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It's worth noting from the off that this Nike Zoom Kobe V isn't getting a release. It's also known as the "Inspector Gadget" version of the shoe, but that's strictly unofficial. This weekend's too hot to break out the big guns, and we meant to feature this shoe a few weeks back. We know you're all about the football this weekend, or that you've buggered off to Glastonbury. Seeing as there's an all-too-rare shorts weather sighting beyond the window, we were going to focus on hi-tops for the next few days with a Jordan focus, until we decided to up the Kobe V, one of the few low-cut basketball shoes. That's a high-concept theme scuppered in an instant. With a curiously muted England away fanbase seemingly staying out of trouble in South Africa, we knew we could rely on Lakers fans for some old-fashioned carnage. They didn't disappoint. And this colourway, that would look downright appalling on some other shoes, looks decent too.

The frequently airborne Lakers guard Shannon Brown seems to be a big fan of team mate Kobe's latest signature shoe. While he underwhelmed during a dull 2010 All-Star Slam Dunk contest, we think he would have had a spot more visual clout if he'd worn these for the event. Reportedly a runner-up in Nike's Shannon Brown iD Slam Dunk competition, it's a lot better than the eventual winner. We thought they might see the court for the finals, but Shannon opted for some synchronized shoes via the "Big Stage" colourway. That's when we realised this player edition was a goner. Was Gadget's attire, red light and robotics the actual inspiration? We don't know, but it's eerily similar. Or was it another attempt at evoking the Mcfly/Air Mag makeup? "Throw it Down Shannon Brown" is printed on those footbeds, and it's all very official in execution.

While the sole's two shades of blue is obnoxious, given Shannon's almost bionic ability to take off, they create a fine focal point for the gravity-defying moments the man executes. These will stay MIA, but we're interested to see whether a Nike "Throw it Down" line ever materialises officially. Far better than the crappy Matthew Broderick 'Inspector Gadget' interpretation, and lacking the cartoon's moral conclusions too. Seeing as we mentioned the McFly/Mags, what's been the outcome of these recently unearthed patents for a real-world version?

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