Matt Varga If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, the Nike Kobe Protro line is in great shape, now supporting half a dozen silhouettes and managing demand from both the performance and “hype” angles. The vertical is now primed to greet another entrant with the upcoming retro effort for the Kobe 3, a shoe left untouched from its original run outside of the catalog-spanning “Prelude” and “Fade to Black” collections. Moreover, the Nike Kobe 3 will check off its first brand-new colorway in over 15 years via a Protro “Christmas” colorway at the end of the year.
News of the model’s return was already tipped of via the Kobe 3 “Halo,” meeting a colorway that’s been the “introductory” step for many of the current Protro roster. However, this “Royal Pulse/Chrome/White” edition signals an earnest red carpet treatment, likely trending towards multiple new looks in the future, much the same way the Kobe 9 has developed its own in the time since its re-entry. Though the sectioned composition of the model has always made it better suited for simplistic looks, at this stage it’s unclear how exactly these shades will be applied. That’s particularly true given how Kobe’s shoes have interpreted the Holiday in abstract, out-of-left-field fashion.
Zooming out, the Kobe 3 marks a hinge point in the lineage of Kobe shoes. As the final step before the seminal Kobe 4, the silhouette marked the last high-top design in the Mamba’s arsenal until the Kobe 9. Additionally, the TPU caging that envelops the shoe stands out in Bryant’s vertical because of the switch to Flywire immediately after. As with all Protro product, expect a modern update to the shoe’s original tech specs once it arrives, likely injecting new cushioning tech into the sole.
The Nike Zoom Kobe 3 Protro “Christmas” is currently slated for a Holiday 2025 release, but retail pricing is currently unknown. Watch our Sneaker Release Dates page as the year goes on for further updates as they come.
Our own speculative mock-ups are featured throughout this piece — they are intended only to get a sense of the colors on display, not reflect final product. Initial info via Sneaker Files.
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