Nike Basketball has debuted their upcoming Christmas Collection for 2014.
The pack includes the usual big 3, featuring the Kobe 9 Elite, LeBron 12 & the KD 7. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Kyrie Irving’s 1st signature model is included in the bunch, but maybe we’ll see his shoes featured in next years collection.
For release information and stroytelling details for each pair, check out the press release below. Feel free to share your thoughts on the pack and let me know if you plan on grabbing any of them.
Personally, they’re all a little too much for me… but I tend to never like the Christmas Collection. Bah humbug.
Press Release:
Nike Basketball’s signature athletes Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James will celebrate Christmas on the court with festive kicks that tell unique holiday stories.
The Nike Basketball Christmas Collection features the triumvirate of signature kicks: Bryant’s KOBE 9, Durant’s KD 7 and James’s LEBRON 12.
KOBE 9 KNIT STOCKING
Designed to the specifications of Bryant’s fluid style of play, the KOBE 9 is the first basketball shoe to feature Nike Flyknit technology. The KOBE 9 gets a festive makeover highlighting its knitted aesthetic with a red and white Flyknit upper, taking inspiration from a knit stocking. Supple leather textures on the tongue and overlays give the shoe a premium feel, accented by a marbled outsole resembling candy canes. Inside, the shoe reads “Mamba’s Greetings,” a hidden detail from Bryant on the inner tongue.
KD 7 EGG NOG
Driven by a design philosophy to stay light and locked down during sharp cuts, the KD 7 features dynamic Flywire technology, Hyperposite construction and Zoom Air cushioning. The shoe continues to bring Durant’s personal stories to life – this time paying tribute to his favorite holiday beverage, egg nog. A red Hyperposite heel integrates glossy flecks emulating the condensation on a glass of egg nog. “Fresh Since ’88,” Durant’s birth year, emblazons the shoe’s sock liner as a tribute to the holiday beverage Durant has enjoyed since childhood.
LEBRON 12 AKRON BIRCH
The LEBRON 12 was developed to meet James’s performance needs based on research from the Nike Sport Research Lab. Nike Zoom Air technology is brought to a new level on this shoe. The emerald green base combines with the shoe’s photorealistic camouflage upper on the Hyperposite shell. The camo pattern is inspired by Akron, Ohio’s winter weather and includes a birch tree pattern. Black and Hyperpunch micro dots integrate into the camo pattern for a seasonal touch. A notable subtlety of this shoe is the snowflake formed by small hexagons on the tongue loop.
The 2014 Nike Basketball Christmas Collection is available globally Dec. 26th on nike.com and at select retail locations.
The Kobe IX’s might be my first, love the all red
Some of their “stories” are really getting stretched like the Kobe being inspired by a stocking….
Good point.
Lebron and birch trees? Kobe and stockings?
KD can keep his eggnog.
ahhahahhaha “Kd can keep his eggnog” lol
lmao!!!!
Why did KD play in 6s not 7s this season?
The KD 7 looks like something I can make on ID. This is the 2nd shoe made by Leo Chang KD ain’t rocking maybe it’s time to switch designers
He just got out of surgery, he needs shoes that are already broken in, that’s why he is probably wearing the 6s
Congrats to Nike!!!…..By farrrrrrrrrr the WORST Xmas pack since it all begin! Way2go! SMFH!
…actually a serious “Thank you” for not pissin my money away this year! Merry Xmas!
Why would Nike drop two red Kobe 9 Elites in the same month? The LeBron 12 straight up looks like the NSRL with an ugly Christmas Sweater on. The KD 7 is the most sensible one, but I’ll still pass. Christmas packs don’t always have to be Red & Green.
Hey I see your posts on a lot of shoes and you seem pretty knowledgable. My friend is headed to the employee store and they have the blackout 29s and a few kobe 9s for half off. Which one do you personally recommend? I can’t get both. My playing style is pretty aggressive. 6″1 185lbs.
The traction is a bit better in the Kobe 9 since you say you’re aggressive. I haven’t ripped mine, but I’ve seen others rip their woven upper on the XX9. At least with the Kobe 9 you have the inner lining fuse contributing to the durability better for someone who’s aggressive and likely generates more torque on their kicks.
You are very similar to Russell Westbrook’s size and he suits up in the XX9. I know you didn’t put them up as an option, but the XX8 is the best shoe I’ve ever hooped in. I feel like the impact protection is as follows: XX8>XX9>Kobe9 That matters if you’re a dunker and fly in for boards. Overall I’d recommend the Kobe 9 since you said you can’t get both and the XX8 wasn’t listed as an option.
have you had any issues with the 28 zoom bag popping? is the melo m10 essentially the same thing?
Unfortunately yes I have had a pair of XX8 SEs pop on me. I was able to go through a House of Hoops that looked out for me 4 months later with full store credit and I eventually replaced them with another XX8 SE because they’re that good.
I have the M10 as well and yes they’re essentially the same thing. Actually I just got another pair about a month ago for $84 bucks.
The Lebrons are ugly as hell. The KDs look like an OK Nikeid with nothing that really say Christmas, except the insoles, which you won’t be able to see. And the Kobes are the only good ones, but I’m not fond of the outsole because that available on like very model on Nikeid
I am surprised that no one mentioned this, but why they are doing a Christmas colorway on the Kobe 9 elite but not on the Kobe 9 em?
Then one would ask why not do it on the LeBron Soldier 8 and the KD 5 trey II as well? Best sig model gets the theme treatment.
some might have p.e.’s not going to be released.
But the Kobe em is a signature model, and the high top is an elite one. The Kobe 9 em is not the same as the Soldier 8 nor the Trey 5 II, the Kobe venomenon 4 is on the same group as the Soldier 8 and the Trey 5 II.
Agreed. I thought that the EM was still a sig.
It is, but I did specify “Best sig model”. Now if Nike just went with the EM model for the Christmas treatment, then people would complain about not having the Elite as the one selected. Kobe Elite this year is drastically different from last year’s EM to Elite comparison. I think that’s why they opted to go with the high.
i have a question, and like someone said, you seem knowledgable so what are the best nike basketball sneakers as of right now?
We have articles highlighting that along with a top performance picks page.