Zoom Kobe I: Astronomical Digit

Kobe Bryant Released his first signature shoe from Nike during the All-Star weekend of 2006, to many, this was a new beginning, but for us here at 24/7, it was a total fufillment. Is the shoe worthy of the name of arguably the NBA's most talented player? Nike sends a statement to the comp: 1 is the name, 1 is where we're staying.

Astronomical Digit

The enigmatic force known to us as Kobe Bryant has always been a numerical wonder, whether it's his 12 three pointers in one single game, his 3 championship rings, his number of disgruntled teammates, his number 8 jersey (soon #24), or his most talked about performance that changed the way we looked at athletic excellence:81 points. Kobe's numbers have always baffled players and fans alike, but the most appropriate number when Mamba's involed is none of the above, but his rightful place in the 1996 draft class, his number of infamous scandals, his performance in the 1997 dunk contest, and his rank in the game today; that number is 1. The man will let his shoes do the talking.

Ever since Kobe Bryant left adidas, the shoe game seemed to be missing an integral part. Even as his previous 2 "signature" shoes the Air Zoom Huarache 2k4 and Air Zoom Huarache 2k5 awed the basketball world with performance and innovation that lacks suitable vocabulary to describe, something was missing, something spiritual, the shoe lacked a soul. Kobe played those seasons without a soul. Michael Jordan forever cemented the Air Jordan XIV as his part memories with the final shot of his career in Utah, the Fab Five changed the culture of modern basketball with their jet black Air Flight Huarache's, Charles Barkley punctuated his argument of the Air Max B being a better shoe than the Air Jordan VIII with: "Mine has a STRAP!", after he won the NBA's MVP award in '92-'93. The 2k4's and 2k5's lacked a defining moment, as if on cue, Kobe delivered as defining a moment as we can ask for, dropping a borderline-superman 81 points right in front of our eyes in Staples Center, a performance that led me to say after the game: "Damn! We're testing 10 pairs of Kobe's! The game is officially back!".


The ZK1's most stricking feature is the carbon fiber spring plate on the outside of the midsole, which extends from the midfoot around the heel all the way to the midfoot on the medial side, this feature contributes to the unmatched stability the total package provides.

"You've always gotta have something for the kids to geek out on" -Tinker Hatfield, premier Air Jordan designer.

When a great shoe is mentioned among shoeheads and collectors, a special feature from that shoe is usually associated with the memory. The Shox BB4 shocked the world with its pioneer shox collums, the Zoom LeBron II removable strap gave the shoe multiple personalities, and the Air Jordan XX's I.P.S. technology gave cushioning a new meaning. The Zoom Kobe I's unique feature is a material and technology that is incorporated on almost all of Nike's high end shoes, a carbon fiber spring plate, so what makes the ZK1 so special? The ZK1 includes a standard carbon fiber support shank in its midsole directly under the midfoot, but it also contains a carbon fiber spring plate on the outside of the midsole, a feature that stretches from one side of the midfoot around the heel to the other side. This unique material is ultra-light, yet unbelievably strong, its placement on the outside of the midsole of the ZK1 provides stability from the midfoot back that's never been displayed on any other modern hoops shoe. The carbon fiber on the outside contributes to overall stability along with its midsole and outside- which I will touch on later- while not affecting the shoe's mobility.




Another innovative feature of the ZK1 is its ankle collar design, the ZK1's Dynamic Ankle Collar extends to the back of the heel and joins with the shoe's sphere inner booty. Inside the shoe, the where the ankle sits is a round piece of leather on both sides of the bone, which provides great comfort but sacrifices great fit.

Unsystematically I will move on to the ZK1's ankle collar, which Nike calls the Dynamic Fit Ankle Collar Design, which is the main reason why the ZK1 is one of my favorite shoes to put on, the material with which the collar is constructed with is a soft, breathable mesh. The same material extends to the back of the heel and joins the ZK1's sphere inner bootie. This material combined with its "hook" design makes the ZK1 surprisingly pleasant to put on, and provides excellent comfort and breathability around the ankle. The inside the shoe where the malleous (commonly known as the ankle bone) is placed is two round pieces of leather, one stiched on each side of the bone, which provides great comfort thanks to the softness of the ankle collar's material and padding around the ankle, but to acheive this supreme comfort, Nike sacrificed ankle support. Which is my next subject and biggest complaint of the Zoom Kobe I.


High cut and a wide base are some of the characteristics of the ZK1 that people immediately notice, and immediately begin making assumptions, such as the ZK1's performance being restrictive and firm similar to the Zoom LeBron III, mostly due to the fact that both shoes are designed by the same man, Ken Link. The ZK1's high cut might come off as restrictive and supportive like the ZL III, but neither are true, as the ZK1 provides similar mobility of a low top, but also same lack of ankle support.

When news got in the shoe industry about the designer of Kobe's first Nike Sig, we at 24/7 were uncharacteristically alarmed. This was the case because Ken Link, the designer of the ZK1, is also the designer of the Zoom LeBron III, which is a great shoe in its own right, but remains in the Love/Hate category of high profile shoes. Link stated that "Team LeBron" was not going to do middle-of-the-road shoe with LeBron, and rightly so, and the product was one that was adored by our beefier staff, but dreaded by those of us on this side of Tayshuan and Reggie. The latter agreed that we thoroughly enjoy the ZK1's free, unrestrictive feel around the ankles, but were also aware of the Zk1's lack of ankle support for a shoe which is cut well above the malleous. After weeks of testing, the answer for ZK1's lack of support around the ankles was not needed, because the shoe came with its own nullifier.

The Zoom Kobe I's other striking characteristic is that its midsole and outsole are significantly wider than the Huarache 2k5, which was welcomed by the wide-footed of our staff. Personally my feet are of the narrow variety and I felt only a slight side to side shift within the inner. The wide base of the ZK1's most important performance characteristic is that it provided confidence inspiring lateral stability which effectively cancels its lack of ankle support. This stability was because of the wide base and an outtrigger on the outside of the shoe, a feature that can be found on the Huarache 2k4, Air Jordan XIX, and the Converse Wade. The small outtrigger provides surprising lots of extra balance that saved me from tipping over many times on drives and slashes to the basket, the lateral stability provided by the shoe's outtrigger and wide base combined with the longitudinal stability provided by the shoe's carbon fiber spring plates provides a complete package of overall stability unmatched by any modern footwear.


Above is a clear shot of the ZK1's molded midsole, which in the front borrows a chapter of the Huarache 2k5 where it takes inspiration from Nike's Free technology, which provides great flexibility, and also builds muscles of the foot while moving "naturally".

The ZK1's midsole is a slightly modified version of the Huarache 2k5's, which takes inspiration from Nike's Free technology; providing great flexibility while building muscles of the foot. The ZK1's version of Free works hand in hand with the outsole's lateral flex grooves, which are actually directly under the "slits" in the midsole, the finished product is that of great flexibility that feels low to the ground.


Above is a shot of the ZK1's outsole, which lateral (side to side) flex grooves where created to work hand in hand with the midsole's Free technology, which is directly above the flex grooves, so the midsole's "slits" line up with the flex grooves.

A characteristic I realized about the ZK1 is that many of its parts combine to give one performance plus, not just one. And while we're on the topic of low profile feel, the ZK1's namesake's Zoom Air is hands down the best cushioning technology on the market, regardless that it was introduced over ten years ago in the Air Jordan XII and the Zoom Flight Kidds. The performance of Zoom Air is well known in the realm of shoeheads, but for completion sake, lets run through the history again. Zoom Air is a low profile (thin) air bag with a piece of cloth in the middle, the only air technology that the user can actually physically feel working, the result is a responsive (bouncy) feel and the most cutting edge technology that needs no update. The version of Zoom used in the ZK1 is similar to that used in the 2k4's and 2k5's, combined with the flex grooves in the outsole and the Free technology used in the midsole, provides a low to the ground ride better than the Porsche 911.


The ZK1 features a totally redesigned outsole traction patter that comprises of three different types of material.

The ZK1 's package of stability and low profile feel cannot be without ankle breaking traction, and the ZK1 does not dissapoint, on outdoor courts and relatively clear indoor courts, the ZK1's traction will have you slithering through opponents like its namesake, but on the dirtiest of indoor courts, I find the ZK1 to not live up to its predecessor in the traction department, but is still considered traction thats far above average.

To Sum up, the Zoom Kobe I, a shoe that will be forever associated with Mamba's Legendary 81 point performance against the Toronto Raptors, is more than worthy of its company. Its combination of lateral and longitudinal stability, combined with a low profile cushioning, exceptional comfort, and squeak inducing traction is an unbelievable package at just $125, and for fans of Mr. 81, its a man fulfilled.




We hope this review will help you in your decision whether to purchase the ZK1 or not. I personally hope you enjoyed my first review, more and better detailed reviews will sure follow, please leave constructive comments, thank you.

Peace,
Sole-On-Ice