If you walked into a gym back in 2015, you couldn't miss them. The Kobe 10 Elite High was impossible to ignore. It looked less like a traditional basketball shoe and more like something a superhero would wear to a track meet. That towering silhouette? It wasn't just for show.
Honestly, it’s been over a decade since Eric Avar and the Nike team dropped these, yet they still spark heated debates in the sneaker world. Some guys swear they’re the pinnacle of the "high-top" era. Others think they’re just glorified socks with a price tag that made your wallet weep.
Whether you're a collector hunting for a "What The" pair or a hooper wondering if they still hold up on a dusty local court, there's a lot to unpack about what actually went into this shoe.
The Weird Tech That Actually Worked
Most people think the height of the Kobe 10 Elite High was for ankle support.
That’s a myth.
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Kobe himself famously preferred low-tops because they allowed for better range of motion. The high-top Flyknit collar was actually designed to provide "sensory feedback." It's basically a fancy way of saying the shoe was meant to feel like an extension of your leg. You’ve probably noticed how thin that collar is. It's not a cast; it’s a sleeve.
Traction That Defied Physics
The real magic happened at the bottom. Nike used these tiny little "nodules" on the outsole—hundreds of them. They looked like something you'd find on a mountain bike tire.
- Indoor Grip: Top-tier. You could stop on a dime, even if the floor hadn't been swept since the Clinton administration.
- Outdoor Durability: Non-existent. Seriously, if you take these to a concrete blacktop, those nubs will disappear faster than a 10-day contract player.
- Flexibility: The "Nike Free" inspired forefoot grooves meant the shoe moved with your natural foot strike.
The Cushioning Combo
The Kobe 10 Elite High featured a hybrid system that was pretty revolutionary for the time. You had a massive Zoom Air unit in the heel and Lunarlon foam in the forefoot.
The heel was "caged" in a TPU translucent casing. This looked cool but actually made the Zoom feel a bit firmer than what you'd find in a LeBron model. It wasn't "walking on clouds" soft. It was "ready to explode into a sprint" firm.
Why the Flyknit Was Different
If you compare the Kobe 10 Elite High to the Kobe 9, the first thing you’ll notice is the texture. The 9 felt like a stiff sweater. The 10? It felt like plastic.
Nike used a lot of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) threads mixed into the Flyknit. They basically baked the yarn. This was necessary because "raw" Flyknit would just stretch and collapse under the force of a 220-pound athlete cutting at full speed.
It took some break-in time. A lot of it.
The first three games in these were usually a nightmare. They popped, they squeaked, and they felt stiff. But once that knit softened up? Man. It was a one-to-one fit that modern shoes still struggle to replicate.
The "What The" and Other Grails
In 2026, finding a deadstock pair of the Kobe 10 Elite High is like finding a needle in a haystack—if the needle cost $600.
The "What The" Kobe 10 Elite High remains the ultimate trophy. Released on December 30, 2015, it was a chaotic mashup of every colorway that came before it. Reflective silver hits, mismatched heels, and a "Seal of the President" style tongue patch on the "Commander" colorway (an Obama tribute) made these cultural icons.
Then you had the "Rose Gold" pack. It was part of the Elite Series meant for the playoffs. Even though Kobe wasn't in the postseason that year due to injury, the shoe still performed at an elite level.
Buying Guide: What to Look for Today
If you’re scouring eBay or GOAT right now, you need to be careful. Shoes from 2015 are hitting that "danger zone" where the glue starts to fail.
- Check the Sole: Look at the translucent rubber. Is it yellowing? A little yellow is fine, but if it's "cheddar cheese" orange, the rubber might have hardened. Hardened rubber equals zero traction.
- The Carbon Fiber: Real pairs have a small carbon fiber shank near the forefoot outrigger. On fakes, this is usually just painted plastic. Give it a flick; carbon fiber has a distinct "tink" sound.
- The Squeak: If you're buying used, ask the seller if they squeak. The internal setup of the 10 was notorious for making noise. It doesn't mean they're fake, but it might drive you crazy on the court.
Does it Still Perform?
Honestly, yeah.
The Kobe 10 Elite High is still a beast. If you find a pair with the rubber still intact, the traction is better than 90% of the shoes on the market today. The lockdown is incredible because of that high collar and the Flywire cables.
Just don't expect them to be light. Compared to the modern "Kobe Protro" line, the 10 is a bit of a tank. It’s heavy, it’s high, and it’s unapologetic.
Actionable Tips for Owners
If you actually own a pair and want to keep them alive:
- Never machine wash them. The heat will melt the TPU-infused Flyknit and ruin the bond with the midsole.
- Store them with silica packets. The translucent outsoles on the Kobe 10 are magnets for moisture, which leads to oxidation (yellowing).
- Rotate your socks. The high-top design traps a lot of heat. If you don't wear moisture-wicking socks, you're going to end up with a swamp in your shoe, which breaks down the internal foams faster.
The Kobe 10 Elite High represents a specific moment in time when Nike was willing to be weird. It was the bridge between the old-school high-tops and the ultra-minimalist future. It might not be the most "comfortable" shoe in the vault, but for pure performance and "get-noticed" factor, it's still hard to beat.