Nike low basketball shoes

Nike low-top basketball shoes

Nike is definitely the top sportswear brand in the NBA today. The brand’s shoes and other sports apparel are worn by more than 80% of players in the NBA.

Kobe Bryant was a Nike athlete, and he's widely credited for the sudden popularity of low-top basketball shoes in the game. Having spent much of his childhood in Italy, Kobe Bryant is unsurprisingly a fan of football. He’s seen that soccer and basketball players share a lot in terms of footwork; but unlike NBA athletes, those who play soccer are usually seen wearing low-top cleats and they don’t seem to experience ankle protection issues in them.

The emergence of low tops

When it was time to create his fourth signature sneaker, Nike designer Eric Avar remembers that Bryant particularly asked for the “lowest, lightest-weight basketball shoe ever.” 

The success of the Kobe 4 catapulted low-tops to popularity. The subsequent releases from the Kobe’s line were also much celebrated Nike low-top basketball shoes. They are widely worn not only by avid Kobe fans but also by other players in the NBA.

After Kobe’s retirement in 2016 and even after his sudden death in January 2020, Nike continues to expand the in-demand Kobe Bryant line. Many of them are low-tops that are loaded with reliable support features. 

Low-top basketball shoe lovers at Nike

After Kobe Bryant’s exit, four active NBA players remain at Nike: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and most recently Paul George.  They were later joined by Giannis Antetokounmpo.

All of them except LeBron James have an undeniable affinity with low-top basketball shoes. LeBron James loves high-top basketball shoes, but Nike and LeBron also release low-top versions of his official signature releases.