Nike Quietly Teases a New Kobe Shoe at the Mamba Invitational

Nike offered an early hint at a possible new Kobe silhouette during this year’s Mamba Invitational in Los Angeles.

The event opened with an exhibit exploring the design, craftsmanship and performance technology behind Kobe Bryant’s footwear line. Among the featured works was “Sole Obsession,” a mixed-media piece created by artist Troy “TYP” Murray.

The installation includes casts of 13 Kobe outsoles, ranging from the Kobe 1 through the Kobe 11 and Kobe AD. Also included is a previously unseen prototype outsole that appears to preview a future Kobe model.

Murray explained that the piece was created to highlight the attention to detail behind Kobe footwear, with each outsole representing the precision that shaped the line.

Kobe Brand VP and GM Dan Sunwoo also confirmed that Nike is revisiting unfinished prototypes originally developed with Bryant. While the brand has not shared a name, full design or release information, more details are expected to follow.

For more on Kobe's Nike Basketball sneakers, the Nike Kobe 10 "Halo" drops on August 23.