Kobe Bryant’s love of soccer inspired this latest money making inspiration since as we all know, Kobe is out and the Lakers, well don't even mention those FAKERS right now when a real team in the SA Spurs are ready to dethrone the Heat. But Nike have to make their money somehow, and since the MAMBA shoes ain't selling like they used to; being outsold by Bron's by a margin of 6 to 1, Nike Basketball comes up with a great money making scheme to suck the money out of the Kobe-loving Chinese and Filipinos in the U.S and abroad by introducing the Mercurial-inspired basketball shoe. By now, we all know that Kobe Bryant is an avid and dedicated soccer fan. So Nike decided to create tribute to Kobe’s love of the sport with the KOBE 8 MAMBACURIAL, a Kobe signature basketball shoe inspired by the unique design of the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX football boot. Since its launch 15 years ago, the Mercurial has always stood out from the rest. Bold and exciting, ultra lightweight and worn by the best in the game, the boot’s color and design ensure its players are noticed on the pitch. The KOBE 8 MAMBACURIAL fuses key design attributes of basketball and soccer shoe uppers and includes a number of details borrowed from the Nike Mercurial Vapor IX. The striking Fireberry colorway is taken straight from the soccer boot and applied to the Nike Engineered Mesh upper of the latest Kobe Bryant signature shoe. Oversized white “NIKE” script appears on the medial side of each shoe, and an electric-lime Swoosh shifts from the side to just over the toe. "Mambacurial" is notated on the backside of the tongue, and the upper rests atop a grass graphic and translucent green rubber outsole. "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." Kobe Bryant and Nike Basketball give basketball fans the chance to familiarize themselves with soccer inspiration with the KOBE 8 MAMBACURIAL. The shoe is now available at select retailers aka CHINA and nike.com internationally; in North America, the shoe will be available June 7.
