In front of the entire world on a live webcast, Nike and ten time NBA All-Star and current MVP, Kobe Bryant unveiled the Nike Zoom Kobe IV. The shoe is Nike’s lightest basketball shoe ever weighing only 11.6 ounces, about 10% lighter than the Nike Hyperdunk.

As the game of basketball evolves, so too does the required equipment and footwear. For his fourth signature shoe with Nike, Kobe worked with Eric Avar, Nike’s Creative Director of Performance Footwear, to create a lowcut shoe even lighter than the revolutionary Nike Hyperdunk.

In order to create an extremely light shoe that provides stability, cushioning, and the ability to perform at a professional level, Avar used Flywire in the upper, LunarLite foam in the forefoot, Zoom Air in the heel, and a full-length Phylon midsole.

The Nike Zoom Kobe IV will initially release in China beginning January 1, 2009, but will make its way to the US retailers in February contrary to information previously released. At the conference, Kobe showcased the Nike Zoom Kobe IV in a handful of colorways that include a Home, Away, “Carpe Diem”, and special Christmas Game Exclusive that he will wear against the Boston Celtics December 25th. Check out the colorways available to the public after the jump.