As Kobe Bryant entered the NBA in 1996, his idol, Michael Jordan, had just capped the greatest season of his career with a then-record 72-10 regular season and a championship. Jordan was also wearing what many consider to be the greatest sneaker of his storied Air Jordan series, the Air Jordan XI.

Bryant wanted it all. The rings. The sneaker line. The endorsements, records, accolades and the legacy. He was willing to work for it – at all costs – and perhaps committed himself more than any player in history. Two decades later, Bryant’s on-court legacy is cemented.

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Jordan ushered in the signature-shoe era and, with the help of legendary designer Tinker Hatfield, took branding, design and performance to a new level. Kobe's legacy in the footwear world has rightfully earned him a legion of fans and helped shift the styling of modern basketball shoes.

After a six-year run with adidas that ended when Kobe broke his sneaker contract after the 2002 NBA Finals and a third consecutive title, his 13-year span with Nike has featured a string of 11 signature editions that pushed the boundaries of performance, with incremental updates and improvements along the way.

The first three Zoom Kobe sneakers were well received by fans and players, but the series blossomed with the fourth model, the Zoom Kobe IV. Kobe requested a low top, taking the entire industry to a new place.

"He said, ‘I want the lowest, lightest-weight basketball shoe,' " longtime designer Eric Avar said. "I asked him, ‘You mean, like a three-fourths height?’ ‘Low top,’ he says. ‘Soccer-type low?’ He just looks at me and says, ‘Yes!’ ”

"I think how the soccer background came into play is understanding how much stress you put on your ankles and how hard you play the game," said Bryant, who grew up around the sport in Italy. "In soccer, you can still wear low-tops, and they put more stress on their ankles than we do, but they can still wear low-tops. So I think you need a confidence to be able to push the boundaries a little bit.”

As Avar and Bryant worked on the IV during the 2007 and ’08 seasons in Nike's Innovation Kitchen and in meetings in L.A., low-top sneakers were being worn by the likes of Steve Nash, Gilbert Arenas, Luke Ridnour and a few others. Lows were spotted on just a handful of point guards around the league who mostly played a floor game. Bigger players and slashing, explosive wings all stuck to mid and high tops, aiming for more ankle support.

“I wanted to go low for a couple of reasons," Bryant said. "One is, I wanted the foot to move comfortably. I felt like high tops at times can be a little bit restricting of your movement. Also, I wanted to decrease weight. I wanted to cut the shoe [in height], make it lighter, make it sleeker, and we were able to accomplish both of those things."

In order to deliver on a few of those specific items, Avar and his go-to developer, Jeff Spanks, worked to lock in the fit through the heel and midfoot of the shoe. They added extra padding along the collar and narrowed the middle of the shoe. Before even lacing them up, the IV was instantly more targeted and well sloped to the contours of the foot. The team also incorporated Nike's Flywire panel, which was a piece of plastic with nylon cables that ran along the side of the shoe and provided strength and support. It also weighed less than traditional leather or synthetics.

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