The 2002-2003 NBA season marked one of the great turning points in the annals of sneaker lore. The summer prior, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant bought out the remainder of his contract with Adidas after dissatisfaction with the direction of his signature line. As part of the agreement, Bryant was forced to remain a sneaker free agent for a year, playing through the season in a number of silhouettes and custom colorways from brands including Nike, Jordan Brand, and even Reebok (his Lakers-themed Questions got a slept-on retro a few years back).
Silhouettes and colorways from this era are the stuff of sneaker legend—as closely associated with Nike as the Bryant name is now, it’s hard to remember that he wasn’t a Swoosh lifer. The ’02-’03 season was full of Kobe player exclusives that never saw a Foot Locker shelf or SNKRS raffle. Any time one of them sees the light of day, it’s cause for celebration—so this Friday, get the balloons and sparklers.
On Friday, Nike is pulling one of Bryant’s free agency exclusives out from the vault. During that season, Bryant laced up a pair of custom Air Force 1 Mids (albeit upgraded with contemporary cushioning—hoop shoe technology had come a long way since the AF1’s 1982 debut). The kicks featured white uppers set off by a Laker-gold swoosh and purple accents. While those Mids aren’t getting a retro this week (which is fine by us—the Mid is, well, a little mid if we’re being honest) Nike is releasing an Air Force 1 Low that carries over the colorway. This new edition also adds a few details Mamba acolytes are sure to love: Kobe’s now-signature sheath logo on one heel, accompanied by an “8,” his original jersey number, on the other. It’s finished off with a Laker-gold outsole.
