Updated March 27th, 2024: New detailed images of the Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Hollywood Nights” have been added, courtesy of @knowing_kicks. You can find a full gallery of them just below, with our original coverage around this pair further ahead.
Original article posted March 25th, 2024: In the past several years, one of the more seismic pieces of news in basketball shoes we’ve received is Nike’s announcement of the Protro program’s resumption. Bringing back a slew of iconic Kobe Bryant sneakers, the series has added plenty of hotly-anticipated drops to the 2024 release calendar. Via jw0574, we’re getting another, with our first look at a nocturnal upcoming Nike Kobe 8 Protro.
Even those with a passing familiarity with #24 will be able to clock the major influence. It’s a de facto “Black Mamba” pair, dipping a majority of the sneaker in pure midnight. However, as his pairs are wont to do, this edition pays homage to Lakers, centrally with the “University Gold” Swoosh and signature on the heel cap. The purple accents that solidify the LA tie-in comes at the spine, peering out at the rear as it dresses the triangular KB branding. Taken together, it adds a striking allusion to the “Hollywood Nights” jerseys that Kobe rocked dozens of times following their 2013 introduction.
This will slide into a long line of nocturnal takes on Bryant’s nickname, with editions of the Nike Kobe 4, Kobe 6 and Kobe 7 all relying on a similar palette. Though certainly a brighter counterpart, the Nike Kobe 5 “Bruce Lee” stands out as a comparison point given the spotlighted role that gold plays in the design of both.
The Nike Kobe 8 “Black/University Gold/Court Purple” is expected to release this fall, carrying a $190 retail price. You can find additional detail shots just ahead.
Elsewhere in Bryant’s product line, last week brought us official images of the long-awaited Nike Kobe 4 “Girl Dad,” as well as the Nike Kobe 4 “Philly,” expected for an April drop.