The Nike Kobe 8 ‘Mambacurial’ Takes Inspiration From Bryant’s Love Of Soccer

Kobe Bryant spent most of his childhood in Italy, where he gained a love and respect for soccer. Now, because of that, Nike is releasing the Kobe 8 “Mambacurial,” a basketball shoe inspired by the unique design of the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX football boot.

“Soccer boot design has influenced my shoe in the past but the Kobe 8 Mambacurial brings it full circle,” Bryant says. “It’s great to see powerful design come together across sports.”

Those powerful details are showcased in this sneaker, which incorporates designs directly from the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX. The Fireberry colorways are applied to the sneaker’s upper. An oversized “NIKE” script appears on the medial side of each shoe, and an electric-lime Swoosh is showcased from the side to just over the toe. There’s also a grass graphic below the upper, a translucent green rubber outsole and “Mambacurial” written on the tongue.

The shoe is now available at select retailers and nike.com internationally. It will be available in North America starting June 7.

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