Matt Varga The Nike Kobe 1 Protro is officially back on the menu. One of the faces of the early Protro movement, Bryant’s debut silhouette with the Swoosh has largely remained dormant since the release of the “81 Points” makeup. Fittingly, the Nike Kobe 1 “81 Points” is already reported to be one of the looks that’ll bring the shoe back to market, but now word is trickling out regarding a potential partner: the Nike Kobe 1 “Work Blue.”
As with any leaks of this nature, only the color codes are entirely set in stone, this time a tri-tone blend of “Work Blue/Summit White/Metallic Gold.” Speculation on narrative elements is usually a fool’s errand at this stage, but anything baby blue in the Kobe canon immediately sets our sights on Minneapolis, especially relevant given Beaverton has already explored the OG Lakers on this model. Zooming out, this second colorway serves as tacit confirmation that the Kobe 1 will be back in the fold for 2026, continuing in an expansion of the Protro series that’s branched out from core models like the Kobe 4 and Kobe 6 into more unexpected retros like the Kobe 9 and upcoming Kobe 3.
The Nike Kobe 1 Protro “Work Blue” is reportedly set for a Spring 2026 introduction, placing it somewhere between January and March. Get a (very) preliminary sense of the colors at work via our imagery at the top and a Sneaker Files mock-up below.
WHERE TO BUY
Mens Nike Zoom Kobe 1 Protro
US 2026
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| Retailer | Release type | Status |
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| Nike SNKRS US | Standard | Check Site |
