Take everything as a rumor until Nike either confirms or denies this information, but the source – @BALTsneakerShow – is usually spot on when posting information. So I have no reason not to believe this is true, but just for the sake of being cautious… treat it as a rumor. You also might want to follow @BALTsneakerShow on Twitter as well – dude always has some awesome information. While we typically don’t post his tweets, this is about a performance shoe so I figured it’d make for a good topic of discussion.
As for the rumor, it’s being said that Tinker Hatfield will be the lead designer on Kobe’s 11th signature model. It was also stated that this would be Kobe’s last signature per his request. No word on whether or not his team line would continue, but I find it interesting that Kobe would potentially want to contain his footwear legacy versus continue it without his on-court presence. Not interesting in a bad way… I think it’s cool that Kobe wants to solidify his career completely. Air Jordan’s post MJ’s retirement – doesn’t matter which retirement – haven’t had the best sales records even though they continue to be great hoop shoes. Maybe we can expect to see Kobe Retro models instead. That would be more than welcomed as I’d love to play in the Kobe 1-3.
Check out the tweets below, and share your thoughts on the potential of it being true. Would you like to see Tinker create the next – and possibly last – Kobe signature sneaker? And how do you feel if the Kobe 11 is in fact Kobe’s last signature model to release? Maybe the shoe will be the best selling Kobe since the 9 because of it… who knows.
Tinker Hatfield is designing Kobe 11. GAME OVER.
— Dino Hatfield (@BALTsneakerShow) August 21, 2015
Supposedly Kobe’s last sneaker. Per his request.
— Dino Hatfield (@BALTsneakerShow) August 21, 2015
Would have been nice for Eric Avar to design the last shoe. Even Tinker said the Kobe 9 was something he wished he thought of.
I’m sure Avar will be part of the design team. Mark Smith is heavy into the XX8 & XX9 with Tinker being one of the designers on board.
Good point, would have been nice to see Kobe wear these at the beginning of the season, but maybe Rio will give him some more time to showcase them
Interesting….
Wow. I’m sure Eric Avar is going to be working collaboratively with Tinker on this if it really is the last Kobe shoe. I’m sad and excited for this
11 is the most famous J’s ever released so I think that they’re making this one really count + this needs to be special if its the last that’s kinda automatic
Kobe’s is playing another 3 years
Silly but im hoping Kobe 11 is a high cut shoe, Low cut just never works for me in Basketball,
And Kobe hasn’t gotten that 6th ring yet, it feels he will stay a few more years.
Nike needs Kobe’s last shoe to be a grand slam, especially after the X. I am really hoping Nike goes all out with this one, and I believe they will especially if tinker designs it.
I can garuntee they will go all out with the price.
Haha that’s for sure, at least a 200 retail price.
Midcut like the early Kobe’s + Flyweave + Glue-like traction + Unlocked Zoom Air up front and Lunarlon at the heel = best Kobe shoe ever… Oh sorry I was thinking out loud!
Tinker? No thanks
Just see what his recent creation..
let arvar do his things
Low cut,woven, Lunar
They should weartest the shoe like crazy so the reviews would be awesome.
I’m fairly confident that the shoe is already in the production process? Pricing/colorway info have already made it to retail shops.
I like this rumor. I’m still holding out on the Kobe X until I find the right colorway for in the Elite Low form. I know a lot of people held out for the right colorway on the XX8 and slept altogether. Now as money hungry Kobe is, I wonder why he requested the (Nike)Kobe 11 to be his last?
I read in between the lines, and what I see is that both Nike and Kobe Bryant realize that his shoes are not doing as well as they both hoped in the United States, and they are trying to recreate that magic that Nike had under Hatfield and Jordan. You will never hear of a company giving in on a players request to discontinue a line, especially if that line is making that company money. Kobe has never had a cool factor in the US outside of Laker fans, so with Tinker Hatfield on board, it gives Kobe some assistance at least among sneakerheads who may not care about who he thinks he is.
I wouldn’t say that is entirely true because I know for sure the Kobe 8 & 9 were damn near impossible to keep on the shelves unless it was a really wack colorway. The Kobe 10 is lukewarm to a lot of people.
You know for sure?
Perhaps in your area that may be the case, but here in NYC, Kobe’s shoes are not big sellers at all. That includes the whole tri state area. NY/CT/NJ
That’s interesting you say that because I’m in Texas. However my sister still lives in Brooklyn. I tried to get her to find a pair of the Kobe 9 Elites NRG that released in January 2014 in NYC only; sold out of course.
Hardly any stores in Brooklyn carry Nike’s Kobe Bryant shoes, because they do not sell. Many retailers there, even in the footlockers, stopped selling his shoes years ago.