Fans Are Not Happy With Nike’s Release Of New Kobe Bryant Products
Today marks “Mamba Day” worldwide, as fans continue to celebrate Kobe Bryant one day after his 42nd birthday. As most fans celebrate Kobe Bryant, some who tried to buy Nike’s new release of a Kobe jersey and shoes were met with disappointment.
Celebrating #KobeDay with 2 more Ls. 😭 @Nike, please fix your SNKRS app or increase supply. pic.twitter.com/WUr6k9sOsw
— John R Parkinson (@jparkABC) August 24, 2020
Recently, Nike released two products in honor of Kobe Bryant. The first was a pair of basketball shoes called the “Kobe V Proto 5x Champ” and the other was a basketball jersey called the “Lakers Edition Black Mamba.” In both cases, these products were released on Nike’s SNKRS application. However, within minutes these products sold out.
SNKRS app sucks, we want KOBE jersey and it is sold out in 5 mins! Wow! You guys suck, resellers profiting this jersey. It should be for everyone! https://t.co/wr6QKCGhRD
— Karl Reyes (@kingkarlsky) August 24, 2020
While losing out on desired products is frustrating, it’s even more upsetting when fans feel that unfair external factors played a role. Some fans blamed the application itself for showing them that they were ready to purchase the products but kicking them out of the checkout area inexplicably. Some fans blamed resellers and bots for buying up all the products and wanting to sell it at a higher price. This issue of reselling has plagued many releases and has forced some companies like TELFAR to adjust their release policy to make sure everyone can get a product.
Ultimately, events like this might be another stepping stone for apparel companies to reconsider how they do releases.