A Kobe and Gigi Sneaker Sold For $3,500 And Vanessa Bryant Is Heartsick Over It
Here’s how this shoe violation likely happened.
Sneakers get leaked or released too early all the time; it’s part of sneaker culture and what makes the hunt for dope kicks so exciting. So hearing that a shoe not approved for retail got into the hands of a consumer is nothing new—unless it’s a posthumous Kobe Bryant shoe marked not for sale by his estate.
Now that’s something spicy and different.
This is why Vanessa Bryant immediately voiced her displeasure on social media after seeing the Kobe 6 Protro Mamba Forever, aka “Mambacita,” in the hands of a consumer. Not just because the shoe was released after Kobe’s death, as there were shoes already scheduled to release posthumously, but because Kobe’s contract with Nike expired in April 2021, and Vanessa asserts this shoe was not included in his deal for sale.
So the retailer messed up by sending the wrong shoe, but the real question is this: How does a shoe not meant for sale end up at a retailer?
Furthermore, the shoe was intimately designed by Vanessa and included tributes to both her husband and her daughter, Gigi, who also died in the 2020 helicopter crash. Details like the number 2, Gigi’s jersey number, the black-and-white colorway for Gigi’s team colors, and the inside of the shoe featuring wings, a halo, and a butterfly were all unique to this leaked version of the Kobe 6 Protro.
In an Instagram post, Vanessa says the Mambacita sneakers were not approved to be made and not approved for sale. She goes on to state that Nike had not sent any of the shoes to her or her daughters. So the question remains: How the hell does something like this happen?
When I saw this news, I immediately thought of the Beyoncé moment of “Somebody’s getting fired!” But as the day progressed, I realized there was more nuance to it all.
Images of the Mambacita shoe were actually posted on Sneaker News and other shoe sites less than a month ago with no comment from Vanessa about it not being approved for sale or production.
