Sneakerheads line up for release of Nike homage to Kobe Bryant’s Lower Merion roots

Malcolm France idled near the storefront at 11th and Chestnut Streets, gripping a Dunkin’ iced coffee in one hand and a green raffle ticket in the other. By 10 a.m. Saturday, as Center City was just beginning to stir, the 25-year-old from West Philadelphia had already been biding his time for more than five hours — since 4:40 a.m.

His caffeine fix was running dry.

He needed a nap.

Then the store owner asked, “OK, who’s got 0-0-1?”

France was among the first few sneakerheads in the country to cop a pair of shoes from Nike’s homage to Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant’s Lower Merion roots. On Saturday, Lapstone & Hammer — a go-to retailer for premium street styles in Philadelphia — released select models early, first-come, first-served. The full collection will be widely available Monday — the 30th anniversary of Lower Merion’s 1996 state championship win and Bryant’s first brush with greatness.

» READ MORE: Kobe Bryant rose from Lower Merion superstar to NBA legend with Los Angeles Lakers

“This is a big moment for the city. This is a big moment for Kobe collectors,” Lapstone & Hammer owner Brian Nadav said.

Saturday’s drop included two Air Force 1s in Lower Merion maroon and white ($120), as well as apparel and a store-exclusive Dunk Low Protro ($130).

This is Nike’s first version of its popular Dunk model in “Protro” or “performance retro” — nostalgic and classic silhouettes with modern construction and technologies, according to Nadav. The designs features Easter eggs from Bryant’s Aces era: white satin to mimic a jersey; maroon chenille Nike swoosh; a No. 33 jersey emblem; a sheath and snake on the soles; his signature on the heel.

Embroidered on the shoes’ tongues: “Friends hang sometimes” and “Banners hang forever.”

“It ties all back to where it all started,” said France, who posts sneaker-related content on social media. “Lower Merion is the most important part of [Bryant’s] legacy.”

Austin Rosen, a sixth-grade teacher at Welsh Valley Middle School in Lower Merion, was fourth in line. Rosen’s shoe obsession (his collection is upward of a hundred pairs, he said) grew out of a love for basketball: “I’m a big sneaker guy, I like collecting Kobes, and when it has a Lower Merion connection, it’s definitely more personal.”

In an age when scoring the latest shoe releases involves refreshing internet tabs and fighting off hundreds of thousands of simultaneous consumers and bots and price hikes, in-store releases are scarce. But Rosen said he felt camaraderie with his fellow sneakerheads — a subculture of footwear connoisseurs and curators excited by exclusivity and the next “hot” shoe. (As of Saturday afternoon, some of the Nike x Kobe sneakers had already appeared on the secondhand market for more than $250.)

And the patrons were as much an education in streetwear as the product: They wore Fear of God hoodies, baggy camo pants, sweatsuits, Kith for Salomon collabs, and “panda” Air Jordans — coveted athleisure brands and styles.

» READ MORE: A look inside Philly’s sneaker culture

Aesthetics, banners, and records aside, Bryant is also remembered for his work ethic and “Mamba Mentality.” In an Instagram video promoting the soon-to-be-released metallic silver and Aces red Kobe 5 Protro ($200), legendary Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer said Bryant’s “love of winning, his no-shortcut attitude, and his dream to be the best” transcend his tragic 2020 death.

“Kobe became the Mamba here in Philadelphia,” Nadav said. “There is so much likeness for the Philadelphia mentality and the Mamba Mentality.”

After only a few minutes inside the store’s amber glow, France emerged, elated, with a shopping bag in tow.

Then he immediately got back in line to snag another pair.

» READ MORE: Sneakerheads line up for Nike Dunk Low ‘Philly’ shoes at Center City store