Nike bringing back Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes on what would’ve been his 42nd birthday

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes are returning to stores for the first time since Nike pulled them from shelves following his death in January.

The items will go on sale starting August 23, which would’ve been the Lakers superstar’s 42nd birthday. Nike has christened the release as “Mamba Week.” Orange County, where Bryant lived, has declared Aug. 24 as Kobe Bryant Day, after his jersey numbers with the Lakers, 8 and 24.

The shoes are all variations of the Kobe V Protro and come in five colorways:

? “Big Stage,” available Aug. 23 for $180, features a white, black and gold color scheme and tattoo-style design commemorating his 2009-2010 championship season.

? “5x Champ,” on sale Aug. 24 also at $180, is a tribute to his five titles and features black and purple patent leather finish with gold accents.

? Kobe V Protro x Undefeated “What If,” available only at Undefeated stores starting Aug. 27, comes in two versions: one features the colors of the 12 teams that passed Bryant in the draft and the other is done in the colors of the Charlotte Hornets, the team that traded him. Nike hasn’t released a price.

? “Girls EYBL,” on sale Aug. 29 for $180, pays tribute to Bryant’s late daughter, Gianna, and the next generation of girl basketball players out there.

In addition, Nike is re-releasing the Lakers’ 2017 City Edition jerseys, which come in black and are done in a faux-snakeskin print, for $120 on Aug. 24.

With the exception of the “What If” shoes, shoppers can find initially the items at nike.com and the SNKRS app.

———

©2020 The Plain Dealer, Cleveland

Visit The Plain Dealer, Cleveland at www.cleveland.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.