Sportswear giants Nike are set to release a special edition version of their hugely-popular "Kobe 5" basketball shoes to honor the late NBA superstar, but fans are already worried about the cynical motives of the reseller market.
Images of the "Lakers" edition of the Kobe Bryant-inspired "Kobe 5" sneakers were posted online by noted sneaker-fan Twitter account @J23app.
But, while the fan excitement about the possibility of owning a special pair of tribute sneakers was palpable online, there were also those who warned resellers to steer clear from trying to profit from the NBA superstar's death.
Also on rt.com People are shamelessly hawking Kobe Bryant memorial souvenirs – but with so much fake mourning, what did we expect?"All the people trying to get these to resell need to go away," posted Twitter user @_8x24_, while another replied, "to all resellers, don't you dare buy these to make profit."
One way for Nike to avoid a reseller controversy over their tribute sneakers would be to mass-produce the shoe, with fans making that point on social media.
"Please @Nike release these everywhere with high stock especially for EU," posted @AndrewJRoberts. Another similarly-minded sneaker fan, @DKise_2112, said, "I hope it's a massive GR (general release) so all fans can get it and resellers won't try to make a profit."
Twitter user @Z_D_Huang agreed, saying, "It’s really up to Nike whether or not they want these to be profited by resellers and thus disrespect Kobe and his family. Make these a big GR, kill any resale value, then Nike would be praised because everyone would be able to get one and at the same time make a ton of money."
Of course, the world of social media always offers counter-opinion, and one cynical fan made their voice known with an alternative take, saying, "The only reason Nike is selling these, is to reap the benefits of his death."