The year was 2001, and the NBA was arguably at its peak of "mainstream cool." Kobe Bryant was winning rings, rocking a fro, and signed to a massive deal with Adidas. Then, he stepped onto the hardwood in something that didn't look like a basketball shoe. It looked like a toaster. Or a moon boot. Or maybe a cordless iron. Honestly, the Adidas The Kobe Two is probably the most polarizing piece of footwear ever created. People either loved the audacity or, more commonly, looked at their TV screens in absolute confusion. It wasn't just a sneaker; it was a vibe shift that went completely off the rails.
Most people remember the "Kobe 1" (now known as the Crazy 1) for its Audi TT-inspired curves. It was weird, but it worked. It was chunky and futuristic in a way that felt right for the turn of the millennium. But when Adidas dropped the The Kobe Two, they doubled down on that industrial aesthetic so hard that it actually fractured the relationship between the brand and their superstar athlete. It’s the shoe that famously led Kobe to buy out his contract and head into sneaker free agency.
The Audi Connection That Went Too Far
The design language of the Adidas The Kobe Two wasn't a mistake. It was a calculated risk. Adidas designers, specifically Eirik Lund Nielsen, leaned heavily into the partnership with Audi to create a shoe that looked like a vehicle. They wanted "aerodynamic." They wanted "seamless." What they got was a monochromatic slab of synthetic material that had zero breathability.
If you ever actually wore a pair, you know the struggle. Your feet would sweat almost instantly. The shroud that covered the laces made it look like a single piece of molded plastic. It was a radical departure from the leathers and suedes that dominated the market at the time. Nike was doing the Shox thing, and Reebok was riding high on the Answer series. In that context, the The Kobe Two felt like an alien artifact. It didn't have the soul of a basketball shoe. It had the soul of a German luxury sedan, which is great for a driveway, but kinda terrible for a crossover.
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Why Kobe Bryant Actually Hated Them
It’s an open secret in the industry that Kobe wasn’t a fan. Imagine being at the height of your powers, playing for the Lakers, and having to lace up something that feels clunky and stiff. Legend has it that Kobe actually switched back to the Kobe 1 during the 2002 NBA Finals. Think about that for a second. The flagship athlete for a global brand refused to wear his newest signature shoe during the biggest games of the year.
The performance just wasn't there. The Adidas The Kobe Two was heavy. It lacked the flexibility required for a guard who relied on quick first steps and lateral movement. It’s one of the few times in history where "style" (and I use that term loosely) completely overrode "function." Usually, a signature shoe is a collaborative effort, but this felt like a design exercise that ignored the athlete's needs. Kobe was a perfectionist. He obsessed over the "mamba mentality" before that was even a brand. He needed gear that gave him an edge, and the The Kobe Two felt like it was holding him back.
A Legacy of "So Bad It's Good"
Interestingly, time has been weirdly kind to this shoe. In 2026, we’re seeing a massive resurgence in "ugly" fashion. Brands like Balenciaga and Yeezy (before that era ended) paved the way for the The Kobe Two to be viewed through a different lens. What was mocked in 2001 is now considered "avant-garde." You’ll see archive collectors on Instagram hunting down deadstock pairs of the "Silver" or "White/Yellow" colorways, paying hundreds of dollars for a shoe they’ll probably never actually walk in.
There was even a USA-themed colorway featuring the American flag that dropped around the time of the 9/11 tributes. It is, without a doubt, one of the most bizarre-looking sneakers in existence. Seeing the stars and stripes draped over that bulky, toaster-like silhouette is a core memory for anyone who was reading Eastbay catalogs back then.
The Technical Specs (Or Why Your Feet Hurt)
- Upper: A synthetic, vacuum-molded material that provided almost zero airflow. It looked clean, but it functioned like a sauna.
- The Shroud: A zippered or velcro-adjacent cover that hid the laces, contributing to that "blocky" look.
- Torsion System: Adidas did include their signature Torsion bar for midfoot support, which was the only thing that made it remotely playable.
- Outsole: A relatively standard herringbone pattern, but it was buried under so much bulk that the court feel was non-existent.
The "Moon Boot" That Changed Everything
If the Adidas The Kobe Two had been a massive success, the history of basketball sneakers might look totally different today. We might have had twenty years of molded, plastic-looking shoes. Instead, its failure pushed the industry back toward more traditional materials for a while. It also taught brands a vital lesson: you can't design for an athlete without the athlete.
When Kobe left Adidas, he eventually landed at Nike and worked with Eric Avar. That partnership led to the Kobe 4, which revolutionized the game by proving that low-top shoes were viable for basketball. It was the polar opposite of the The Kobe Two. It was light, breathable, and sleek. In a weird way, we have the failure of the Adidas era to thank for the brilliance of the Nike Kobe era.
Buying a Pair Today: What to Look For
If you’re a collector looking to snag a pair of Adidas The Kobe Two sneakers today, you have to be incredibly careful. Because of the materials used—specifically that synthetic upper and the internal foams—these shoes do not age well. They are prone to "crumbling" or "cracking," which is a death sentence for a vintage sneaker.
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- Check the Midsole: Press firmly on the foam. If it feels like a dried-out sponge or starts to flake, the shoe is unwearable.
- The "Toaster" Shell: Look for yellowing or brittleness on the upper. The silver colorway is particularly notorious for losing its luster and turning a dull, sickly grey.
- Original Box: For a shoe this weird, the packaging is part of the charm. Collectors usually want the original box to prove authenticity, as fakes of these were actually quite common back in the day (oddly enough).
The Cultural Impact Beyond the Court
We can’t talk about this shoe without mentioning its impact on hip-hop and streetwear. Even though ballers hated playing in them, rappers loved them. They were a statement. If you wore the The Kobe Two, you were saying you didn't care about the status quo. You were leaning into the "future" as envisioned by the early 2000s. It was a time of silver puffy jackets and Hype Williams music videos. The shoe fit that aesthetic perfectly.
But let’s be real. Most people who bought them back then ended up regretting it. They were hard to style. They made your feet look twice their actual size. And unless you were wearing baggy-enough jeans to cover most of the shoe (which, to be fair, was the style), you looked like you were wearing medical equipment.
Final Verdict on a Flawed Masterpiece
The Adidas The Kobe Two is a fascinating failure. It represents a moment in time when a brand was brave enough to be truly weird, even if it meant losing their biggest star. It’s a reminder that innovation isn't always a straight line. Sometimes you have to build a toaster-shoe to realize that people actually just want a really good sneaker.
It’s not the "best" Kobe shoe. It’s not even the best Adidas Kobe shoe. But it is the most memorable. In a sea of generic mesh and leather, the The Kobe Two stands alone—bulky, silver, and unapologetically strange.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re interested in the history of Kobe’s footwear, don’t just look at the hype-heavy Nike releases. Start by researching the transition from the Adidas KB8 to the Kobe 1. Understanding the evolution of the Adidas The Kobe Two helps you appreciate why modern performance basketball shoes are built the way they are. If you’re a collector, monitor sites like eBay or GOAT, but treat these as display pieces only. Attempting to play a pickup game in a 25-year-old pair of these is a fast track to an ankle injury and a very expensive pile of silver dust.