A similarity in shoe designs isn’t taken kindly in the sneaker world. Companies aside, the sneakerheads don’t care even if the shoes are under the same brand. Previously LeBron James’ 21s caught the wrath of the fans as they alleged it was a copy of Kobe Bryant‘s sneaker. Now, WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu is facing a similar issue from a certain section of fans after her latest release.

When Sabrina 1 was released, it became the most successful shoe launch ever led by a women’s basketball player. The Liberty star was overjoyed at the sight of it. “I was trying to scream out the window that I loved her shoe,” she expressed when she saw her shoe being adorned by someone. Come July 2024, she was no less enthusiastic about the next stop her first signature shoe had led her to.

She had dived into the littlest of details to get the Sabrina 2 embraced by all. “I wanted consumers to open the box and be able to see themselves in the shoe,” she said via Women’s Health.

The first one of her collection came in a ‘court vision’ a shade of violet with the swoosh in a black reflective. Plus also launched the Icy Blue ‘Conductor’ and red ‘United’ colorway, which she wore in the finals. Instead of the regular white swoosh, she had the gold swoosh which one can say brought her the luck.

Now after winning the Olympic gold, Sabrina Ionescu is ready to launch the ‘mirrored colorway.’ It has primary elements of black, metallic silver, and smoke gray. Also, a yellow Nike logo on the outsole. The logo on the sides is as the name suggests reflective logo. Not to forget Sabrina’s personal “S” logo is prominently showcased on the tongue. The price as per different sources is $130 for Adult Unisex and $100 for Grade School.

It was developed as 28 grams lighter than the Sabrina 1 and still functions as soft and supportive. Added with a new feature of Cushlon 3.0 foam midsole, it will be the first basketball shoe to don that. But as much as the first edition was loved, Sabrina 2’s new colorway, hasn’t got a few on board.

Fans berate Nike and Sabrina Ionescu for disrespecting Kobe

As per fan theories, the latest sneaker from Sabrina Ionescu is very similar to Kobe 5 Blackout. On StockX, the Kobe Bryant can be bought with a bid, and the previous sale was from $200 to $899. Knowing the fact that retro isn’t sold anymore, especially the black edition, fans voiced their frustration. A fan wrote, “Cheap KOBE.”

While the other felt it was disrespectful because Sabrina 2 was relatively cheaper than Kobe 5 Blackout. “The fact yall using her shoe as a budget kobe model is disrespectful asl.” There are similarities, but yet the shoes feel different at the same time. However, a fan compared it with another Nike athlete’s shoe.

“They weren’t lying, it looks just like the JA2.” For now, JA2 has leaked only in the ‘Stargazer’ colorway. It has a purple rubber sole and a midsole in a darker purple, with white spots emulating a galaxy design. However, some fans do believe it is an inspiration from Kobe, because of how close their relationship was.

Sabrina was mentored by Kobe during her later years in UConn. She has often expressed her gratitude and even paid tributes in her own ways for the role he played in her life. She continues to honor it today, in mentoring Bianka and more recently, running to the Bryant family courtside after Olympic finals. Some believe this provides a solid reason for the similarity between the shoes. “She definitely copied Kobe shoes i know she is a big kobe fan,” one wrote.

Speaking about the finals, the men’s team players also wore Nike Sabrina 2s. Celtics duo Jrue Holiday and Derreck White wore them through the tournament. And a fan rightly pointed out its popularity. “She makes the best shoes in the WNBA.”

Do you agree that Sabrina Ionescu and Kobe Bryant sneakers are similar? Or is it just an inspiration? We will have to wait for the Liberty Star to spill the beans.

“Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.”