Andrew Rizzo Nike is closing out a memorable year of Kobe Bryant shoes with Air Force 1s inspired by a PE from the 2002-2003 NBA season. The white colorway releases through Nike SNKRS and retailers on December 6th for $130. Our “Where To Buy” section below contains a comprehensive list of all stores holding raffles.
WHERE TO BUY
Nike Air Force 1 "Kobe Bryant"
US 12/06/2024 Friday
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| Retailer | Release type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nike SNKRS US | Standard | Coming Soon |
| Sneaker Politics | Raffle | Raffle |
| Concepts | In Store Only | Offline Only |
| TAKOUT NY | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
| Foot Locker | App Only | App Only |
| Extra Butter | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
| Denim Exchange | EQL | EQL |
| A Ma Maniere | EQL | EQL |
| Social Status | EQL | EQL |
| APB | EQL | EQL |
| SNS | App Only | App Only |
| Corporate | Raffle | Raffle |
| Undefeated | Standard | Coming Soon |
| Up NYC | Standard | Coming Soon |
| Premiumgoods | Raffle | Raffle |
| Foster | Raffle | Raffle |
| All the Right | Raffle | Raffle |
| Manor | Raffle | Raffle |
| Feature | Standard | Coming Soon |
Europe 12/06/2024 Friday
| Retailer | Release type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| END. | Raffle | Raffle |
| Foot Patrol | Raffle | Raffle |
| Foot District | Raffle | Raffle |
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- Nike Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” Sneaker Politics
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- Nike Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” Sneaker Politics
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- Nike Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” Sneaker Politics
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- Nike Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” Sneaker Politics
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- Nike Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” Sneaker Politics
To properly appreciate the Air Force 1 “Kobe Bryant” requires a trip back in time to Kobe’s sneaker free agency stint. After parting ways with adidas, the Mamba entered the 2002-2003 NBA season unsigned and with the ability to wear whichever sneaker brand he pleased. With hopes of inking the Lakers star to a contract, Nike, Jordan Brand, Converse, AND1, and Reebok all gave Kobe player edition shoes to wear. Nike came out on top, and the rest is history.
Of all the models Kobe wore during that memorable stretch of time, the Air Force 1 is far and away the most significant. Kobe famously broke out a white and orange mid-top while visiting New York’s Rucker Park in the summer of 2002, and once the season began, the AF1 Mid became the first non-adidas model he wore on NBA hardwood.
The upcoming Air Force 1 Low “Kobe Bryant” is directly inspired by Kobe’s first ever Lakers Nike PE, complete with the same “Varsity Maize” over “Varsity Purple” double Swoosh. Kobe’s signature logo is debossed onto the lateral sides of the heel, also making cameos on the insoles, inner portion of the tongue, and right backtab. The left backtab, meanwhile, comes with “8” stitching as tribute to Kobe’s first NBA jersey number.
Nike has also crafted a limited-edition black Kobe Air Force 1 featuring all-over branding, although it hasn’t been loaded onto SNKRS at the time of this writing. The white colorway is set to launch via SNKRS and retailers on December 6th, carrying a retail price of $130. Scroll up to our “Where To Buy” section for a full list of all stores holding raffles.
