The Nike Kobe 5 “Year Of The Mamba” In Red Is Exclusive To China

The Year Of The Snake starts off with a double bang.

Sneaker News January 18th, 2025 (updated)

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Timing for the Kobe Brand could not be better as 2025 marks the Year Of The Snake on the Chinese zodiac calendar. With the connection between the Eastern tradition and Kobe’s alter ego, the storytelling possibilities are rich and plentiful, and Nike’s keen on delivering that message immediately with the Kobe 5 “Year Of The Mamba”.

Not one, but two colorways of the updated Protro model are hitting stores in January; it starts with the purple “Eggplant” colorway on January 9th, followed by this University Red pair on January 18th. With the richness of the red and regal aesthetic produced by the gold, this second version speaks more to the Chinese philosophy.

Again, an official release date is confirmed for January 18th, 2025; the shoes will be available in Adult ($190) and Grade School ($120) sizes and will include a red/gold dust-bag as well as a special “Year of the Mamba” shoe-box. According to an official Nike announcement, this red colorway will be available exclusively in China.