Whether he takes home the first Super Bowl ring of his career or not, New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is already making a case for the game’s most notable footwear.
For his first Super Bowl appearance, Diggs tapped longtime collaborator Dan “Mache” Gamache for special customized cleats inspired by classic Kobe Bryant sneakers.
Ahead of the big game, Diggs laced up a cleat inspired by the “Leopard” Nike Kobe 7 from Christmas 2011. Colored in a matching purple, neon yellow and red color combination, the shoe’s most distinct trait is its spotted upper, which is sometimes nicknamed cheetah.
The Nike Kobe 7 Christmas was worn by Bryant on Christmas Day in ’11, when the Lakers faced the Chicago Bulls. Along with 2010’s Grinch Kobe 6, the Leopard look is widely regarded as one of Bryant’s best sneakers as well as one of the top holiday-themed styles in sneaker history.
After the coin toss, Diggs switched to another cleat inspired by a notable pair worn by Bryant: 2008’s “United We Rise” Nike Hyperdunk from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Shifting from the colorful pre-game look, Diggs’ in-game pair donned a more Patriots-apropos red, white and navy look. Though the ’08 Hyperdunk was not an official Bryant signature sneaker, the late NBA legend wore the style in Beijing. With its tattoo-like patterning, the United We Rise style was reissued for the first and only time in 2016.

Stefon Diggs’ custom Nike Kobe 7 Christmas and Nike Hyperdunk 08 United We Rise sneakers.
@mache275
Unlike the United We Rise Hyperdunk, Bryant’s Christmas Nike Kobe 7s have not been rereleased since their ’11 debut. Unlike models such as the Nike Kobe 3, Kobe 4, Kobe 5, Kobe 6 and Kobe 8, the Kobe 7 has not yet received a Protro release, which was Bryant’s own idea for “performance retro” versions of his classic sneakers.
Both custom styles worn by Diggs won’t be released, but Nike has a selection of Kobe Bryant styles available now from nike.com.








