On Monday (January 29), Vanessa Bryant revealed a brand-new Valentine’s Day version of the Kobe 8 sneakers. The red kicks are embroidered with burgundy hearts and a white Nike swoosh. Also featured are some stylish red laces and a burgundy heel.
On Instagram, Vanessa referred to the shoes as her “Valentine’s Day PEs/Wifeys 2024.” This comes just days after the four-year anniversary of the death of her husband of 19 years, Kobe Bryant. He tragically died with their daughter Gigi Bryant in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Some of Vanessa’s celebrity friends commented on her post. Former Kobe teammate Matt Barnes wrote “Dope” to describe the footwear, while singer Ciara left heart and fire emojis to show her support.
The Valentine’s Day Kobe 8s will officially be part of the Kobe 8 collection. However, the shoes will not go on the market. These shoes were made exclusively for Vanessa by Nike.
Still, social media users and Kobe fans took their love for the shoes and for the player online.
Last year, on what was to be Kobe Bryant’s 45th birthday, Nike debuted the Kobe 8 Protro “Halo.” The all-white sneakers were designed by Vanessa Bryant herself. “This will be one of many Kobe 8 ‘Halo’ styles coming soon,” Vanessa wrote on social media along with the drop date.
Another version of Kobe 8s that will be available for the public to purchase comes in two colors: “Court Purple” and “Radiant Emerald.” These sneakers feature the numbers 24 and 8, which were the two jersey numbers Kobe wore when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 seasons.
The Kobe 8 “Court Purple” and “Radiant Emerald” sneakers drop on February 8, 2024.