Photo credit: oneononetesters.com
With Kobe Bryant's recent passing, Nike removed all "Kobe" items from its online store. In lieu of any of these items, you will see only a digital gift card with the Laker's logo. Other sneaker shops are following suit to show respect and a refusal to profit from this heartwrenching event.
On February 7th, there was a planned release for a new colorway of the Kobe 5 Protro. This shoe was designed to celebrate his final NBA championship in 2010; complete with colors that represented the home (white) and away (black) versions of his sneakers, and of course, trophy gold. As of now, Nike is still making final decisions on whether or not the release date will stay as planned. According to ESPN.com, "the company [Nike] is reevaluating its ongoing strategy for releasing Bryant's signature shoe series".