Kicks and Colors: A Kobe X Elite with homage to President Obama’s Hawaii

Kicks and Colors spotlights the variety of colorways—and the stories that go with—that brands’ unveil in key basketball sneakers.

Brand: Nike

Sneaker: Kobe X Elite

Signature athlete: Kobe Bryant

Colorway: Commander

Story: The Kobe line has recently offered ample variety with a mix of “elite” and regular lines merging low tops and high tops. The latest Kobe X comes in the elite form, which was built with Flyknit in an ultra high top. The design inspiration for the Commander? The Commander In Chief. The new sneaker launching on Oct. 14 “symbolizes the President’s influence on Kobe with colors inspired by his Honolulu high school.” A special commander logo on the tongue offers a bit of added intrigue.

• MORE NBA: D Rose 6 features nod to Chicago | LeBron 13's sleek look

Tim Newcomb covers stadiums, sneakers and training for Sports Illustrated. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.