The Sneaker That Captivated a Generation
“You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.”
Every time you hear this phrase, it's hard not to immediately be teleported back to your childhood, holiday spirit in full swing. Yet for hoopers and sneakerheads worldwide, the word “Grinch” has a different connotation.
The Debut
The Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” was released on December 25, 2010, in accordance with the Christmas Day showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. The matchup, boasting names such as Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and of course, Kobe Bryant, was sure to garner attention. Nike, looking to capitalize off of this opportunity, released this unique, sour apple green colorway of the Kobe 6 silhouette, bringing the design of Eric Avar to the market. The shoe was immediately embraced by the basketball community, with the limited release selling out nationwide– little did Nike know, however, that the peak of its popularity was still yet to come.
Kobe wearing the Grinches in the 2010 Christmas Day showdown against the Miami Heat
Kobe and Eric AvarThe Meteoric Rise
By the mid-2010s, the Kobe 6 “Grinch” was becoming a highly sought-after shoe to members of the basketball and sneaker community. It began to be resold on sites like eBay, with prices creeping up to the $200 mark– even though the shoe only retailed for $130.
As sneaker reselling became more commonplace in the late 2010s with apps like Goat and StockX gaining popularity, the hype surrounding this shoe only grew. These shoes, released all the way back in 2010, began to sell for upwards of $800 following the retirement of Kobe Bryant in 2016. Beyond the sentimental value, there was a deep appreciation for the design of the shoe. The combination of the iconic Kobe 6 silhouette with the bright tones of neon green that were impossible to miss on the hardware quickly raised the Grinch's status from a fan favorite to a fan obsession.
The Second Release; A Grail is Born
2020 was a sad year for basketball fans around the world following the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant. His legacy is forever cemented by his impact on the game, and not a day goes by where he isn’t missed. It was with this in mind that Nike decided to re-release the 2010 Grinch colorway, honoring his memory and celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the shoes’ original release in 2010.
This release swept both the sneaker and basketball world into a whirlwind of excitement. On the day of the release, the Nike site crashed multiple times due to the volume of people trying to purchase the shoe. When the dust settled, the shoes had sold out, and those who weren’t lucky enough to buy them for the retail price of $180 made their way to reselling sites like GOAT and StockX to purchase the pair of shoes for…. $400!
If the 222.2% markup for a pair of basketball shoes that just released wasn’t crazy enough, the volume at which they were selling was: these things were flying off of the digital shelves of resale websites. As somebody who played basketball when these were released, the reaction from consumers was palpable– if you didn’t have them, you wanted them, and if you had them, you were, to put it frankly, that guy.
The hype surrounding these shoes on social media was also insane– it seemed like every other reel or TikTok I watched was an unboxing or video of them on the court. A moment that forever cemented this shoe’s legendary status was when Sierra Canyon, Bronny James’s high school team, had the Kobe Grinches as a team shoe. Seeing so many exclusive and expensive Kobe Grinches at the same time sent the internet into a frenzy, garnering millions of likes and views across various platforms.
Bronny James and company wearing the Kobe 6 Grinches as a team shoe (2023)“Are those even real?”
A negative side effect of the combination of the popularity and exclusivity of this shoe was that not everybody was able or willing to pay the steep resale price. The solution? An influx of fake sneakers hit the market. Sites such as DHGate and PandaBuy were able to illegally create 1:1 replica shoes, or shoes that looked exactly the same as the real ones, and sell them for a substantially marked-down price. Consumers faced a tough question: Why should I spend $400 on a shoe when I can get one that feels and looks exactly like the real ones for $40? This moved the bar on what it meant to be that guy on the court– just having the shoes wasn’t enough, you had to prove that they were real.
2025: The Legacy Continues
The popularity of the Grinches hasn’t faded a bit. With their release being 5 years ago, even less pairs are in circulation– driving the current asking price to anywhere between $500 and $1,500. The popularity of the shoe isn’t limited to basketball, as it has become commonplace for athletes to make custom cleats inspired by iconic basketball shoe designs, particularly Kobes. Nike capitalized on this popularity, releasing the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 “Grinch” Cleat in late November of 2024.
Keenan Allen of the Bears wearing the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 “Grinch” Cleat
Ceedee Lamb of the Cowboys wearing the Nike Vapor Edge Kobe 6 “Grinch” CleatFinal Thoughts
The worst part about writing this article was constantly being reminded that I’ve yet to own a pair of these beautiful shoes. The Nike Kobe 6 Grinch is a legendary shoe for hoopers and sneakerheads alike and will be remembered as one of the most influential pairs of basketball shoes to ever exist.
Official images of the Nike Kobe 6 “Grinch” 
