Official Images Of The Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacurial”

New shots of the crossover hoops colorway.

Matt Varga September 9th, 2026 (updated)

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The World Cup may be in the rearview, but as the Nike Cryoshot series demonstrates, it’ll take some time before fútbol stops being a reference point in the big brands’ catalogs. Another postscript is in the works in Beaverton as more detailed images of the Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacurial” roll in.

This colorway was originally minted in 2013, taking cues from Nike’s boot roster in an expression of Bryant’s love for the beautiful game. Specifically, the purple/pink gradient, spell-out text on the medial side, and mini Swoosh adapt details from the contemporary Nike Mercurial Vapor 9 on shelves during that same period. Hi-vis neon green trim only adds to that, serendipitously befitting the on-court flash that’s become inescapable in performance wear.

Zooming out, this adds to a long lineage of Kobe footwear styled after his various non-basketball sporting interests. The ongoing partnership between Kobe Brand and Barca is top of mind in that regard, expected to crop up again with the Kobe Dunk “Barcelona” and Kobe 3 “Barcelona.” True to the late legend’s adolescent fútbol career, it’s also resulted in some earnest cleat releases; 2025 saw two Phantom 6 colorways, and this hoops edition will drop alongside a Kobe Mercurial cleat.

As mentioned above, the Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Mambacurial” drops on September 19th globally, retailing for $200.

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WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Mambacurial"

SKU: IO6253-500

RETAIL PRICE: $200

RELEASE DATE: Sep 19, 2026

US 09/19/2026 Saturday

Retailer	Release type	Status
Sneaker Politics	Standard	Coming Soon
Nike SNKRS	Standard	Coming Soon
Foot Locker	Standard	Coming Soon
DICK'S	Standard	Coming Soon
TAKOUT NY	Standard	Coming Soon
SNIPES US	In Store Only	Offline Only

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Additional Images Of The Kobe 8 Protro Mambacurial

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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.