Nike devised a genius plan to market its new Kobe Bryant sneaker via the Caitlin Clark hype train, and it probably worked a lot better than they expected.
The sportswear giants, who held a years-long partnership with the former Los Angeles Lakers superstar, released a limited edition Kobe 5 Protro PE in Fever colors on Monday morning.
Despite the sneakers launching to the tune of 9,000 pairs, they sold out in under a minute.
Nike dropped the kicks exclusively via their SNKRS app and select retailers at $190 a pop, which resulted in long queues, apps crashing, and resales on platforms such as StockX and GOAT.
The PS5 nightmare all over again…
Fans React To Incredible Caitlin Clark News
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News of the shoes selling out in mere seconds garnered several reactions on X.
“Nike doesn’t deserve Caitlin Clark,” one fan declared.
“And the players in that league are still. Trying to take her out. No one wants the wnba to fail more than its players,” another chimed in.
“Going by for $300+ on eBay,” someone pointed out.
“I seen them in 3rd markets for around $ 4,000 they were sold out too,” another stated.
“Imagine if it was her own shoe and design🤯🤯,” another user dreamed.
“I heard it was 22 seconds,” someone claimed.
The sneaker isn’t Caitlin Clark’s signature shoe; Nike is still working on that and plans to release it in late 2025 or early 2026. However, it is her first official Nike Player Edition to hit the market.
Clark is one of the most popular athletes in the world at the moment, and fans are keen on getting whatever merch they can. We can’t imagine what it will be like when her signature pair drops.
