Benjamin Lee Allen
Nike Zoom Kobe VI “Orange County”
Twitter: @jamen_allen/Instagram: jamenallen
My holy grail is the Kobe VI “Orange County.” The overall appeal – with the insane color scheme – makes this shoe, in my eyes, pure perfection. With Kobe being my favorite player/idol, it was a no brainer for me to choose his line of sneakers while hooping competitively in my high school days. I sported multiple pairs of Kobe 1s and 4s – among others – until I graduated in 2010. A few months after graduation, I ruptured my Achilles, like the Mamba himself, although I was about half his age. The tendon was surgically repaired in January of 2011, which led to many months of laying in bed, playing 2k11, and buying shoes for my comeback. I still remember the day the images surfaced for this release and how excited I was; my girlfriend at the time even set her alarm to try and cop a pair. I was confident after copping my pair of 2011 White/Cement 3s online, even though the Kobes were a limited release. Unfortunately, you guys know what happens next: the shoes sold out instantly and my girl and I missed out. I’ve missed out on many shoes in my day, but this day will always stand out as the worst miss in my involvement with sneakers. To this day, the White/Cement is my last successful online purchase. I’ve searched for these shoes on eBay, frequently, over the past couple of years but have not been able to find a DS pair in a size 13 at a reasonable price. The day I have these in my possession will be the greatest day in my involvement with sneakers.
