UPDATED 06/04/21 3:30 p.m. ET: After a pair was put up for sale on the platform for what converts to nearly $7,000, eBay has removed a listing for the “Mambacita” Nike Kobe 6 Protro.
As of publishing, the shoe has also been removed from Flight Club and GOAT, although it should be noted that the “Mambacita” Kobe 6 was never actually listed as for sale on either marketplace and only appeared on product pages. The sneakers are still currently listed on StockX.
See original story below.
After a pair of unreleased Nike Kobe Bryant sneakers with adornments referencing the late NBA legend and his daughter recently leaked, Bryant’s widow Vanessa took to Instagram early this morning to speak out against the shoes.
According to Vanessa, the “Mambacita” Nike Kobe 6 Protro (previously dubbed the “Mamba Forever” online) was not approved for sale—or even production. “I do not know how someone else has their hands on shoes I designed in honor of my daughter, Gigi, and we don’t,” she wrote. Now, we’re learning more about how pairs may have made it into the marketplace.
Social media commenters point to UK retailer Footpatrol as the source of the “Mambacita” product leak. A handful of customers have come forward with stories of winning a raffle for an entirely different pair of Nike Kobe 6 Protros only to receive the “Mambacita” pair in the mail. The alleged mix-up is supported by product images of the “Mambacita” Nike Kobe 6 scraped from Footpatrol’s website early by @brandon1an.
While early product images are common in the sneaker industry, this is far more complicated than a standard sneaker leak. According to Vanessa, when she chose not to re-sign the deal she also decided not to sell the shoes, which explains her confusion after discovering the images online.
It’s worth noting some of the pairs have found their way to resale marketplaces like GOAT and its partner, Flight Club. As of publishing, there is no indication that either platform has sold or priced the sneakers for sale. Meanwhile, a number of pairs are currently available from StockX, with a most recent sale of $2,146 and current asks ranging from $4,966 to $141,879.
Nike and Footpatrol have not responded to Complex’s requests for comment at this time.
