Basketballers in Las Vegas show off their favorite shoes
Kobes and Currys and Jordans, oh my.
For young Las Vegas basketballers, the top sneakers of the summer carry some of the NBA’s biggest names — both of the past and present.
Though Kobe Bryant sat out most of the 2014-2015 NBA season, locals at different courts around the valley almost unanimously considered his shoe, the Nike Kobe 10 Elite, to be the best.
At $225 for the high and mid-top versions and $180 for the lows, Bryant’s latest kicks will pound the wallet before hitting the hardwood.
But as a relatively light-weight, 12.9 oz low-top, and a uniquely smooth yet supportive mid and high-top, they’re still one of the most popular options on the court.
“You win with these cause they look good, too,” said Huruy Bahta, 16 — an upcoming senior at Durango High School who plays at the 24 Hour Fitness on Charleston and Tropicana. “I feel like you play better when you look good.”
Bahta bought the lows in the blue “5 AM Flight” colorway, back in February, he said. It’s one of at least four low-top colorways available for the Kobe 10, along with three mid-tops and three high-top colorways.
“Good ankle support, too,” Bahta said.
2014-2015 NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry put Under Armour on the basketball shoe map this summer after adding an NBA championship to his growing list of credentials.
Curry’s shoes aren’t half-bad, either, said local buyers, and they’re flying off the shelves.
The three available colorways for Under Armor’s Stephen Curry One mid-top are sold out on the company’s website, but that didn’t stop local baller Deishaun Booker, 18, from finding a pair.
“They fit like a glove,” he said, “and they’re hot just because of how he played this year.”
At $119, a pair of Curry Ones is a full Benjamin cheaper than some of its competitors, including the Kobe 10, LeBron 12 and Jordan XX9.
Booker, a 2015 graduate of Agassi Prep and upcoming freshman at Oregon State University, said it’s a no-brainer for ballers on a budget.
Two low-top colorways of the Curry One, including a Golden State Warrior blue and gold, were also released last month.
One shoe surprisingly missing on popular courts for high school and college players — including Sunset Park and central valley 24 Hour Fitness locations — was the Nike LeBron 12.
At $225, King James’ signature shoe is among the most expensive basketball sneakers out this summer. But to see so many Kobe 10s and so few LeBrons was surprising.
“Just too heavy,” Booker said. “They’re heavy and bulky.”
“The fit isn’t right,” Bahta added. “Not worth it for a pair of shoes like that.”
Among other popular sneakers on Las Vegas courts were the Adidas D Rose 5, Nike HyperChase and Jordan XIII.
Chris Robinson, 17, an upcoming senior at Desert Oasis, donned a pair of HyperChases in their official “multicolor and reflective silver” colorway last week. Robinson wasn’t the only one sporting a loud colorway that clashed with the colors of his shirt and shorts.
It’s part of a new style that just years ago didn’t exist, Robinson explained.
As recently as three years ago, basketball shoes, even among NBA players, were designed to match their uniforms. Now, with bright, wild colorways, they’re designed to do just the opposite.
“It’s quirky man,” Robinson said. “People trying to mix hippy with street.”
Though Michael Jordan may be the best basketball player of all-time, his shoes — at least this summer — seem to be a bigger deal off the court than on it.
Of 15 high school and college-aged ballers interviewed this week, almost all chose a Jordan shoe for their go-to look away from the hardwood.
Dom Johnson, 15, a sophomore at Durango, prefers the Jordan XIs.
Released in April 1995 and made popular in the 1996 movie “Space Jam,” the shoe has remained among the most coveted Jordans ever since.
“It’s just a great look all-around,” Johnson said.
Jordan Brentwood, 20, a junior at UNLV, chose the Jordan IIIs.
“Those are hype,” he said, grinning. “Guaranteed to turn heads.”
Nike Foamposite, Air Force 1 and Roche One were among other popular off-the-court kicks.
Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj
