From the Vault: Nike Kobe 10 Elite Low “Christmas”
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By Stadium Goods |From the Vault: Nike Kobe 10 Elite Low “Christmas”
‘Tis the season to look back at a classic Christmas release from Nike Basketball.
Matt DeSciora
With the holiday season in full swing, there isn’t a better sneaker for us to feature in our final “From the Vault” of 2023 than the Nike Kobe 10 Elite Low “Christmas.”
Released by Nike Basketball in 2015, which in a weird sort of way, doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago, the colorway celebrates Christmas with its festive color scheme, of course, but it also nods to Kobe Bryant’s championship pedigree with flashy metallic gold accenting and five gold rings on the heel. It’s the last of the “Christmas” themed Nike Kobes from when Kobe was an active player in the NBA, and one of the most eye-catching colorways from the late basketball icon’s signature line with Nike.
Nike Kobe 10 Elite Low “Christmas”
In addition to its red-and-green accents and gold championship hardwear, the Kobe 10 Low Elite “Christmas” features a mismatched color block, with black Flyknit appearing on the lateral side, and bright red Flyknit appearing on the medial side. The two-tone aesthetic was a departure from the mostly all-red Nike Kobe Elite 9 that was released by Nike Basketball in 2014, and a big shift in design philosophy from the beloved, all-green, scaly design of the Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” from 2009. Instead of going full-Christmas on the Kobe 10 Elite Low, Nike added bits of Metallic Gold, including gold speckling on the midsole and gold on Kobe’s “Sheath” logo on the tongue for a more commemorative look to celebrate the “Black Mamba’s” career.
The Kobe 10 Elite Low “Christmas” is something of a collector’s item today. In his final Christmas Day game in the NBA, Kobe opted for a white-based Kobe 10 Elite Low against the Los Angeles Clippers. The fact that Kobe didn’t wear the “Christmas” themed shoe in his final Christmas game makes it all the more interesting to sneaker history.