Nike is rolling out the red carpet for the first-ever Mamba Programs in College Basketball. University of Southern California (USC) just debuted its Kobe 8 PE via Instagram yesterday, joining UCONN as the first school to receive its PEs. The USC Trojans showed off three pairs of Kobe 8 PEs, with one to match each of their uniforms.
All three pairs of the Kobe 8 USC PEs show off the school's traditional cardinal and gold with their own distinct color blocking. One pair features a cardinal upper with a gold swoosh, heel, and undercarriage. The second pair uses white for the upper and has cardinal-colored soles and highlights, while the third pair is dressed in black with gold details and a cardinal Kobe logo. The cardinal and white pairs have traditional USC logos on the tongue, but the black pair is scrawled with "SoCal" instead. With Bronny James joining the Trojans squad this year, we'll have to wait and see if he suits up in the Kobes, stays true to the James Gang, and wears a pair of LeBrons.
Please don't get your hopes up on ever securing a pair of the Kobe 8 USC PE, as these are made for this year's basketball team, and that's it. They may save a few pairs for boosters and recruits, but these will likely never see a SNKRS App release. There are still a handful of Mamba Program schools left that have no PEs, so follow us on Twitter and Instagram to see what happens next.
Images via @uschoops