The Lakers may be in the midst of yet another crucial head coaching search but to Nike, that makes no difference
For those familiar with sneaker history, Tinker Hatfield is legendary. Revered for his designing of the majority of Air Jordans that Michael Jordan donned throughout his career, he is the Michael Jordan of shoe design.
That said, the fact that he supposedly was in charge of designing Kobe Bryant‘s final playing shoe, the Kobe XI, and has now created one of three special edition “Muse Pack” sneakers for Bryant speaks to his respect of the Lakers’ superstar.
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The shoe features a black and red upper, commonly referred to as “Bred” by Jordan enthusiasts, a cool grey tongue, a clean white sole and “sharkskin-inspired heel counters as a tribute to Bryant’s fearlessness and appreciation for the mercurial creature.”
Further, per Nike, this particular version of the Kobe XI was influenced by Kobe Bryant’s love of the Jordan III.
"The Jordan IIIs were my all-time favorite, still my favorite to this day. . .To be able to grow up and appreciate all the Jordans and then to actually sit with the man who designed those and kind of understand how he designed them the way he did, why he designed them the way he has… That’s amazing."
More over,
"The second shoe in the Kobe 11 Muse Pack incorporates notable Jordan III details, including overall color blocking, perforations in the lower tongue and distinct red embroidery in the heel and tongue."
Aptly being called the Kobe 11 “Tinker Muse” the shoe will become available on May 5 in limited quantities on Nike’s official website.
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NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker and designer Eric Avar will also be creating a shoe in the “Muse Pack” that will also be available for purchase through Nike.