Nike Kobe Fade to Black
A retirement tribute to Kobe Bryant.
Nike Basketball commissioned the shoe box design for the Kobe Bryant Fade to Black series, a special limited edition marking his retirement. Nike recreated all 13 shoes designed for Kobe across his career, each one fading from white to black. The box carries the same story, wrapped in snake scales made of stone that follow the fade, a quiet nod to the Black Mamba.
Creating the Scales
The heart of the project was studying how snake scales look, form, overlap, and interact in movement. Based on those observations, a set of scale variations was created and laid out to match the formation of real snake skin. Once the pattern was finalized, the stone material was built and applied across the scales along a gradient, fading each one from white to black. Several patterns were explored through the R&D, with a few overlaid to create the final effect.
Credits
Creative Direction
Erick Goto
Design & CGI
Hussain Almossawi
Photography
Kith NYC
Client
Nike Basketball
Get in touch
Copyright
© Mossawi Studios 2026.
Mossawi Studios, a New York-based
design and CGI product visualization
studio. Please do not reproduce without
the express consent of Mossawi Studios.
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