The world lost much more than a basketball player when Kobe Bean Bryant passed away at the age of 41 yesterday. A wife lost her husband. Daughters lost their father. The world lost someone who inspired them to be better people and to work harder through life's challenges.
The sneaker world also lost one of its greatest icons. A man that changed the course of signature basketball sneakers forever through his favoring of a low-top design and attention to detail that pushed the realm of performance footwear.
Sadly, like with most tragedies, there are people looking to cash in on the passing of Bryant. In our world, they come in the form of sneaker resellers.
Prices of Bryant's sneakers have skyrocketed overnight. Pairs that resold for around $200 have jumped to as much $800 on platforms such as StockX. Messages of resellers in cook groups asking what are the best Kobes to buy right now are going around Instagram. People want to make a quick buck off one of the saddest moments in recent memory, and it's sickening.
Someone purchased one of Bryant's Adidas retro sneakers for $1,000.
Not everyone is OK with this going on. Jaysse Lopez, owner of Urban Necessities, a consignment store based out of Las Vegas and New York, is shutting down the profiteering off Kobe Bryant sneakers from his business.
In a statement, the store said:
"Consignors,
Due to the recent passing of Kobe Bryant and out of respect for his family and legacy, we will not allow price changes on Kobe items that are consigned. If you have increased prices on Kobe items, we will be reverting the price back to the original listing price. If you feel this is unacceptable and would like to request a return of your item(s), click the link below to login to your account, click "Dashboard" at the top and select "Return Request."
Vices, a store in Denver, has gone one step further and pulled all Kobe Bryant merchandise from its sales floor and is not accepting anymore of it at the moment.
It's a great gesture in a moment of grieving for everyone. We're not saying, "Don't resell your Kobe Bryant sneakers." He'd want you to be hard working, entrepreneurial, striving for a better future. But don't try and cash in on the grief of others right now. It's a classless move.
