The Nike “What The” Kobe 9 Elite Protro Is Revealed

A 10th anniversary reissue.

Matt Varga May 5th, 2025 (updated)

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Beaverton’s continuing push behind the Kobe Protro line means that the family keeps growing. While we’re already aware that the Kobe 3 will become the newest entrant this Holiday season, the Kobe 9 currently holds that title. After chalking off the requisite “Halo” edition and bring-backs of the “Masterpiece” and “Christmas” colorways, the “What The” Kobe 9 is next up, queued up for April.

While fans have come to expect the “What The” concept to denote alternating make-ups between left and right shoes, this version of the Kobe 9 bucked the trend, instead embracing a (relatively) simplified multicolor. The narrative threads with the shoe are anything but plain, however, blending together many of the looks that’d go on to define the shoe’s original run: keen eyes can spot inspiration from the “Volt” quickstrike and “Detail” editions for this pair. In reassuring news for those around during the silhouette’s mid 2010s spree, the Protro pair at hand appears to reprise the shoe note-for-note, offering a second chance to those who don’t hold the 2015 edition or a second pair to those who do.

The Nike Kobe 9 “What The” is currently expected to release in May in adults’ and GS sizing, the former retailing for $240. Catch the official first look included below.

Nike What The Kobe 9 Elite Protro Fz7335 101 2 — Nike “What The” Kobe 9 @vanessabryant

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Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.