Adidas plans to release an updated version of Kobe Bryant‘s first signature shoe, the KB8 or “the Crazy 8.”
Although Bryant’s sneakers are more synonymous with Nike, the Lakers player originally inked a six-year deal with Adidas when he first entered the NBA in 1996. The KB8 (signifying Bryant’s initials and uniform number, 8) debuted in 1997.
The updated version will have several changes but will keep the aesthetics of the original. The last version of Crazy 8 was released in the mid-2010s. The original black and white colors expected to be released, but additional colorways are expected to be introduced. There has already been a release of the shoes in Asia, and an expected release date for the States is slated for September 2023. The expected retail price will be between $105 to $400.
This news comes on the heels of the German sports apparel giant bringing in 400 million euros ($437 million) from the most recent
release of the Yeezy sneakers that Adidas had in stock. The company severed ties to Yeezy designer Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after he made antisemitic remarks in 2022 during a Drink Champs podcast episode.“We will continue to carefully sell off more of the existing Yeezy inventory,” said Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden. “This is much better than destroying and writing off the inventory and allows us to make substantial donations to organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, the Philonise & Keeta Floyd Institute for Social Change, and Robert Kraft’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism.”
Adidas released the next batch of Yeezys on August 2, 2023.