Nike Zoom Kobe IV

About

The Nike Zoom Kobe IV is Kobe Bryant's fourth Nike signature basketball shoe, unveiled by Nike and Bryant on December 11, 2008, described in Nike's own announcement as its lightest basketball shoe ever at 11.6 ounces, with a new low-cut design. Bryant pushed for the low-top himself: designer Eric Avar recalled asking if he meant three-quarter height, and Bryant replied Low-top, Soccer, Mercurial-type low, Yes. Avar questioned the direction two or three times before Bryant, confident ankle support wasn't essential for him, held firm. Nike's Sports Research Lab validated the concept using high-speed video of Bryant's cutting movements. Avar and Tom Luedecke then built an early prototype on Kobe III tooling with a Ronaldinho-inspired soccer-boot-style upper, which private on-court workouts with Bryant confirmed worked. The finished shoe used Flywire, Zoom Air, and Lunar foam, and reached stores in China on January 1, 2009, then the U.S., Canada, and Europe in early February 2009. One launch colorway, nicknamed Carpe Diem, displayed Bryant's favorite Latin phrase on the tongue. Commentators later noted Nike's own Hyperdunk had influenced the low-top concept.