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USC Trojans Unveil Nike Kobe Cleats for UCLA Bruins Rivalry Game

The USC Trojans plan to debut Nike Kobe 6 cleats during their rivalry game against the UCLA Bruins.

Pat Benson

The USC Trojans unveiled the Nike Kobe 6 football cleats in a player-exclusive colorway.
The USC Trojans unveiled the Nike Kobe 6 football cleats in a player-exclusive colorway. / @uscfb
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This Saturday, the UCLA Bruins will play host to the USC Trojans for the 94th installment of their epic rivalry. The "Crosstown Rivalry" is more than a battle between two prestigious schools over the Victory Bell; it is a showdown between sportswear brands.

UCLA is a Jordan Brand school, sporting Jumpman logos on their uniforms along with Air Jordan cleats. Meanwhile, USC is a Nike school with close ties to the family of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

USC's basketball team is one of seven "Mamba Programs" in the NCAA. Now, it appears that the football team will get to show off their Mamba Mentality on the gridiron.

USC's official social media account shared high-quality pictures and the story behind the team's cleats for the rivalry game. Some players will wear the Nike Kobe 6 in a player-exclusive "USC" colorway.

The caption read, "Introducing the Nike Kobe 6 "USC" cleat! Modeled after the pair Kobe Bryant debuted on Christmas Day 2010 and exclusively customized for the USC Trojans. The team will debut these new cleats this weekend for the game against UCLA."

The Nike Kobe 6 football cleats draw inspiration from Bryant's sixth signature basketball shoe. Easily considered the most popular model from the Nike Kobe line, the brand recently unveiled plans to launch the Nike Kobe 6 football cleats in the "Grinch" colorway.

However, the "USC" colorway is even better. It sports a black snakeskin-inspired upper contrasted by garnet and gold Swoosh logos. The insoles are garnet with the gold USC logo. The Kobe logo appears in gold, while Bryant's signature and the laces pop off the cleat in white.

Football fans and sneakerheads had a good idea these cleats were on the way when Trojans cornerback Prophet Brown shared a sneak peek of the footwear on his Instagram story earlier this week.

Whether hosted in Pasadena or South Central Los Angeles, the Crosstown Rivalry is always picturesque. The beautiful weather, iconic stadiums, and teams wearing home uniforms are the perfect recipe for college football. But adding some Nike Kobe cleats to the mix is a game changer for USC.

Fans can watch the Crosstown Rivalry at 10:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 23. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from college football and beyond.

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Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

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