On Feb. 8, 2014, Nike will release their KOBE 9 Elite basketball shoe. According to Nike, the KOBE was designed with Nike Flyknit using the company’s “Nature Amplified” design ethos, an approach focused on designing for the body in motion and fueled by scientific data and athlete insights. You need these basketball shoes.
“We are just scratching the surface of the potential of Nike Flyknit to transform the way we design shoes to meet athletes’ needs,” said Mark Parker, President & CEO of NIKE, Inc. “The Kobe 9 redefines the basketball shoe by combining power, strength, and flexibility with lightweight materials and a whole new method of manufacturing.”
The KOBE 9 Elite features three key technologies: Nike Flyknit, Flywire and Lunarlon, giving the shoe superior lightweight performance. The design enhances the foot’s natural movements while providing the wearer with strength, durability and speed.
Nike Flyknit was first used in Nike Running shoes in 2012. It created a one-piece engineered upper made from single strands of yarns. Lightweight yet strong, it has redefined sports shoe technology and comes to basketball for the first time in the KOBE 9 Elite.
Other highlights of the shoe include nine red embroidered details on the heel, and a carbon fiber heel counter that provides strong and lightweight lateral stability when moving from side to side, while the heel remains stable.
Nike boasts that the KOBE 9 Elite upper reduces waste by nearly 50% compared to traditional high-top basketball shoes that use multiple segments and cuts of material in the construction process.
No pricing has been released for the KOBE 9 Elite basketball shoes by Nike, but expect they to cost a minimum of $200.
