Kobe's feet to feature new shoe

kobe`s feet to feature new shoe SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- They are the unwritten but widely accepted bylaws of sports footwear. Here, we hold these truths to be self-evident: Golf is to be played in spikes. Ice hockey is to be played on skates. Baseball and football are to be played in cleats. And basketball? Basketball is to be played in a pair of high-tops. So Kobe Bryant understands the backlash. He knows there will be doctors, trainers, coaches, fans and even some fellow NBA stars who will look at his latest signature shoe from Nike, see that it's -- gasp -- a low-top and believe the Los Angeles Lakers guard has completely lost his mind. But he asked for this. Eighteen months ago, when Bryant met with a Nike design team and began brainstorming ideas for the Kobe IV, his focus wasn't on following the precedent but rather on setting his own. An avid soccer buff, Bryant marveled at the stress soccer players put on their ankles while wearing a low-cut shoe and figured if they felt could they do that on the pitch, he could bring it on the hardwood. So that day in a Nike boardroom, he gave Eric Avar, Nike's performance footwear creative director, one specific instruction: Create the lowest, lightest basketball shoe ever. Avar loved the idea, but at the same time, he knew the ramifications of the words coming out of the mouth of the reigning NBA MVP. Kobe Bryant loves the big stage of playing at Madison Square Garden versus the Knicks. With the big win at Boston the night before many were wondering if Kobe and the Lakers were ready for the game physically and emotionally. 19 points in the first quarter proved any naysayers wrong quickly. Although the 33 points he scored was well short of the 61 he scored two years ago to set the MSG record, it was still a brilliant performance for the Black Mamba. Soon after the game was done and the Laker¡¯s got the W, Kobe kindly stopped by Footlocker¡¯s flagship store on 34th Street to show love to his fans. There he would introduce the the special Zoom Kobe VI ¡°Rice¡± HS edition to his fans. Our very own Dirty Sole was on-hand to check out the event firsthand and give us a great close-up view of the shoes and experience. Check out the pictures below from the event and congratulations to the lucky few who got their hands on the shoes as they aren¡¯t set to release officially for another month.groupon    purchase