The Nike Kobe A.D. NXT Is The Most Unique Basketball Shoe Out Now

Kobe Bryant had a number of advantages when he dominated the game of basketball. For starters, he was physically gifted and trained upwards of 6 hours a day in the off-season, obsessing over the most minute of details to become one of the game’s greats. But perhaps the advantage Kobe favored the most was his mentality which Nike Basketball constantly tries to emulate through sleek, aggressive perfection in shoe form. That’s what we get with the strange yet notable new Nike Kobe AD NXT created by longtime Kobe collaborator and design extraordinaire Eric Avar in an attempt to create a low profile, yet highly responsive silhouette.

The Kobe AD NXT features an unconventional lacing structure meant to give ultimate lockdown support for each foot to go along with a lightweight Flyknit upper. Think of this as the Elite version to Kobe’s twelfth signature sneaker, but with a completely redesigned midsole unit as well. A drop in insole features Lunarlon and a Zoom Air bag. As for that Flyknit shroud, it features a subtle circular knit in an attempt to reference the lotus flower in an homage to the theme of rebirth. This is Kobe and Avar’s reimagining of the entire Black Mamba line for a post-retirement reign.

This Nike Kobe AD NXT Volt will be available at select retailers this Saturday, April 1st with a widespread release alongside the Kobe AD NXT “Wolf Grey” on April 3rd. Each pair retails for $200 USD. Check out more detailed shots below and be sure to head to our Release Dates page for more of the latest from Nike Basketball.