Did Nike Make an Error on This Limited-Edition Kobe Bryant Sneaker?
One of the more welcomed sneaker surprises of the year arrived on Dec. 6 with the Kobe Bryant-themed Nike Air Force 1 Low “Away” limited to only 8,000 pairs. Although the shoe had been teased for some time, the 8,000-pair detail wasn’t public knowledge until late November and helped drum up some extra buzz for the release. However, not everyone’s purchase turned out as expected.
Numerous sneaker fans have taken to social media to share pairs of the black Kobe-branded Nike Air Force 1s without the individually numbered tag on the insole. Given that the limited nature of the style is part of its allure, it’s understandable that some buyers have been disappointed to discover the missing detail.
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The black Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low sneaker was released Dec. 6 exclusively from select Los Angeles retailers including Authentix, Bait, Creative Soul, Denim Exchange, Drip, Feature, Foot Locker, Kings, Millennium Shoes, Private, Sally’s, Shiekh Shoes, Shoe Palace, Undefeated and Union.
The same day, a less-limited Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Home” was released in white. That release was inspired by a matching Air Force 1 Mid worn by Bryant during his sneaker free agency during the 2002-03 season.
The “Away” Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low features a black leather upper with the late basketball legend’s sheath logo in a repeating all-over print. Purple and varsity maize accents give the shoe a decidedly Lakers feel. The heel of the left shoe features embroidery of Bryant’s “8” jersey number while the right dons his sheath logo.
There does not appear to be any common thread between pairs that are missing the numbering. The issue exists across multiple sizes and stores. On X, retailer Bait wrote “most of our pairs don’t have numbers that customers are picking up” and that it had reached out to Nike regarding the issue.
The discrepancy between numbered and non-numbered pairs has made its way to resale marketplaces. On StockX, the sneaker has separate listings for each version of the shoe.
Nike did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
