Nike green ‘Grinch’ trainers selling for thousands online

The shoes worn by late basketball star Kobe Bryant are being rereleased for Christmas

(Nike)

Rare Nike Kobe 6 Protro green “Grinch” sneakers are selling for thousands online, as celebrities receive them for Christmas.

Late Los Angeles Lakers player and NBA star Kobe Bryant famously stepped out on to the court in a pair of these lime green trainers a decade ago, on the day they were released to the public on Christmas Day.

Bryant's widow Vanessa gave Kim Kardashian West and Kris Jenner each a pair of the distinctive kicks for Christmas this year, both shared footage of them receiving their presents on Instagram.

Kobe Bryant during the NBA game on 25 December, 2010 (Getty Images)

“OMG Thank you [Vanessa] I’m screaming!!!” Jenner wrote on her Instagram Story. “Love my Kobe’s!!!”

Kardashian West featured her unboxing the gift in an Instagram Story, with some fire emojis.

The Nike Kobe 6 Protro "Grinch" sneakers will be re-released to the public on Christmas Eve, in a tribute to Bryant, with the same bright lime green and red laces look – but with minor tweaks to the design, a new Air Zoom unit positioning and additional outsole patterns.

"It features a scaly, reptile-inspired upper with Lime Green colouring – a playful recolouring of Kobe's Black Mamba persona," writes Nike in the product details, plus "Lower, sleeker and faster-looking than before, it's fitted with a large, flexible Air Zoom Turbo unit, responsive foam and scaled-down traction for improved court feel."

The reissued trainers will go on sale for around £155, however, on resale and collector sites the classic shoes are currently fetching upwards of £1500 online.

Kobe Bryant first wore the trainers in 2010 during a game with Miami Heat, featuring LeBron James.

The late basketball icon tragically died in January 2020, during a helicopter crash while travelling from Orange County to the north of LA. Nike later sold out of all its Kobe Bryant merchandise online following the news.

Bryant family members have worn the Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Grinch” shoes during the holiday season, in memory of the star.