It’s around this time last year that the world woke up to the shocking news that Kobe Bryant had passed on. A legend in the basketball world, Kobe was often referred to as the Black Mamba for his stealthy style and powerful strike… a distinction that even made it into his sneaker collaboration with Nike over the Nike x Kobe ‘Fade To Black’ series.

Today, on the anniversary of his passing, we look at one of the most memorable sneakers from the collaboration, the Nike Zoom Kobe 3 “FTB”. The sneakers come encased in a box that sports the scales of a snake, pointing directly at the Mamba reference. Underneath the box lid are two white shoes that would complement Kobe’s black uniform beautifully, and a reverse diamond 3D texture that has an incredible allure when looked at against direct light. The texture continues on the entire upper surface of the shoe, making it even to the sole, with only a hint of a black panel at the base, paying tribute to the Black Mamba. The shoes, which are available in white and metallic grey, debuted in 2016 around Kobe’s retirement. One would argue that they look just as incredible even today!

Designers: Nike in collaboration with Kobe Bryant