THE OFFICIAL NIKE KOBE FOOTWEAR THREAD: RIP LEGEND 1978-2020. MAMBA FOREVER | 3 Releases 4/13

[rainking]

this is still so surreal

I’m still in partial denial. It still doesn’t feel completely real.

 

[therefill]

Swung by my local consignment shop today to pick up $80 for selling my black ZK 3s. They had been on sale there for $100 for the past year. I was in Finland for work all last week until I landed in LA Sunday night and found out what had happened. Before I even thought about it Monday, I got an email from the shop that said they sold. Today the dude told me a guy had come in either Sunday or Monday and bought up at least 15 pairs of Kobes they had, clearly to resell. I think I have about 21 pairs of Nike Kobes in my closet. None will ever be sold now.
After that today, I went to LA Live. Really amazing to see, and it was a help to me, and thousands of others, emotionally. Mamba Forever.

Really wish I could attend the memorial at LA Live. Unfortunately I don't live in LA.

 

[dgar08]

 

[Blue Mamba]

I should’ve gotten a a pair of the Exodus when they were available

 

[BRONBROW2020]

regret not having these : (

 

[GrizzlyAnimal]

 

[9th Wonder]

 

[vettez06]

I was always an MJ guy. My teenage years were the best times in the late 80s (a wonderful time for sneakers). I'm 43 and have lots of different shoes. I always played in Jordans mainly because they were his, but also they were mid cut so I have great ankle protection. Sort of a security blanket for my feet. Heck, I even wear dress boots from Doc Martin since the are high cut. Feel better when u walk in them on the lot (I sell cars).

So I didn't really get any of Kobe's Nikes when they came out. Mainly as his line started, I was dealing with my serious health issues (Ulcerative Colitus and a liver transplant). So passed on the early Zoom Kobes (though I loved the look of the 2 & 3). Once they went low cut, I just couldn't do it.

Then the 2016 All-Star game came around and I LOVED the colorway! Green glow & black. Loved it. Tracked down a pair months after the release and never wore them. One reason, I have too many pairs, lol, and second, I have a messed up big toe on my right (bigger) foot. It's basically a hammertoe from several times I broke it. Knuckle sits very high and with the stiff knit toebox, I can't wiggle it much at all (I need to have wiggle room in my shoes or my toes go numb/asleep). So I kept them. With the thought, maybe one day I'd figure out how I can wear them. Well, I'm gonna break them out now once the weather dries up (rainy in SE Pennsylvania). Here they are!!

But this isn't the only pair. Growing up when Kobe was drafted, I was turning 20 in September, and worked at Foot Quarters, a sister store to FTL & Champs. So needless to say, discounts! And I loved the Adidas line he had early on as they were so different (And Feet You Wear was one of the best inventions on sneakers ever). So I had the OG Top Ten 2000s, EQT Elevation, KB8 and KB8 II. So when they retried the Top Ten 2000 many years ago, I went and grabbed 2 pairs of the black/white. Played in one pair and kept the other DS! And when they retroed the EQT Elevation as the Crazy 97, I grabbed a few. Same with the Crazy 8 & crazy 98 (actually played in the black pair which was hot as heck and narrow, and kept the purple pair DS, and Crazy 1 (love the mesh playoff ones). Wish they sold the flag Kobe 2! Such a crazy shoe! Here they all are.

That's my Kobe collection. (The reason for 2 pairs of playoff Kobe 1 retros, is they crease like heck! Got a half size up and my size to see what fit better). My OGs are probably at my parents house and beat up as I wore those outside on the blacktop back in the day. But the retros Adidas did are very good. Wish they kept it going with a few others (KBIII and Kobe 2).

Can't really believe he's gone. As a Sixers fan, I hated the Lakers. But I respected his game fully and later in his career, I actually rooted for him as in the past discussions, between MJ & LBJ, Kobe ways seemed forgotten (how do you not include someone with 5 rings from 2 totally differently constructed teams). MJ will always be the GOAT to me (saw him several times in person) but Kobe was right behind and way ahead of LBJ.

RIP Kobe & Gianna. I'm sure your teaching her and her teammates some new moves on the court in heaven!

Dope story!

What’s crazy is, I’ve been into shoes since birth and was also a Jordan guy! I used to play ball a lot back in the day but around 97/98 doctors thought I had Ulcerative Colitis also but years later they said it was Crohn's.

I say that to say, I wasn’t healthy enough to play basketball so I stopped buying shoes to play basketball. I still bought Jordan’s and everything else. But when I saw early Kobe models, I only saw them *** shoes to play basketball in.

I remember all of his Adidas models, I remember when he didn’t have a shoe contract and switched shoes every two to three games. I remember the 2K Huaraches, but for some strange reason I do not remember the Kobe 1’s when they were released? I remember seeing the 2’s and 3’s and not really caring for them.

I wasn’t playing basketball because I wasn’t healthy enough so I didn’t pay attention to his shoes. I remember being in a Nike factory store trying on these

They were less than $50, I want to say they were $39. But again, I said to myself “I DON’T PLAY BASKETBALL” so I didn’t get them. I wear .5 size smaller for basketball so they were smaller than a shoe that I’d use just to wear.

I didn’t Really get into Kobe’a shoes until the 9’s. Since then, I have many Kobe but not as many as I would’ve had if I was into the shoes from the beginning.

What’s really strange is that I don’t remember the Kobe 1’s coming out back then, but they’re literally one of my favorite shoes now. And have been for about the past year. They’re Great for basketball! I have a few pairs, but with the prices now.

 

[fernz]

KOBE VI GRINCH

 

[skaterplayer808]

Looking through some of your guys’ recent photos, I’m jealous. Seems like most have kept their kobes in pristine shape over the years. I’ve always hooped in mine. I always made it a point to hoop in a pair until they fell apart before buying a new one. I still kept em at my parents place even though I no longer used em. This was back in my college days and before my sneaker head obsession. Now that I went back to pick em up and clean em, they still look terrible compared to everyone’s.

 

[therefill]

Dope story!

What’s crazy is, I’ve been into shoes since birth and was also a Jordan guy! I used to play ball a lot back in the day but around 97/98 doctors thought I had Ulcerative Colitis also but years later they said it was Crohn's.

I say that to say, I wasn’t healthy enough to play basketball so I stopped buying shoes to play basketball. I still bought Jordan’s and everything else. But when I saw early Kobe models, I only saw them *** shoes to play basketball in.

I remember all of his Adidas models, I remember when he didn’t have a shoe contract and switched shoes every two to three games. I remember the 2K Huaraches, but for some strange reason I do not remember the Kobe 1’s when they were released? I remember seeing the 2’s and 3’s and not really caring for them.

I wasn’t playing basketball because I wasn’t healthy enough so I didn’t pay attention to his shoes. I remember being in a Nike factory store trying on these

They were less than $50, I want to say they were $39. But again, I said to myself “I DON’T PLAY BASKETBALL” so I didn’t get them. I wear .5 size smaller for basketball so they were smaller than a shoe that I’d use just to wear.

I didn’t Really get into Kobe’a shoes until the 9’s. Since then, I have many Kobe but not as many as I would’ve had if I was into the shoes from the beginning.

What’s really strange is that I don’t remember the Kobe 1’s coming out back then, but they’re literally one of my favorite shoes now. And have been for about the past year. They’re Great for basketball! I have a few pairs, but with the prices now.

If you don't mind me asking, how did having Crohn's stop you from playing basketball? Larry Nance Jr. Is known to have Crohn's and he plays basketball at the highest level in the NBA.

 

[Kobekobe]

Looking through some of your guys’ recent photos, I’m jealous. Seems like most have kept their kobes in pristine shape over the years. I’ve always hooped in mine. I always made it a point to hoop in a pair until they fell apart before buying a new one. I still kept em at my parents place even though I no longer used em. This was back in my college days and before my sneaker head obsession. Now that I went back to pick em up and clean em, they still look terrible compared to everyone’s.

i hooped in all of mine but I had so many that there was no way to beat just 1 pair to the ground

 

[vettez06]

If you don't mind me asking, how did having Crohn's stop you from playing basketball? Larry Nance Jr. Is known to have Crohn's and he plays basketball at the highest level in the NBA.

There’s different medicines and different levels of treatment. I was on medication but it didn’t really work and I had flare ups. During the course of 3 years at my heaviest I was just over 220 pounds. That wasn’t my normal weight but I got lazy.

My normal weight was between 185-195. When Crohn’s hit at its worst, I was down to 130-135 pounds. And for years after that I’d struggle to get to 160lbs usually around 150-155.

Below is an excerpt from an article about Larry...


Nance was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when he was 16 years old. However, for several years before he received an official diagnosis, he suffered from symptoms of the disease – painful cramping, weight loss, fatigue, and stunted growth - with fatigue being the most debilitating. The extreme tiredness, a common symptom experienced by patients living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, impacted his life majorly.

“I didn’t deal with [the fatigue] well. I laid around the house all day, I had no energy [to do anything],” he said. “I slept in class and I wasn’t that kind of kid… I didn’t have the energy to practice or play [any sports].”

After several years exhibiting symptoms, his parents realized that something was seriously wrong and took him to see the doctor. After performing a few diagnostic tests, Nance was diagnosed with Crohn’s.

Based on his doctor's recommendation, Nance began a treatment regimen of infliximab (Remicade) and methotrexate, both of which he is still on today. He said the difference in how he was feeling was night and day after beginning the medications.

“Once we got [my disease] under control, I blossomed and started on the path that I’m on now [as a pro-athlete],” he said.

Nance grew nine inches from the time of diagnosis to today, and has gained nearly 100 pounds. But most importantly, his fatigue became almost non-existent”.

End of excerpt.

If you notice, he was struggling living with the disease until he got on his current medication.

I was on that same medication. That medication costs $6000 every eight weeks. Yes medical insurance helps, but the medication costs add up quick!

https://online.crohnscolitisfoundat...?NONCE_TOKEN=727A8CF6337EFA1F80C6331B287CFBA0

 

[wballz]

First pair of Kobes I bought. I don’t own many pairs of Kobes, but these have always been Top 5 in my entire collection

That's a top 5 on any collection.

 

[9th Wonder]

These today..

 

[geartype]

Carefully working on cleaning and restoring these up as best possible. A pretty special shoe following the Olympics.

Kinda hard to even handle em right now but all the respect and in honor.

 

[therefill]

These today..

Wish mine still looked this clean
It's crazy how that green pops outdoors but you almost can't even see it indoors.

 

[KilroyIverson21]

Reading all the Kobe stories is really cool. Thought I’d share mine. It all started in 8th grade for me (Kobe’s rookie season). One of my best friends and I were watching the rookie game. I instantly became an Allen iverson fan and him...a Kobe fan. I always respected Kobe and got a pair of his non sig shoesthe Adidas EQT top ten. Loved that shoe.

I’d grown up an MJ fan so I usually only bought Jordan’s. After that first pair of adidas, my next pair of Kobe’s after that we’re the 2k4, 2k5 and the zoom Kobe 1. After that I didn’t really care much for Kobe because of the MJ comaprisons and because he always destroyed my favorite teams and players, but I ALWAYS watched him because he was so good and I always respected him. Fast forward some more...I grew up. I learned that as a grown man, I probably shouldn’t be hating on another grown man that I don’t personally know and because he destroys my teams haha. I let it all go. The last pair of Kobe’s I bought were the XI. The last sig he played in. It kind of comes full circle for me because this pair was modeled after the air Jordan 3. What better pair for me to get than these?! Had to put these on today and get some shots up. Wished I would have got more pairs of Kobe’s over the years but I just didn’t, which I regret . Was actually eye balling 1s and 4s to hoop in but looks like I won’t be doing that anytime soon. Keep the stories coming folks.

 

[kstrick12]

 

[gwizzle]

Wore these last night! So many peeps hated on the original ADs SMH

One of my favorite Kobe models ever

 

[bobj885]

Been wanting to share these with yall but never got around to it. Something I love doing is trolling resellers on eBay or other sites (most of them don’t know jacksh*t about Kobes, they are just greedy sellers) and telling them these are worth more than all their Kobes and all their profit combined. Especially the disgusting people selling them for 500+ now. And most of them go “ok cool” and are too stupid to understand the significance of these. Originally I had thoughts about selling these (before last week’s tragic news) but I am gonna keep this piece of history forever now, rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita.

 

[gwizzle]

Been wanting to share these with yall but never got around to it. Something I love doing is trolling resellers on eBay or other sites (most of them don’t know jacksh*t about Kobes, they are just greedy sellers) and telling them these are worth more than all their Kobes and all their profit combined. Especially the disgusting people selling them for 500+ now. And most of them go “ok cool” and are too stupid to understand the significance of these. Originally I had thoughts about selling these (before last week’s tragic news) but I am gonna keep this piece of history forever now, rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita.

I’m assuming these are PEs? Bc this CW never came out lol

 

[bobj885]

I’m assuming these are PEs? Bc this CW never came out lol

Yessir, kobe‘s size 14

 

[mastralf]

Been wanting to share these with yall but never got around to it. Something I love doing is trolling resellers on eBay or other sites (most of them don’t know jacksh*t about Kobes, they are just greedy sellers) and telling them these are worth more than all their Kobes and all their profit combined. Especially the disgusting people selling them for 500+ now. And most of them go “ok cool” and are too stupid to understand the significance of these. Originally I had thoughts about selling these (before last week’s tragic news) but I am gonna keep this piece of history forever now, rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita.

Never ever sell those! That colrway is amazing!

 

[therefill]

Been wanting to share these with yall but never got around to it. Something I love doing is trolling resellers on eBay or other sites (most of them don’t know jacksh*t about Kobes, they are just greedy sellers) and telling them these are worth more than all their Kobes and all their profit combined. Especially the disgusting people selling them for 500+ now. And most of them go “ok cool” and are too stupid to understand the significance of these. Originally I had thoughts about selling these (before last week’s tragic news) but I am gonna keep this piece of history forever now, rest in peace Mamba and Mambacita.

WTF?? How did you get ahold of these!? As I've brought up so many times in the Kobe 11 thread already, I was so mad they never gave us this colorway!!

You would think Nike would create a GR Laker colorway for every Kobe sneaker, but for whatever reason they don't!