Nike’s Kobe 9 “Christmas” To Get The Protro Treatment In 2024

With the Kobe Reverse Grinch having come and gone, more rumors of the Kobe Brand’s next releases continue to emerge. The latest?: A Nike Kobe 9 “Christmas” Protro is expected in 2024.

Shared by reliable leaker Sneaker Files, which broke the news of the aforementioned “Reverse” pair, the rumor comes ahead of the Kobe 9 Elite’s 10th anniversary. The “Performance Retro” line’s release cycle hasn’t followed conventional chronology, but it’s possible a reissue of the 10-year-old festive drop will be only one of a few Kobe 9 Elite Protros.

As has been the case with other re-releases, the newly-rumored pair – which Los Angeles Lakers center Wesley Johnson wore in a Christmas Day 2014 game against the Chicago Bulls as Kobe Bryant watched from the bench due to discomfort in the legs – is sure to return with all of the bells-and-whistles it featured last decade. Flyknit construction is still popular amongst some of Nike’s most innovative models – including the Alphafly 3 marathon shoe. The carbon fiber heel counter and Dynamic Flywire cables will also surely be a welcomed addition to the current performance basketball landscape, although sneakers today favor a lower profile, a trend set off by the Kobe 4. Midsole foam and traction patterns may see updates as they have on other Protro releases, however, fulfilling the late “Black Mamba”‘s desire to modify his signature sneakers to fit the needs of the modern game and its athletes.

Visually, the Kobe 9 “Christmas” Protro should look identical to the pair that originally released on December 26th, 2014. “Bright Crimson” appears all throughout the festive style, working in-tandem with “Black” and “White” contrast across Flyknit material and the sole unit. A touch of Christmas tree-green animates Bryant’s signature on the top of the (tall) tongue, nine strips on the spine, and porous sockliner. Together, each component on the festive pair captured the spirit of the holiday while also giving hoopers an eye-catching shoe to rock year round.

A firm Nike SNKRS release date hasn’t been confirmed by the brand as of this writing, but that’s likely to change as next summer rolls around. In the meantime, enjoy a closer look at 2014’s Kobe 9 “Christmas” ahead. The Protro version is likely to retail for between $200 and $230 USD.

For more sneaker news, check out the Air Jordan 4 “Bred Reimagined” set to launch in early 2024.