Will The Nike Kobe 9 Hype Train Slow Down?

The Masterpiece

The amount of hype that led up to the Kobe 9 Elite has been incredible. Leading up to the release of the Kobe 9 Elite was the Kobe Prelude Pack, an amazing collection of shoes that drew inspiration from art and pivotal moments in The Black Mamba's career. And for the most part, it looks like the hype has paid off, with resale values skyrocketing for all shoes in the Prelude Pack, as well as the first two Kobe 9 colorways.

"Maestro/Devotion"

As of today, two styles of the Kobe 9 Elite have hit the Philippines, and both have sold out in stores. The first to drop was the "Masterpiece", a stunning high top that sports a beautiful multicolor tapestry of a upper made out of Nike's Flyknit material. And a few hours ago, the NBA All-Star Game release known as the "Maestro" sold out as well. In terms of sales, things are looking good for the Kobe line, despite Vino not having played a single NBA game in his new shoes. But there's a part of me that keeps thinking that the spike in sales has a lot to do with the insane hype and the limited nature of both releases so far.

From L-R: "Perspective", "Detail", "Inspiration" 

Three new Kobe 9 Elite colorways are slated to drop in March, beginning with the "Inspiration" (3/1), followed shortly by the "Perspective" (3/8), and the "Detail" towards the end of the month (3/22). All three colorways are said to be General Release, which will give people a better chance of picking up pairs and limiting the chances of their resale value to go as high as they've been so far. And as incredible as Nike's efforts have been to send the Kobe 9 hype into overdrive, I do hope it starts to slow down soon. Having to deal with resellers and spending more than you should on a pair of shoes is rarely an ideal scenario because all it means is that your chance to walk in a store for a pair of shoes you like was taken from you.