Nike signature athletes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant will all be playing on this year’s slate of Christmas Day games. The quintuple-header headlined by the appearance of the Nike triumvirate also marks the debut of the Christmas editions of their signature shoes with the KD 7, Kobe 9 and LeBron 12 all getting their own X-Mas refurbishment.
First up is the Kobe 9 “Knit Stocking” he’ll be lacing up for LA’s battle against the Chicago Bulls.
The Kobe 9 gets a makeover with an homage to its place as the first basketball shoe featuring Nike Flyknit technology with a stocking-inspired red and white upper. Leather on the tongue and overlays adds that premium feel sneaker reps love to mention, and it’s accented by a marbled outsole that looks like candy canes. On the inner tongue it reads, “Mamba’s Greetings.”
Next is the KD 7 “Egg Nog” he’ll be rocking during a rematch of last season’s hotly-contested Western Conference Finals when the Thunder battle the Spurs (we’re still wondering if Gregg Popovich might hold out one or two starters as his own personal holiday message to the league office).
Durant has loved egg nog since he was a kid, so it makes sense the beverage would represent his Christmas Day colorway. It’s got the usual Flywire and hyperposite with the Zoom Air cushioning, and it continues the his signature line’s ability to tell a story with each colorway that comes to life. The red Hyperposite heel comes flecked with a gloss that looks like the condensation on the glass of egg nog. “Fresh Since ’88,” the year Durant shot his way into the world, comes in the sock liner.
Last we’ve got the LeBron 12 “Akron Birch” colorway the four-time MVP will wear against his old team, the Miami Heat on Saint Nick’s B-Day.
An emerald green base reminds us of Christmas trees and coalesces with the shoe’s detailed camouflage upper on the Hyperposite shell. The camo pattern is inspired by James’ hometown of Akron Ohio; birch trees flourish in the area and align with the pattern. Black and “Hyperpunch” micro dots are also included in the camp pattern for what Nike calls “a seasonal touch. You might miss it, but a snowflake is formed by the hexagons on the tongue loop.
The 2014 Nike Basketball Christmas Collection is available globally Dec. 26 on nike.com and at select retail locations.
(NIKE)
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