My love for sneakers came from the Air Tech Challenge II “Hot Lava”, the Reebok Insta Pump Fury and the Saucony Grid 9000. The sneaker culture strongly influenced my lifestyle by giving me a passion and hobby . Every week on Shelf Life, I’ll bring you the top sneaker releases based on my love and knowledge of the sneaker industry, as well as other pairs that might have sparked my interest.
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This week’s highlight is of course #MambaDay (4.13.2016) where Kobe Bean Bryant plays his last NBA game against the Utah Jazz. To celebrate the ending of the Mamba Era, Nike is releasing a unique Nike iD pattern for the Kobe XI EM which is available for a limited time. Many other Nike and Jordan Brand releases will be coming up this weekend, but other brands just laid back and took a weekend off from releases. With that being said, here are my top picks of the week.
Nike Kobe XI EM “Mamba Day” iD
This Nike iD version of the Kobe XI EM is the ultimate piece to commemorate Kobe’s last game in his final season in the NBA. Personally, I have a huge amount of respect for Kobe as he is the one who helped me discover the game of basketball , the sport that gave me a passion in my early childhood. I still remember playing in Hong Kong outdoor courts with my older cousin, blocking every single shots I took.
This iteration of the Kobe XI has an engineered mesh upper containing numerous stats celebrating the 20 incredible seasons the Black Mamba had with the Lakers. This black and gold mesh compliments nicely Kobe’s prestigious career and gives this shoe a very luxurious look. I have designed a couple of variants, but am still torn between which I should invest in. This piece a must-have for any self-respecting Lakers and/or Kobe fan.
The Kobe XI EM “Mamba Day” is now available on Nike for a very steep $300. The catch is that this variation is only available until April 14th 2016 at 10:30PM, 24-hours after Kobe’s final tip-off. For die-hard Kobe fanatics, these will be a great piece of memory, especially to commemorate the 60 points Mamba dropped.
Nike Kobe XI Elite “Brave Blue”
Available at: Capsule
Release Date: Available Now.
Color: University Blue/Brave Blue/White
Retail Price: $265
Shelf Life: Wild Card.
Estimated After-Market Price: $300
Air Jordan Retro IX Low “Bred”
Available at: S. Tabak, Courtside Sneakers
Release Date: 4.16.2016
Color: Black/White/Gym Red
Retail Price: $235
Shelf Life: Sell out within a week.
Estimated After-Market Price: $250
Nike Air Foamposite Pro “University Red”
Release Date: 4.16.2016
Color: University Red/Black/Black
Retail Price: $295
Shelf Life: Sell out within the day.
Estimated After-Market Price: $350
Nike Lab Free Huarache Carnivore
Available at: Off The Hook, Haven
Release Date: Available Now.
Color: Obsidian/White
Retail Price: $260
Shelf Life: Sell out within the day.
Estimated After-Market Price: $300
The Brag Affair 