Lakers News: Adidas To Reissue Kobe Bryant "Crazy 1" Sneakers With New Coloring
Sneakerheads rejoice! 20-year Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant will have his original signature Adidas shoe, the Kobe 1 (now re-branded as the Crazy 1), re-released this fall, per Jovani Hernandez of Sneaker News.
Bryant, an 18-time All-Star, five-time champion and one-time MVP during his run with the Lakers, had been signed to Nike for the back half of his career. He initially inked a shoe deal with Adidas as a rookie in 1996, but linked up with Nike in 2003, according to Nick Metallino of The Sporting News. The Beaverton, Oregon-based brand most famously built their name off innovative products around one of Bryant's all-time favorite players, Michael Jordan. Adidas is getting into the throwback game with its reissue of the deceased Hall of Famer's classic sneaker.
Adidas got a head start internationally, where it dropped the Crazy 1 in its original colorways (a gold-and-black pattern called "Sunshine," plus an all-white vintage called "Stormtrooper") over the summer.
A fresh "Snakeskin" colorway is now on its way to retailers, according to Hernandez. It will arrive in stores across the U.S. and Canada this Friday, October 14th, at 7 a.m. PT, according to Pat Benson of Kicks. The retro shoes are available for $150 via online pre-order on the official Adidas site. The design and nickname serve as a nod to Bryant's self-appointed nickname, "The Black Mamba."
The shoe is mostly covered in the titular snakeskin pattern, with a black mesh tongue and collar. The shoe was originally released in 2000, with Adidas creators taking design cues from the Audi TT Roadster, per Sole Collector.