Kobe's Nike Air Force 1 Is Quite Literally a Portrait of the GOAT
Another Kobe Bryant Air Force 1 has arrived, and this one leans fully into feel. The Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low QS “Linen/University Blue” sneaker updates the familiar silhouette with soft materials and personal imagery, turning one of Nike’s most beloved basketball shoes into a wearable tribute to one of the game’s greatest players.
The new Kobe Bryant AF1 sneaker is built around texture.
A smooth, blemish-free leather upper comes dressed in a warm linen tone, sitting atop a University Blue gum sole.
The palette nods back to Kobe’s 2007 Air Force 1 sneaker colorway, released during an era when Nike regularly tapped NBA stars for premium AF1 shoe collaborations.
The blue accents are deliberate. They reference Minnesota, where Bryant began his NBA career, before Los Angeles turned him into a global icon.
What sets this pair apart appears directly on the upper. Kobe’s portrait is rendered in gold tones and embedded into the side of the shoe. It mirrors the Kobe murals found throughout Los Angeles, portraits that exist as part of the city’s visual language rather than formal monuments.
Available now on Nike’s website for $150, the Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low QS “Linen/University Blue” continues Nike’s long relationship with the AF1 as more than a shoe.
Here, it functions as a familiar object tasked with carrying legacy through design rather than explanation.
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