot more locked down,

then you really can begin to bring the silhouette

down,” explains Luedecke. “You can’t just take

any other shoe and just drop it lower, you have to

do the homework of the internals and how close

to both, as they were instantly on the same page

about their goals for lightweight, supportive

and responsive footwear. Bryant’s latest shoe,

the Zoom Kobe IV, is once again an extension

of that mentality that the two share, and it was

born from a singular request made by Kobe.

“He always comes with a deep, insightful and

almost philosophical point of view of inspiration,”

says Avar, “whether it’s an inspiration on the

metaphor side or also on the performance side.

This one, in particular, was on the performance

side, and he said, ‘I want the lowest, lightest

weight basketball shoe.’ I asked him, ‘You mean,

like a ¾ height?’ ‘Low-top,’ he says. ‘Soccer,

Mercurial-type low?’ He just looks at me and

says, ‘Yes!’”

After their meeting, Avar and his fellow

Innovation Kitchen designer Tom Luedecke set

out to build a shoe that not only was rooted

in achieving a lower height and lighter weight

without compromising support, but it was also

backed by years of findings by Nike’s Sports

Research Lab that showed playing in low-tops

posed no greater risk of injury as compared to

playing in a higher cut shoe. “He’s coming at

this from a performance standpoint, and he just

believes that, ‘I don’t need all this crap around

my ankle.’ He thinks it’s going to help his game

with his quickness, his speed and his agility,” Avar

explains. “All of which we’ve thought from the

Nike Sports Research Lab for years, but there’s

definitely this perception that ankle support

has to come in a high top or a ¾ height.” While

the Zoom Kobe line has become known for its

industry-pushing performance in all three of its

iterations up to this point, never before has one

of Bryant’s signature shoes featured anything

close to a low cut. “I asked him two or three

times, ‘You’re sure you want a low?’ And right

away, he says, ‘Yeah. I don’t need all this stuff

around my ankle, and in fact, I want to prove to

athletes and consumers that you don’t need all

this stuff.’” Avar explains that according to Kobe,

“People might question, like, ‘Can you play in a

low?’ and I’ll go drop 50 and say, ‘Yeah, you can

play in a low-top.’”

As Bryant became set on the direction of his

next shoe’s design and silhouette, Luedecke and

Avar attacked just how they would position the

height and stance, hoping to offer more range

of motion for Kobe during play. “When Eric first

came back and said, ‘Hey, he wants a low, like

a soccer-type low,’ I said, ‘Great, lets build him

one,’” says Luedecke. “So, we built a III bottom

with literally a Ronaldinho upper, just to say, ‘Hey,

are we on the right track with this, and is this

what we’re talking about?’” After wearing the

one-of-one prototype during his own private

workouts – which means nothing short of a

game-speed session of countless jumpers, driving

moves and agility drills – Kobe could already tell

the difference in fit and feel along the upper, and

he felt no less stable or secure than when he

was in his mid-top predecessors. “We really just

wanted to illustrate the point, but it was also a

gut check, like, ‘Is this what you’re really saying?’”

says Luedecke. “So it was for him to wear around

and shoot around in and get used to so that we

knew we were on the right track.” Once they

heard all of Kobe’s glowing feedback towards

the proposed lowered height, it was now up to

Avar and Luedecke to begin the design process

of crafting his next signature shoe, and no matter

the inspiration, faced quite a difficult challenge

since his two previous shoes, the Zoom Kobe III

and the Hyperdunk, were easily some of the best

performing sneakers of this decade.

As they do every year, the designers sat down

and itemized the design cues that Kobe really

liked from his previous shoes, and they also

noted things to improve upon. “Kobe wore

the III and the Hyperdunk all in one year, and

there’s definitely some learnings that he had from

those shoes,” says Luedecke. “We have a lot

of learnings from those shoes, and we decided,

let’s take a best case scenario of the shoes and

take the best parts from each of them. There’s a

you can get to the foot. The stability doesn’t only

come from the bottom, the stability comes from

the upper and it’s a systematic approach. We

started that on the Hyperdunk and we definitely

want to exemplify that on the IV.”

While the upper may take on a more simplistic

Early sketches of the Zoom Kobe IV.



look than the Zoom Kobe III from a year ago, the

design stems from Kobe’s performance needs,

as the shoe’s overlays and components are all

geared towards providing fit and support. Along

the heel, a TPU external counter provides the

lockdown necessary for such a height to even

be possible, and at the same time, the non-

traditional construction of the shoe’s heel helps

to eliminate weight. “It doesn’t have an internal

counter; it’s literally just the external counter and

the foam and that’s it,” says Luedecke. “That’s

how we’re able to get to this light of a shoe, by

taking some of the thicker and heavier material

that we use on the internal heel counter out of

the shoe and making the heel more beautiful.”

Just above the heel is the shoe’s foam-backed

collar, which has been given the task of providing

fit and comfort right against the wearer’s malleoli.

“For me, the personal biggest quest on this whole

thing is the thing that you can’t see at all – the

internal heel foam,” admits Luedecke. “The collar

foam literally took close to the entire time of the

process of making this shoe to get this right.”

The heel contains quite a bit of the science of

the shoe, where Luedecke and Avar carefully

studied every last millimeter of padding in order

to make sure the collar provided the perfect

balance of comfort and sharp fit, and the rest

of the Zoom Kobe IV features targeted support

and fit as well. The forefoot incorporates a

molded toe cap made of synthetic leather, patent

leather or a faux reptile skin, depending on the

colorway, and the midfoot is blessed with Nike’s

Flywire Technology, which does a tremendous

job of reducing weight as compared to more

traditional materials while at the same time

providing greater support. “The external heel

counter, the molded internal collar and the

Flywire upper – if you get those three elements

right then you’ll have a very secure and stable

upper,” says Luedecke. The Kobe IV may seem to

be less than complicated at the surface, but that’s

just how Avar wants it to appear, with all of the

thoughtful design cues and innovations remaining

subtle and purposeful. “That’s the mark of good

design. Something ultimately seems so simple,

and it’s like, ‘Oh man, why the hell didn’t I think

of that?’” he says. “But what’s behind that is

really a year straight of Jay Meschter working on

Flywire and thinking outside of the box to turn

it into a lightweight composite and a lightweight

structure.”

In terms of the details to be found on the

upper, there’s several firsts along the otherwise

conservatively designed sneaker. On the medial

side of each sneaker lies a series of perforations,

and each shoe has a varying pattern with a

different set of emphasized perforations. When

closely read, you’ll notice a “2” along the left

shoe and a “4” along the right shoe, tying in

to Bryant’s jersey number. At the heel of both

shoes, the aforementioned external heel counter

aims to add lockdown to the shoe, but along

the right shoe, you’ll also find Kobe’s signature

within the heel counter, flowing nicely along

the shape of the piece and conveying Bryant’s

signature stamp of approval. While other athletes

have been pretty vocal in having their logo the

same size, if not bigger, than Nike’s trademark

Swoosh, Bryant doesn’t so much mind when the

Swoosh plays a large role in his sneakers. “The

Swoosh has still been pretty dominant in his

product, and he’s respectful of that, and he likes

being part of the Nike family,” says Avar. “He also

likes the Sheath logo, so we always try and play

on that prominently.” Though the application or

treatment of his logo may have varied from shoe

to shoe, there’s definitely, as Luedecke says, “a

natural progression from shoe to shoe and a

consistent language of the placement of his logo

on the tongue.”

midsole:If there were one piece of the Zoom Kobe

IV that drafted most off of the previous shoes

that Bryant has worn, it would probably be

the midsole. It features similar attributes like

a pronounced outrigger, as well as a deeply

sculpted medial arch and a low stance for great

court feel. While the main difference between

the Hyperdunk and Kobe IV tooling

that Kobe noted was traction,

the two shoes share nearly the same cushioning

systems, as both feature Zoom Air and Lunar

Foam. At the heel is an 8mm Zoom Air unit for

great responsive cushioning, and at the forefoot

is an embedded 8mm Lunar Foam unit to help

reduce weight from previous shoes in the line

and still provide a spongy and soft cushioned ride.

The IV will be the first shoe in Kobe’s signature

line to incorporate Lunar Foam, which originally

debuted in the Hyperdunk. The cushioning

element was originally inspired by Avar and

fellow Innovation Kitchen Senior Designer

Kevin Hoffer’s quest for a lightweight cushion

that would feel similar to “running on pillows,”

according to Hoffer. During the time they spent

trying to find what would become the next

evolution of cushioning that Nike as a company

has become so famous for, the two decided to

look towards more practical resources. “We

looked at our cushioning systems, and we said

‘We really want to be light and mobile, but maybe

it’s not about some new major invention of a

mechanical cushioning system,’” says Hoffer.

“Maybe it’s almost ultra lightweight, springy foam.”

In order to find that balance between light

weight and responsiveness, the developers and

engineers within the Innovation Kitchen spent

the last few years fine-tuning the foam-based

unit, mixing traditional EVA with Nitrate rubber

for more bounce than standard foams like Phylon

or just EVA. “When you look at our foams or

anybody’s foams in the industry, there’s a few

metrics that just kind of all triangulate one

another,” says Hoffer. “One is weight, one is

responsiveness or just the amount of

The Zoom Kobe IV takes shape.



energy lost that the foam will take on, and then

there’s the softness of it.” In Lunar Foam, the

team within the Innovation Kitchen feels they

were able to find the right combination of those

three variables, without sacrificing any one

component in order to get to a lighter weight,

softer or more responsive feel. When Bryant

is dealing with Nike’s designers, he takes his

involvement seriously and takes an active interest

in the materials and cushioning elements that

make up his shoe, leaving the final measurements

and adjustments to Nike’s trained professionals.

“So much of it is just trust and building a

relationship and building trust,” says Avar. “As

detailed as Kobe is about things, I think he really

trusts us to take care of the millimeters of stuff.

He’ll stay with the bigger picture of things.”

outsole:While the upper and midsole incorporate proven

elements of several past Zoom Kobe shoes like

the toe cap support overlay and sculpted heel

counter, the IV’s outsole also relies on tried

and true essentials like its herringbone traction

pattern. The pattern features quite a burst-like

aesthetic, and for good reason, as Kobe once

again infused his inspiration into the shoe’s design.

“The Spiderman 3 Venom character is something

that Kobe talked about to us,” explains Luedecke.

“He got really hyped about this character and

it was the notion of having a second skin. It

captured the essence of what we wanted to

achieve in having a second skin and in getting

closer to the foot.” The contrasting colored

rubber graphic represents that Venom inspiration,

but it also serves to highlight the multi-directional

traction that can help Bryant as he stops and

turns at any moment of a game. “There is an

element of the radial herringbone pattern that

speaks to cutting and cutting motions in every

direction,” says Luedecke. “It’s not just your

regular herringbone fill from heel to toe, it’s

actually engineered because you’re cutting at

every single edge on that shoe, and all of those

things are considered in the traction approach.”

The rest of the outsole’s inspirations once again

come from performance needs and what has

previously worked in Kobe’s line, such as its

purposeful outrigger. “The outrigger is something


62 Zoom Kobe IV

that stays and players have said they like that,”

says Luedecke. “We’re always trying to push the

degree of outrigger, but it always seems to come

back to a zone that you see in the end product.

We’re confident this is where it needs to be, both

for durability and for stability.” As the outsole

may seemingly at first glance appear to be

simplified with its full herringbone design, indeed

there’s quite a bit of unassuming science in the

flex grooves found throughout the shoe that help

to provide added flexibility and transition. “This

is a more graphic play, but it really came from

the Free-based lines,” describes Luedecke. “The

heel has the Y-shaped crash pad and there’s also

the forefoot medial and lateral transitions.” When

compared to the Hyperdunk, the IV features a

similarly sized “credit-card” carbon fiber midfoot

shank, but coupled with a more radiused heel

and the Free-principled grooves that Luedecke

references earlier, the shoe provides Kobe with

the buttery smooth heel-to-toe transition he’s

come to love. “They have similar construction,

but there’s a little more flexibility in the forefoot

of the IV as compared to the Hyperdunk and

he picked up on that immediately,” Luedecke

says. With the upper focusing on fit along the

midfoot, collar and heel, there wasn’t as much

room to play with the look of the shoe as

each panel was intrinsically tied to

the performance needs of that

specific zone or area. But,

along the outsole the design

tandem of Avar and

Luedecke was able to

have a bit more fun with

the Venom inspiration

directly from Kobe. “As

a graphic element, it

also tied in well to

the art and the

background

Zoom Kobe IV 63

behind the shoe, and we were able to balance

the science and art of the shoe like we normally

try to do,” Luedecke says.

the imPortance of low:After a single request was made nearly two

years ago by Bryant to play in the lightest, lowest

possible sneaker, Nike has responded with an

industry-shifting signature shoe that’s rooted

in science and research and offers the support

and stability that Kobe needs to endure the

pounding he puts his body through after every

82-game season. “When you’re working directly

with the athlete, especially someone like Kobe,

it gives you all the justification you need and the

confidence you need to make a statement like

this,” says Avar. While some players have relied

on low-tops for most of their careers, no one

as prominent, versatile, quick and explosive as

Kobe Bryant has dared to push the boundaries

of height in the realm of signature footwear.

By doing so, Bryant is hoping that people will

become more in tune with the physics of the

game. He also expects players to be quite

surprised at the amount of support provided

by something as minimal and lightweight as the

Zoom Kobe IV. “It’s probably going to

take someone like Kobe to

get this message across,”

Avar says. “Not just

by wearing it, but

because of all the

team of designers, developers and researchers

were able to perfect all the millimeters and

durometers necessary, and they’re already

looking ahead far into the future with the focus

dead set on keeping Kobe’s signature footwear

at the apex of performance. “It’s going to start

with the IV, and certainly we’re going to carry on

with the V, VI, VII and so on,” says Avar. “It’s not

just light for light’s sake or minimal for minimal’s

sake, it’s highly engineered performance

product.” For Luedecke, the arrival to the Kobe

IV’s low-top height through years of research and

development is building up to be a transcendent

moment not only in his career, but perhaps

for all of footwear. “When we had it in Wear

Testing, people said, ‘I don’t know – I don’t know

if I can do this.’ They’re used to [a higher cut.]

They’d say, ‘Yeah I signed up for the test; OK I’ll

wear them. I’ll go 80 percent or 90 percent,’”

Luedecke recalls. “But then by halftime, they

would forget, and then after the game, they came

to us and would say, ‘Wow, my game changes.’

It’s those differences that get me up and I want

to get better than that. I’m already on to the VI

and the VII. I think that’s the things that keep me

going, and we’ve changed perceptions about how

people can play.”

thinking and all of the reasoning behind it. He’s

not just wearing it to make a statement, but he’s

thoughtful and calculated in why he wants to

wear it, and there’s no one better than Kobe to

make this statement.”

Just as Avar and Luedecke learned in building the

Hyperdunk, the advance product design timeline

that working in Nike’s Innovation Kitchen

offers is quite an advantage when creating high

performance product. They, along with their

or fans in the Unites States, and

especially those living in the Los Angeles area,

finding the latest Kobe kicks and memorabilia can

be as simple as a quick drive to the local sneaker

spot on release day. For Guo Yu, hitting an L.A.

sneaker spot would require considerably more

effort, not to mention quite a bit of money. This

significant obstacle has not stopped him this far,

though, and won’t be stopping him any time soon.

While he may live in Beijing, China, his dedication

to collecting the greatest Kobe memorabilia

would put many local Kobe collectors to shame.

Yu’s interest in Kobe began when Phil Jackson

took over coaching duties for the Los Angeles

Lakers in 1999. Jackson had become a legend

while coaching Michael Jordan with the Chicago

Bulls, and his arrival in L.A. was seen as the

final piece to the Championship puzzle when

combined with Kobe and Shaquille O’Neal. It

was Kobe, though, that immediately caught Yu’s

attention. His attitude towards achieving victory

and his drive to get there were obvious to Yu. “It

is his strength and tenacity that fascinates me so

much,” he says.

c o l l e c t o r

Once Kobe signed to Nike Basketball, Yu began

to take special note of his kicks. He quickly

became a fan and chose the Zoom Flight 2K3,

with Kobe’s No. 8 on the heel, as the first piece

of his collection. It is an exceptionally rare piece,

and one that Kobe never actually even wore.

From that single pair of shoes, he has gone on

to amass roughly 100 pieces of memorabilia,

including many more pairs of shoes, as well as

clothing, basketballs and even bobble heads.

His favorite model in the Kobe line thus far has

been the Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 – specifically

the laser versions. “On first sight, from both

perspectives of visual effect and athletic

performance, I felt they’re excellent,” Yu begins.

“Finally, I got a pair of black and yellow colorway,

which he had worn in a game before, and with his

autograph.”

As mentioned earlier, the logistics of obtaining

new pieces for his collection can be a challenge

at times. Simple geography puts him thousands

of miles from the center of Kobe’s world. “It’s

rather hard because I need to visit websites

in the States or around the world to find my

desired pieces,” he says. “But all these difficulties

can’t block my devotions and interests of new

products about him.” With many shoes still on

his list of wants, he has no plans on letting the

distance stop him now.

Yu doesn’t let the distance keep him from

watching Kobe’s games either. “I will try not to

miss a single one,” he says. He was especially

impressed with Kobe’s desire to play in last year’s

NBA All-Star Game and the Olympics, despite

having nagging injuries. No matter where he is,

Yu keeps his attention on the Lakers, knowing

Kobe will always be giving his best effort. While

he watched the Olympic Games on TV, he

was able to catch the warm-up game between

Team USA and Russia just prior to watching the

Olympics in person. “That was the first time I

went to a stadium and watched Kobe play live,”

Yu says. “That’s so cool.”

Kobe is having a massive impact on basketball in

China. The sport is growing rapidly, and Yu sees

Kobe playing a large part in the process. “Right

now, Kobe has a fan base as large as Yao Ming

guoor Yi Jianlian does, maybe even larger. I think so

many Chinese fans would be influenced by his

basketball skill and attitude towards this game.”

In 2007, Nike created a special exhibit of Kobe

memorabilia in their Nike 706 space in Beijing.

Nike borrowed many pieces of Yu’s amazing

collection to be part of this exhibit, which Kobe

himself visited on one of his trips to China. This

visit presented Yu an opportunity to finally meet

Kobe. Knowing the chance would come, Yu

“prepared a pair of lace buckles of platinum inlaid

with diamonds and shaped in Chinese ‘Ruyi.’

They were made by order by a friend in Hong

Kong. I gave them to Kobe in Nike 706 as a gift,

and I think they represented the best wishes

to him from us Chinese fans.” The most prized

piece of his collection also has a connection

to this meeting. Not only did Kobe receive a

gift, Yu received one from Kobe as well. “Kobe

presented me a Zoom Kobe II Team USA 2007

World Championship edition. He signed his name

on both shoes, and they became my favorite

piece of my collection.”

Not many basketball players can inspire fans

half-way around the world to do as much as

watch their games. Even fewer can inspire fans to

become passionate collectors, who seek out the

knowledge and rare pieces of memorabilia like

Yu has accumulated. And maybe only one player

can inspire an entire continent to take an interest

in a sport the way Kobe has. It’s no wonder that

Kobe has become that player for Guo Yu.

Words by Zac DubasikPhotos courtesy of Nike


66 Zoom Kobe IV

m e n t u

66 Zoom Kobe IV

Tr aInIng for greaTness

obe Bryant’s popularity in China has not only

increasingly risen over the past few years because

of his on-court performance for the Los Angeles

Lakers, but also because there is now an astounding

300 million people who play basketball in the nation,

making for quite a large fan base. Kobe’s passion

for the game, his well documented commitment to

training and preparation and his three championship

rings have all rightfully earned him a great deal of

respect throughout the Asia region, where more

and more people are paying close attention to

the NBA season. This past year, Nike and Kobe

Bryant teamed up to share Kobe’s penchant for

preparedness with China’s players as they launched

an intensive basketball training reality TV program on

CCTV called Kobe Mentu. After hundreds of players

from Shenyang, Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai

competed for a spot within the program, thirty of the

country’s most skilled and up and coming basketball

players were chosen to compete against each other

for a chance to come out on top as one of the nation’s

elite players.

As the top thirty players traveled to Beijing, they

competed in a series of drills and scrimmages while

living together in a team house. They were split into

groups and matched with American and Chinese

coaches and trainers, who were immediately

demanding of their attention and efforts. “They were

focus[ed] on fundamental skills, such as the shooting

drills and physical training,” says Kobe Mentu player

Chu Wen Ho. “The ways for physical training I think

[are] scientific. Local coaches are not very good at

these methods. There are many training methods

that we don’t have in China, for example, physical

training in a swimming pool. Also, they pay attention

to teamwork. If one player made a mistake, the

whole group would be ‘punished.’” The coaches

never let up, pushing the ballers to their limits while

stressing togetherness and sportsmanship. As the

program progressed, six players were cut, and

the top twenty-four Kobe Mentu players traveled

together to Los Angeles to train under the guidance

of Kobe Bryant himself. While the players were

brought together to LA to compete against each

other, as Bryant would select the final sixteen Kobe

Mentu players, they each played with a sense of

honor and individual poise throughout. “I didn’t think

too much about competition, because for me it’s

more significant to try my best,” says Kobe Mentu

player Zheng Hang San.

The program aimed to provide players with not only

a foundation of basketball skills and fundamentals

to help improve their game, but also a new outlook

on training and preparation to help improve their

conditioning and strength. “The message I wanted

to send is, ‘You can be better than what you even

thought you could be,” says Bryant. “So when you

think you are working hard, you can actually work

harder than that. You have to push yourself to that

point.” As the players took to the court, Kobe made

it immediately clear that each player would practice

with pride and not short change themselves. On one

particular instance, a few players cut corners

and didn’t touch the baseline while running a

suicide, pushing Kobe to call the group together

for a lesson on the importance of hard work and

completing every drill properly. He told them

that one day of hard work won’t make you an

NBA player, and that it takes focus and effort

every day to get better and realize your potential.

“I like his charisma and the spirit of never giving

up,” says Kobe Mentu player Cao Yan.

For Yan, the journey he faced after the Kobe

Mentu program proved to be as trying and

difficult as his time on the court, as the 16 year-

old was diagnosed with Spina Bifida, a condition

in which the spine doesn’t completely develop.

As a result, Cao Yan underwent a series of

medical visits as he withstood extreme pain

along the right side of his body. Though the Kobe Words by Nick DePaulaPhotos courtesy of Nike Mentu program had already ended, Kobe heard

about Yan’s condition and immediately reached

out to help. It was a time Cao will never forget

and is extremely grateful for. “The first time I

got the news it was in July, I will never forget it,”

says Yan. “At that time, I felt I was the luckiest

one in the world.” With Kobe’s help, Cao was

introduced to Dr. David Skaggs, a renowned

pediatric orthopedic spinal surgeon from Los

Angeles who agreed to meet with Yan and help

him with his condition. Rather than undergo

surgery, a procedure that may have limited his

ability to play basketball in the future, Dr. Skaggs

suggested fitting Cao with a brace that would

help to correct his condition and require as much

as six months of rest and rehabilitation. Most

importantly to Cao, the doctors fully believe that

Yan will be able to continue playing basketball

once he fully recovers.

The Kobe Mentu program was intended to

provide China’s top basketball players with the

opportunity to not only improve their games,

but to also learn more about themselves and the

training that a dominant player like Kobe Bryant

goes through every day. After the conclusion

of the program, the lessons of hard work and

teamwork truly stuck with each player, and they

all became friends and still keep in touch. “It’s not

an easy game, but the fact is that, we got along

really well and became good friends after the

program,” says Cao Yan. In learning about the

game of basketball firsthand from Kobe Bryant,

they also learned more about his character and

approach to the game. For Cao Yan, he was

able to learn about Kobe’s more giving side

after fighting through his medical scare. “I really

think he’s a good guy who loves to give others a

hand,” says Yan. “I like his devotion in games and

aggressive defense.”

Kobe

Zoom Kobe IV 67

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