# Athlete-Designed Gradient Sneakers These Nike Shoes Were Created in Collaboration with Kobe Bryant By Mishal Omar | Published 2016-08-12 | Updated 2016-08-15 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gradient-sneaker References: [hypebeast](http://hypebeast.com/2016/8/nike-kobe-11-elite-master-of-innovation) & [kicksonfire](http://www.kicksonfire.com/nike-kobe-11-elite-master-of-innovation-release-reminder/) As part of the 11th pair of shoes in the [Kobe](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ader-error-tokyo-space) collection, [Nike](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-max-plus-6) has released a pair of gradient sneakers. The shoes are titled 'Master of Innovation' and were designed as an homage to the famous basketball player Kobe Bryant -- who has collaborated with the brand for some time now. The gradient shoes start with a yellow front that is made multi-dimensional with orange and green colors and it slowly fades into a metal gray towards the middle of the shoe. The rest of the shoe comes in various shades of gray and white, allowing the yellow stand out. These [gradient sneakers honor a prominent figure](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/linen-edition) that has been more involved in the designs of the shoes in his collection than any other athletes that Nike has collaborated with. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 39% | Activity: 41% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Athlete-designed Sneakers:** Collaborating with athletes to design sneakers opens opportunities for unique and innovative shoe designs. - **Gradient Sneakers:** Creating sneakers with gradient designs allows for visually striking and artistic footwear options. - **Personalized Athlete Collections:** Developing personalized collections with athletes allows for brand collaboration and customization opportunities. ### Who This Affects Most - **Sportswear:** The sportswear industry can benefit from athlete-designed sneakers by offering unique and stylish footwear options for athletes and sports enthusiasts. - **Fashion:** The fashion industry can explore the trend of gradient sneakers to create visually appealing and statement-making footwear for fashion-forward consumers. - **Athletic Brand Collaborations:** The athletic brand collaboration industry can capitalize on personalized athlete collections by partnering with prominent athletes to create exclusive and highly sought-after products. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sky-Inspired Gradient Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dusk-colorway.md) - [Bold Tonal Gradient Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-max-plus-6.md) - [Retro Gradient-Detailed Joint Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/courtposite.md) - [Gradient Tonal Limited Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lorenzog-2.md) - [Athlete-Honoring Apparel Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/halo-2.md) - [Sunset-Inspired Tonal Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-max-dn-1.md) - [Bold Gradient Tonal Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aqua-colorway.md) - [Vibrant Orange Performance Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/total-orange-colorway-1.md) - [Makeup Artist-Crafted Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/air-max-dn-silhouette.md)