A newly created tradition within the Kobe Brand has been brought to life with August’s release of the Kobe 8 Protro “Halo”. The angelic all-white execution of the revamped 2012 model acted as an honorary tribute to the fallen hero while marking the genesis of the Kobe Brand, with August 23rd — which is also Kobe Bryant’s birthday — officially recognized as the date of this occasion.
For 2024, Nike will be reintroducing the Kobe 9 in both the high-performance Elite trim as well as the lower-priced EM edition. The former was offered in both a High and Low-top and featured a Flyknit exterior (the first time Flyknit was brought to basketball), whereas the EM opted for a lighter Engineered Mesh. According to information by the tag-team duo of @zsneakerheadz and Sneaker Files, all-white versions of both models from 2013 will act as the second installment of the Halo series. It is likely that the Kobe 9 “Halo” will kickstart the Retro “Protro” cycle for the shoes.
Currently, the Kobe Brand has been focusing on two models – the Kobe 8 Protro and Kobe 4 Protro – for the bulk of its 2024 plans. Already among the most worn footwear models in the NBA, the Kobe Brand will only strengthen its presence in the basketball community with the return of this timeless model. Stay tuned for more updates.
In other retro basketball news, the Jordan 12 “Cherry” is officially returning on October 28th.