OFFICIAL: NIKE ZOOM KOBE VII THREAD (ELITE $200!: CounterKicks.com)

[theprinceofde]

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

 

[haydenhouser]

Originally Posted by TheprinceofDE

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

Absolutely agree and glad you pointed this out.. I liked the all out snakeskin idea, but I think it could have been executed more effectively, just my opinion.
It's crazy that along with all the other comparisons and similarities between the two athletes, they also have their monickers that can be compared. Black Cat and Black Mamba.. As well as the Nike contracts to go with.

 

[haydenhouser]

Originally Posted by TheprinceofDE

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

Absolutely agree and glad you pointed this out.. I liked the all out snakeskin idea, but I think it could have been executed more effectively, just my opinion.
It's crazy that along with all the other comparisons and similarities between the two athletes, they also have their monickers that can be compared. Black Cat and Black Mamba.. As well as the Nike contracts to go with.

 

[never wear them]

in 5-10 years....

ppl are going to be eBayin' the 6s more than the ZK1,2,4,5....


the 3s are the only other Kobe that looks unique in a sense of being "different".


the others are nice, dont get me wrong.... but they're not "out there".

 

[never wear them]

in 5-10 years....

ppl are going to be eBayin' the 6s more than the ZK1,2,4,5....


the 3s are the only other Kobe that looks unique in a sense of being "different".


the others are nice, dont get me wrong.... but they're not "out there".

 

[SORIANOTRON]

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

Hell, people even bought these: 

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

 

[SORIANOTRON]

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

Hell, people even bought these: 

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

 

[adub beta]

ZKIII is really ugly IMO. definitely my least favorite kobes

 

[adub beta]

ZKIII is really ugly IMO. definitely my least favorite kobes

 

[never wear them]

I personally love the ZK3... > 1s & 4s.

&

@ thinking the Kobe line has been disappointing....

 

[never wear them]

I personally love the ZK3... > 1s & 4s.

&

@ thinking the Kobe line has been disappointing....

 

[ruxxx]

Leave the Kobe III alone!

 

[ruxxx]

Leave the Kobe III alone!

 

[carefreejr]

For me it goes: IV's, III's, V's

In my top 3 of the Kobe Line atleast. With the rest tied for 4th, including the VI. Hopefully the VII finds a way to crack my top 3

 

[carefreejr]

For me it goes: IV's, III's, V's

In my top 3 of the Kobe Line atleast. With the rest tied for 4th, including the VI. Hopefully the VII finds a way to crack my top 3

 

[rl_wayne]

Originally Posted by sorianotron

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

Hell, people even bought these: 

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

Wasn't common knowledge til the retros released? I don't know where you got that from, but every interview I've seen Tinker give on the XIIIs mentioned the cat/jaguar influence and I was around for the OGs. I also have no idea where you're from, but there were definitely people bugging about the upper on the XIIIs where I was, not necessarily sneakerheads but just regular people. Who knows, might just be regional, not saying you're wrong.

I get your point on there being a snake thing going for a while and similarities between each sig, but can't you say the same thing about the Jordan line too? Like the IVs have that bit of cement influence from the IIIs and a similar shape, the Vs having that netting on the upper like the IVs, and then the VIs and VIIs are pretty similar too. I agree that overall the Jordan line in terms of having unique designs and everything > Kobe line for me too, but you can't deny there are at least some similarities between Jordan sigs as well. Every sig still kind of evolves from the previous one to maintain that line's overall character/style. You can definitely walk in a store and tell pretty quickly what the Kobes are, or the Lebrons, etc etc because they usually have some similarity in style. There are definitely some sigs that take the line in a completely different direction, but some similarities exist for a reason.

I know where you're coming from though. Been waiting for them a little while to get some inspirations from something else (Samurai cuz of the shozoku, Kobe's lambo, etc etc) than the Black Mamba/snake thing, but I still think it's cool they completely maxed out the snake concept just for the VIs.  

 

[rl_wayne]

Originally Posted by sorianotron

Originally Posted by Wayne141

VIs are classic, and the snake theme was fine. Looking at the line as a whole, to me it's just cool they did a sig that maxed out that concept since it's his nickname. I mean the Jordan XIIIs were kind of the same thing for MJ's nickname the Black Cat. I remember when the XIIIs first dropped and some people were kind of weirded out by the "whisker holes" on the upper too. Not saying the VIs are on the same level as the XIIIs cuz XIIIs > VIs to me, but I can appreciate what each of those sigs do for the respective lines.

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

Hell, people even bought these: 

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

Wasn't common knowledge til the retros released? I don't know where you got that from, but every interview I've seen Tinker give on the XIIIs mentioned the cat/jaguar influence and I was around for the OGs. I also have no idea where you're from, but there were definitely people bugging about the upper on the XIIIs where I was, not necessarily sneakerheads but just regular people. Who knows, might just be regional, not saying you're wrong.

I get your point on there being a snake thing going for a while and similarities between each sig, but can't you say the same thing about the Jordan line too? Like the IVs have that bit of cement influence from the IIIs and a similar shape, the Vs having that netting on the upper like the IVs, and then the VIs and VIIs are pretty similar too. I agree that overall the Jordan line in terms of having unique designs and everything > Kobe line for me too, but you can't deny there are at least some similarities between Jordan sigs as well. Every sig still kind of evolves from the previous one to maintain that line's overall character/style. You can definitely walk in a store and tell pretty quickly what the Kobes are, or the Lebrons, etc etc because they usually have some similarity in style. There are definitely some sigs that take the line in a completely different direction, but some similarities exist for a reason.

I know where you're coming from though. Been waiting for them a little while to get some inspirations from something else (Samurai cuz of the shozoku, Kobe's lambo, etc etc) than the Black Mamba/snake thing, but I still think it's cool they completely maxed out the snake concept just for the VIs.  

 

[haydenhouser]

Originally Posted by never wear them

in 5-10 years....

ppl are going to be eBayin' the 6s more than the ZK1,2,4,5....


the 3s are the only other Kobe that looks unique in a sense of being "different".


the others are nice, dont get me wrong.... but they're not "out there".

I can see where you're coming from.. The VIs and IIIs are unique because they pop more than the other sigs...

Originally Posted by sorianotron

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

I don't think that it's putting the design team in a box. Every Kobe model has snakeskin accents, and I'd be disappointed if they took that away. Kobe really publicizes his monicker. He calls himself the Mamba, Nike's ad campaigns push the Mamba.. Michael wasn't that way with his nickname. He never called himself the Blackkk Cattt lol, and Nike never used that to advertise him.

I do agree that Kobe's sigs are not as diverse as MJ's were.. Kobe's line lacks there. I love what they do for performance and I love low cuts now, but I wish the Kobe I, II, IV, V stoooood out more. When I first saw the V I cringed at the like of originality. I thought, "wow they cut the top of a hyperdunk and put a Kobe logo on the tongue." Then I fell hard for the colorways, and the way the shoe performed for me. Haven't felt anything like that before. The III and VI are exceptions. I really think those two models grasped the sig idea. Every shoe is a piece of history. Especially to the guys that frequent these boards. The model for that year plays a role in the nostalgia we get about that player, and what they did that year. Every sig should be a masterpiece, unique in itself, with a marketing bundle that sets it apart, yet keeps with the player's underlining aura.

Originally Posted by Ruxxx

Leave the Kobe III alone!

The Kobe IIIs are tough. I love the concept. I just wish they were low tops!

though

 

[haydenhouser]

Originally Posted by never wear them

in 5-10 years....

ppl are going to be eBayin' the 6s more than the ZK1,2,4,5....


the 3s are the only other Kobe that looks unique in a sense of being "different".


the others are nice, dont get me wrong.... but they're not "out there".

I can see where you're coming from.. The VIs and IIIs are unique because they pop more than the other sigs...

Originally Posted by sorianotron

I cant agree

It wasn't really common knowledge these were even designed after a jaguar until the retros came out, and trust no one was really bugging about "whisker holes" in  97. And just to add to that, all AJ sig models had  DIFFERENT themes/inspiration. Kobe has had like 4 shoes now with a snake theme. What about 5 years from now, are they gonna still be incorporating snake elements? Thats placing your design team in a small box...As a designer I would HATE to design a shoe year after year following the same theme. As a consumer you end up paying premium price for a product that damn near looks like its predecessor 4 years in a row now.

Thats what made the AJ line iconic, each shoe has its own personality. Something that has lacked in Kobes sig line. Honestly I am an avid KOBE supporter but I'll be the first to tell you his sig line w/ Nike has been disappointing. So much more potential design wise. And of course they will sell regardless seeing as KOBE is recognized as one of the most identifiable brands in the world today.

But for a player of his caliber, his shoes are quite dull aesthetically.  (crazy gimmicky colorways do not count)

With that being said, aside from the snake texture on these VII's, I think these are the best looking model so far, mainly because of the midsole.

I don't think that it's putting the design team in a box. Every Kobe model has snakeskin accents, and I'd be disappointed if they took that away. Kobe really publicizes his monicker. He calls himself the Mamba, Nike's ad campaigns push the Mamba.. Michael wasn't that way with his nickname. He never called himself the Blackkk Cattt lol, and Nike never used that to advertise him.

I do agree that Kobe's sigs are not as diverse as MJ's were.. Kobe's line lacks there. I love what they do for performance and I love low cuts now, but I wish the Kobe I, II, IV, V stoooood out more. When I first saw the V I cringed at the like of originality. I thought, "wow they cut the top of a hyperdunk and put a Kobe logo on the tongue." Then I fell hard for the colorways, and the way the shoe performed for me. Haven't felt anything like that before. The III and VI are exceptions. I really think those two models grasped the sig idea. Every shoe is a piece of history. Especially to the guys that frequent these boards. The model for that year plays a role in the nostalgia we get about that player, and what they did that year. Every sig should be a masterpiece, unique in itself, with a marketing bundle that sets it apart, yet keeps with the player's underlining aura.

Originally Posted by Ruxxx

Leave the Kobe III alone!

The Kobe IIIs are tough. I love the concept. I just wish they were low tops!

though

 

[shoehd]

retro the III's already hahaha

 

[shoehd]

retro the III's already hahaha

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Double

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Double

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Kobe line disappointing?!? That's a joke... Every year the Kobe line is by far one of the best selling sneakers from Nike and as far as a player sig for basketball it is the best selling. I have no idea either how you can say that they are aesthetically dull, most people might complain, if at all, that they are too over the top, but w/e I guess we all have our opinions.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Kobe line disappointing?!? That's a joke... Every year the Kobe line is by far one of the best selling sneakers from Nike and as far as a player sig for basketball it is the best selling. I have no idea either how you can say that they are aesthetically dull, most people might complain, if at all, that they are too over the top, but w/e I guess we all have our opinions.