Previous to embarking on his short-lived signature shoe journey with adidas, Kobe Bryant was projected to be a pivotal constructing block of adidas Basketball’s long run plan. In 1996, adidas nabbed the prep-to-pro star earlier than that legendary NBA Draft, and shortly sufficient quantity 8 for the Lakers was giving the model’s EQT footwear some heat within the highlight through his All-Star Sport appearances and even his Dunk Contest win in 1997.
He was finally blessed with a pseudo-signature line referred to as the KB8. Frankly, the third mannequin of this timeline was Kobe’s least favourite; the KB8 III didn’t see a lot court docket time and the accessible colorways had been reasonably sparse as adidas was able to roll out the primary true signature shoe, the adidas The KOBE.
Regardless of it being a short-lived and unmemorable chapter of the adidas Kobe period, it unwittingly turned some of the infamous sneakers of the late 2010s. Sleeping quietly within the archives, the KB8 III was unearthed by Kanye West (now referred to as Ye), who borrowed the unique sole of the EQT basketball shoe for the Yeezy 500. That chunky sneaker turned some of the profitable fashions of the adidas Yeezy period.
In 2026, adidas will proceed to revisit its time with the five-time champion by bringing again the EQT KB8 III in authentic colorways. Now named the adidas Loopy 3 for authorized causes, this traditional Kobe basketball mannequin is anticipated to launch Spring/Summer season 2026 for $160 in Core White/Core Black/Collegiate Purple and Silver Metallic/Core Black/Halo Silver. Photos haven’t surfaced but, so keep tuned for ongoing updates as we close to the brand new 12 months.
WHERE TO BUY
WHERE TO BUY
