For some, Kobe Bryant’s early years in the NBA may be long forgotten but for sneakerheads, the sometimes wild and crazy designs that adidas and Kobe released back then will always be must-haves. While the latter part of Bryant’s playing career was spent wearing and developing some of the best basketball shoes the game has ever seen, Kobe’s early sneakers were game-changing in other ways. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, adidas executive Peter Moore tapped designer Eirik Lund Nielsen, who looked towards Kobe’s Audi TT for inspiration in designing the Mamba’s first true signature sneaker. If the name Peter Moore sounds familiar to you, it should. Moore also designed Michael Jordan’s first signature sneaker, the Air Jordan 1 back in 1985, and the iconic Jumpman logo that Jordan Brand globally recognized to this day.
While Kobe’s adidas signature line might not have been as successful as the Jordan line, there is no denying its impact. The adidas Kobe 1 “Sunshine” is now known as the adidas Crazy 1, but the bold and futuristic design cues remain. Although the Crazy 1 has seen plenty of court time, both with Kobe and with countless players who have laced up the retros since the model still looks more like something you’d see in a futuristic sci-fi film than on the basketball court. That in itself is what makes the adidas Kobe 1 a great shoe, it’s going to get people talking. Look for the adidas Crazy 1 “Sunshine” on the adidas Confirmed app on October 22nd.
