Kobe Bryant unveils Beethoven-themed Nike trainers

7 August 2014, 12:19 | Updated: 8 August 2014, 17:36

Basketball star Kobe Bryant has revealed his line of new trainers for Nike, entitled 'Kobe 9 Elite Low "Beethoven"'.

The shoes are the latest in a long line designed by Nike and Bryant, but as yet these are the first to show any kind of classical influence.

Described by Nike as "Bryant’s most innovative shoe to-date, featuring three leading technologies: Flyknit, Flywire and Lunarlon."

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As for the name, the inspiration for the shoes apparently came from the composer's Symphony No. 9 in particular: "The Kobe 9 Elite Low Beethoven pays tribute to the German composer and pianist, and more specifically the power of his Ninth Symphony from the early 1800s. The grey color of this colorway represents Beethoven's timeless quality."

It's not the first time, though, that Bryant has declared his love for Beethoven. Himself a keen learning pianist, Bryant has previously stated that he finds the composer's Moonlight Sonata especially relaxing.

He also appeared in an advert for Lenovo playing Beethoven on the piano.

The 'Kobe 9 Elite Low "Beethoven" shoes are due to be available in the US from August 16th, and will retail at $200 a pair. You can see more pictures of the shoes here.