• Nike is reportedly dropping two “Space Jam” Nike LeBron 17 sneakers.
  • Unconfirmed images of one pair, the LeBron 17 “Monstars,” went viral on social media on Wednesday.
  • Nike later confirmed that the Monstars would be released at retail on February 13 for $225.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

When it comes to sneaker culture, hype is everything.

Nike is reportedly dropping two pairs of a new collaboration sneaker, though the athletic company has yet to confirm both of them to the public. Images and videos of one pair – the LeBron 17 “Monstars” – went viral on social media on Wednesday morning.

Bleacher Report Kicks, Bleacher Report’s arm covering sneaker culture, tweeted a video of what it said were the new sneakers and posted images of them on its Instagram account, which has over 1.5 million followers.

Sneaker resale marketplace GOAT's release calendar stated that the shoes are expected to drop during NBA All-Star Weekend on February 14-16, Sole Collector reported.

After an initial version of this story went live, Nike confirmed that the Monstars would be released at retail on February 13 for $225.

The Monstars would be a nod to "Space Jam 2," a film that will star LeBron James and come out in 2021, Sneaker News reported on Wednesday. Nike confirmed that the galaxy-inspired outsole was a reference to Monstars, characters in the film.

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The sneaker resale industry could be worth $6 billion globally by 2025, a Cowen & Co. analysis estimated. Those who can hack it have made millions.

Popular sneakers generally resell for much higher than their retail price because of limited releases and celebrity collaborations, which help fuel a culture of hype around the shoes.

GOAT did not return Business Insider's requests for comment.