Kobe Bryant’s legacy permeates through the world of basketball and sneakers. Kobe’s influence will forever be celebrated from his signature line to the “Mamba Mentality” found on the courts throughout the world. After his tragic death, along with the heartbreaking loss of Gianna “Gigi” Byrant and others in January 2020, the love for Kobe Bryant and his icon status reached new levels. And rightly so. His kicks, his winning mentality, and his unwavering support for the next generation of ballers couldn’t be expressed in high regard enough.

 

Sadly, a lack of supply and a newfound amount of demand for Nike Kobe shoes have culminated in a disgusting amount of resell and profit-driven mentality that has led Kobe fans and sneakerheads empty-handed with the Protro series of the Kobe 5 and Kobe 6. The Nike and Kobe Bryant contract expired on April 13, 2021, five years after Kobe Bryant played his last game in purple and gold. Sources reported that the Kobe Byrant estate chose not to renew the Nike deal. Although reasons were not specified, venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar tweeted in December 2020 that Kobe Bryant was contemplating leaving the Swoosh to start his own sneaker brand by the name of Mamba. The meeting allegedly took place in 2019.

 

Vanessa Bryant has been vocal about the ending of the current Nike and Kobe deal and confirmed that two more colorways were on the way as a part of the pre-existing contract. Although the colorways weren’t confirmed, the Nike Zoom Kobe 6 Protro “Del Sol” is set to drop on June 11.

 

However, another Kobe 6 colorway surfaced online. The Nike Zoom Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” created a new buzz and speculation about whether or not the Nike/Kobe deal was renewed, if this was just a sample, or if this would be the final Kobe 6 Protro release.

 

Moments ago, Vanessa Bryant commented on the pair and demanded answers on how pairs were making their way into the hands of individuals. Not only did she confirm that she created the colorway as an ode to Gigi and Kobe, but Vanessa also mentioned that Nike confirmed the creation of the shoe but was not meant to be sold. She went on to say that the only way the “Mambacita” colorway would release would be under the condition that “100% of ALL of the proceeds goes to @mambacitasports so that Kobe and Gianna’s foundation is the only entity that benefits.”

 

Without having confirmation from Nike, there are two leading possibilities to what happened here.

 

Stolen, leaked, or authorized samples?

 

While her outrage is understandable, this may be another unfortunate case of miscommunication. Similar to her previous critique about Nike making recent Kobe Protos too limited, there’s seems to be a disconnect between the Bryant estate and how the sneaker creation cycle works. In that case, it would have been nearly impossible for Nike to up the production units in such a short period of time, during a global pandemic. Regarding her latest complaint, it is not uncommon for samples to find their way into the hands of people, even if said shoe never releases. It’s not a surprise that Nike would create samples of this tribute colorway, nor is it shocking that pairs would leak out. Early or unauthorized pairs making into the public is an issue that plagues every brand, but this also says a lot about the kind of clout chasing people who will use these products for attention online and often profit off demand. This is only fueled when every leaked, stolen, or authorized pair shown online is immediately validated by making headlines. Hopefully, the Bryant estate and Nike can clear the air on this so that the family can grieve without the constant distraction of sneaker rumors.

 

Were production pairs were made prematurely?

 

Nobody, including Nike, expected the business relationship between Nike and the Bryant estate to end so abruptly earlier this year. Nike’s optimism for extending the contract could have led to them putting retail pairs in production. This sounds like an irresponsible decision but given the timeline it takes to make a significant release amount, it’s possible pairs were made with the optimism that a new deal would be signed. Otherwise, the release of this shoe could have been delayed until 2022. There has been speculation online that a retailer received pairs of these and accidentally sent them out which would be a massive and irresponsible error on the part of Nike and the store. Now that this has become the biggest mainstream sneaker news of the week, we’ll likely get more information in the coming days to confirm.

 

UPDATE 06/03:

 

More complications regarding the alleged release of the Nike Zoom Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” have surfaced. According to MJO23DAN’s Instagram as well as other comments from around the sneaker community, Foot Patrol London accidentally shipped the “Mambacita” colorway when it should have been the “Del Sol” colorway.

 

According to the post and MJO23DAN’s source, the individual entered the raffle for the “Del Sol” and was accidentally sent the “Mambacita” colorway. Foot Patrol London followed up and is giving the winners the option to return the “Mambacita” colorway. However, this shipping mishap took place around May 14, according to the post.

 

Perhaps this shipping fiasco is what led Bucks star Khris Middleton to get his hands on the pair and even rock during Game 4 against the Miami Heat? This is all speculation and we hope more information surfaces soon.

 

Take a look at Vanessa’s comments in full, as well as a detailed look a the pair. Stay tuned at SoleSavy as we will continue to follow the story.