Kobe XI ‘White/Black’ – Should You Buy To Flip?

Find release dates and info for the Kobe XI ‘White/Black’ on Nike.com. Follow all new releases with the Nike Launch Calendar.

Source: Kobe XI ‘White/Black’

I know it seems random for me to do a Should You Buy on a Kobe, especially when you can find Kobe’s on sale everywhere at discounter prices and the guy is no longer in the game. But there is a reason I’m doing this. It’s directly related to experience. Last year when the Kobe X Fundamentals released, every one slept on that shoe. I didn’t. I picked about 30 pair at below retail and it turned into one of the best releases of the year for me. That model was a bit different. It was all white with a translucent outsole and a black sockliner which was a game changer. I sold that shoe last year at 265.00 a pair.

This year might be different right? I guess the better question is should you buy to flip?

First check: I hit Flight Club first. Today is 9/20/2016. FC doesn’t have the Kobe X which is a good sign. This means no one sent the shoe in on consignment and they sold out of their own pairs. Most of the time you would be worried about the next model in a similar colorway, but to me I see this as a sign that this is shoe that people wear. It is dirt resistant and with the addition of an icy blue translucent outsole and a lighter build the shoe is definitely more daily wear ready.

This is a new thing I’m adding to give a shoe a rating for resell. Since I do 3 checks before my decision I will weight them on a scale of 1-9. The max points on a scale = +3

Rating = +3

Second check: I then go to eBay and use the Sold Listings feature to check how the last version is doing. Right now the people who have the Kobe X Fundamental are still selling the shoe on average for 233/pair. A Kobe X that was not hyped at all by any websites is still selling on average for +200 when other colorways are at City Gear and on third party sites selling for less than wholesale.

Rating = +3

Third check: I usually peep the Twitter feed, or check with my sources about how many pair are being released. I’m not doing any checks because I know that more than likely this Kobe will be a Footlocker release primarily. It probably won’t go to any other accounts. Although it is a GR, and there will be a lot of pairs online, the shoe’s availability will be limited by location. If no one stock locates the shoe, then you will be able to possibly use a discount and pick up pairs. This is going to be one of the last all white shoes to release and it is a comfortable, elegant shoe. Most important, it retails for 160.00. If you have a coupon you can get 20% off. That 160 price point to me makes this an even better deal than last years model, even with the differences.

Rating = +3

Should you buy to flip?

My total on a scale of 9 is a +9. That’s the best score I’ve given any shoe in this series so far. No one will be checking for this shoe. It will be available, but I think it will sell through at retail. The colorway and wearability is such a good thing on the Kobe XI “Fundamental” you can’t lose. It will be a huge seller in the Bay Area with Raiders fans and it will also be a hit with casual wear as the color is perfect for almost any style. I know this is not the usual culprit for Should You Buy To Flip… but I’m all about that action boss and every now and then you have to take a gamble. Resale price: between 210 and 230. Possibly 250 at the high end. More pics below.