As I’ve been twiddling my thumbs waiting for the KD 11 to come out, I decided to write this review for the Kobe 8. This is probably one of the most requested reviews I get asked to do and I just happened to dig them out for the NXT 360 review so here you go. And for comparison sake, here are reviews for the
One day I’ll find my pair of Kobe VII’s and finish writing the Kobe IX so I’ll have literally reviewed 1-360.
Pros: traction, cushioning, fit, stability, containment, low to the ground nimble feel
Cons: low walls on insole causes some pinching between upper and insole, very squeaky insoles (not really a con just a note)
Best for: light on their feet guards
Weight:
10.5 ounces which is pretty much lighter than anything out there the past few years including the NXT 360 which weighed 12 ounces.
Traction
Fantastic traction even with this semi translucent outsole. I’ve never had a major issue with these even on dusty floors and if you’re one of those believers that the squeakier the better you’ll love these. Minimal wiping on dusty floors, great bite when clean 👍
Cushioning
The second year of the Kobe system features a full length Lunarlon drop in insole. It’s comfortable and feels very low to the ground which a lot of players will like. I like the minimal feel but it isn’t for me in the long term especially with neuromas in my feet. You can pinch through the forefoot cushioning fairly easily which shows how low to the ground the 8 plays. One of my teammate who is a marathon runner loved the 8 after I recommended it to him just because I knew it fit his game and his preferences. In his own words it felt like a running shoe.
I do not like the low walls on this drop in bc of the pinching but it isn’t something that makes or breaks the shoe for me, just an annoyance.
As with all Lunarlon set ups, the lifespan of the cushioning is short relative to Boost and Zoom but even in its deadened state, it doesn’t feel bad since it is directly underfoot but it just doesn’t spring back like it used to. No aches or pains with this old set up of course your mileage will vary depending on your fitness and flexibility level. As I said in my 360 review, I think the 360 cushioning is better, more refined and definitely much quieter. The squeakiness of the Kobe 8 is almost comical when walking around.
Fit
True to size for everyone.. isn’t that simple?
Zero heel slip out of the box no issues fit wise at all. Just a nice extension of the foot. Nike does the fit on lows better than everyone else, sorry Nike haters.
Materials
Engineered mesh. No fancy moniker aside from the word “engineered”. When Nike says FLY or ELITE anything then you know it’s their premium product. The upper works fine with no pinching or weird flexing or even any real break in time.
You can see that “engineered” means strengthened by ribs to give just enough flexibly but retain strength
What if the 8 was made of Flyknit? Really not any difference, maybe it sits a hair or two closer to your skin but it doesn’t make the shoe play any different. It might feel softer but does that equate to anything measurable ? Did your feet fatigue faster because of engineered mesh? If so, please go work out.
Support and stability
Since this is a low support comes from the fit and heel counter. No issues here at all with the firm heel counter and excellent fit.
Midfoot support is also good with a carbon fiber shank (are you listening NXT 360 or Mamba Instinct/rage)
You can see I can only bend the forefoot of the 8 thanks to the shank
Stability is excellent as well due to a very flat outsole and low to the ground set up plus a super tiny outrigger.
I really liked how stable and low the 8 feels and had zero fear wearing these during physical or meaningful games. Great job Nike!
Containment
No issues here aside from insole pinching since they raised the external “midsole”.
Conclusion
The Kobe 8 is an extremely fun runner like shoe that virtually every person I know enjoys. It is one of those shoes that makes you feel faster even if you really aren’t moving any quicker than normal. It is probably the closest thing to a running shoe made for hoops that you’ll ever find.
It doesn’t feature the newest cushioning set up or the latest and greatest upper material but it gets the basics right with a very low silhouette and weight which is why it plays like a true low. Full range of motion up top with a nice stable base gives us the best of both worlds.
Despite its very inconsequential flaws, I’d rank these behind the Kobe 4 and 6 but ahead of the 5 due to the traction. These are still pretty easy to find on eBay and secondary market apps like GOAT and Stock X so if you’re looking for a running hoop shoe, don’t fret, it’s still easy to obtain.
schwollo.com 
I want them bad but they never sell kobe 8 under retail.
Btw, what are your favorite shoes to get rid of knee pain?
I have curry 2.5, kobe ad nxts but they give me lots of knee pain after 2 hours of indoor play. I have harden vol 2s which is better but still leave me with little bit of pain after 3 hours. I am a guard so it is really hard to find shoes with amazing cushion with good responsiveness.
Did u have any knee pain in highschool when playing basketball? Just wanna know if it is only me.
Thank u for awesome review!
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No shoe will get rid of knee pain. They might help hide it or slightly lessen the severity of it on some days. better to strengthen your legs hips ankles glutes and improve flexibility especially around your ankles
Nope no knee problems in high school no knee problems now either (knock on wood).
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Hey schwollo,
Solid review! I was wondering if you would be reviewing the Nike zoom live 2 by any chance. Personally, I feel like it’s a budget model that keeps up with, if not outperforms many of the signature shoes coming out these days. There’s hardly any reviews of this underrated shoe anywhere on the internet right now, but the reviews that are there all praise it in some way. I would love to see your input and opinion of it. Thank you for your quality content as always!
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Sounds like you already love it don’t need my approval lol I have tried them on and they fit great cushioning felt ok .
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Well constructed Kobe and probably the greatest performing model of this signature line.
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Great review, and fully agree on the runner design and I love them. I bought the Easter CW about 5 years back. Love playing in them. Containment was awesome. Can’t remember though how traction performs. They are still sitting in my closet, but last time I hooped in them (couple months ago) traction was basically ZERO. The outsole pattern is till there (not too worn) but I was literally sliding on court all the time. Is it because the rubber got old and lost its grip?
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It’s possible it dried out a little but I’m not sure. When that happens just wear around outside to scuff off layer
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would you say the mamba mentality 2’s run shorter and narrower than these?
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Yep just by a little
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so tts in these and half a size up in the mamba mentality 2’s for a wide footer? thanks for the in depth, thorough reviews. enjoying your reviews. keep up the good work!
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I could fit tts in the mamba mentality 2 but most wide footers will want to go up half a size . Half a size up was more comfortable without any heel slip
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awesome. thanks for the reply.
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Hey Schwollo, I’ve been playing in these for the last year, and am thinking of getting a pair of kobe VII (7) to replace these. How do the 7’s fit compared to these?
(PS: I wear an 8.5 in the Kobe 8’s and they fit me perfectly length and width wise)
Merry Christmas!
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Kobe vii is very different than the 8. Stiffer upper and zoom set up (very good). Very good traction . Some heel slip but if you cut the insole at the heel it isn’t too bad. They fit true to size
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So just to confirm, when you say that they fit true to size, do you mean that they fit true to size both width wise and length wise!? I’m a bit surprised haha, since that outrigger looks like it’ll cut up my feet.
Thanks!
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Length wise mostly they run a little tight bc of the upper material. I went true to size and they worked out fine though.
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Schwollo, when you get to your Kobe 7 review, could you please show us how you cut the insole at the heel to mitigate heel slip?
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Did you get a pair ? You just cut some of the “wall” off the heel . Try your pair first some ppl may not have heel slip
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