Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was a professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Philadelphia on August 23rd, 1978, he played 20 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, and retired after his final game on April 13th, 2016. Bryant passed away on January 26th, 2020 as a result of a fatal helicopter accident. He was 41 years old.

Just as fans remain extremely dedicated to the late Laker legend, demand for his footwear is at all-time high. Nike’s “Protro” series (a portmanteau of Performance Retro) brought back plenty of iconic Black Mamba models in colorways new and old. Mamba Day in April brought a three-pack of massive releases- the Kobe 8 “Venice Beach,” Kobe 6 “Italian Camo” and Kobe 4 “Philly” all sold out instantly after dropping on the 12th. Later down the line, it would appear the Kobe 8 Protro is returning in GR-like “Team Bank” colorways this Fall, as images of simple, tonal pairs like the “Hollywood Nights” and “Wolf Grey” have emerged on a consistent basis over the past several months.

Bryant’s time with the Three Stripes continues to be a central piece of their basketball strategy as well. The Crazy 8 and Crazy 98, each worn by Bean in the early stages of his Lakers tenure, get new releases on a semi-regular basis. Additionally, models like the adidas Crazy IIINFINITY and Mad IIINFINITY represent how creatives at the German giant spin the design language of his signature adidas shoes into the future.

Looking ahead, select 2025 releases have already been tipped off for both brands. In Beaverton, the Nike Kobe 8 “What The” and Nike Kobe 6 “Sail” are the first confirmed pairs on what’s sure to be a packed slate next year. In Germany, the Crazy 2 will receive its second-ever retro, returning for the first time since the 2010s.

Below you’ll find our latest coverage of Bryant’s footwear from Nike and adidas, including new colorways, photos and release dates.

Kobe Bryant

NBA Feet: Weekend Recap – 11/2 – 11/4

A heat-filled weekend of NBA Feet in the form of Air Jordans, Foamposites, LeBrons, and others, so let’s get right to it! Rajon Rondo broke...

By John Kim November 5, 2012
25127

Nike Basketball “Gold Medal” Pack – Release Reminder

Get one last taste of Gold Medal glory tomorrow, as Nike Basketball releases the famed quartet of hoop hard-hitters in the Nike LeBron X+, Nike...

By John Kim September 28, 2012
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Nike Basketball Gold Medal Pack – Release Dates

It’s been a little more than a month since Team USA took home the Gold at the London Olympics, but spirits are still high; at...

By John Kim September 17, 2012
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Team USA vs. Spain – Gold Medal Game Recap

Team USA has done it again. It wasn’t as easy as some expected, with our men’s Olympic basketball squad being tested a couple of times...

By Brendan Dunne August 12, 2012
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Nike Basketball “WBF Fireberry” Pack – Release Reminder

For the time being our men on Team USA are stuck in the red, white, and blue, representing on the national stage by delivering many...

By John Kim August 3, 2012
5822

Team USA vs. Dominican Republic

Could this year’s USA Olympic men’s basketball team beat the 1992 Dream Team? Of course we’ll never get final word on that impossible but question...

By Brendan Dunne July 13, 2012
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Nike Basketball “WBF Fireberry” Pack

The World Basketball Festival is set to go down tomorrow in Washington DC and in Paris this weekend followed by a ‘finale’ event in Barcelona...

By John Kim July 12, 2012
7472

NBA Feet: Around The Playoffs – 4/30 – 5/2

All eight Playoff match-ups have moved beyond to Game 3 (the Indy/Orlando series are already gearing up for Game 4) and we’re starting to get...

By John Kim May 3, 2012
13364

Nike Basketball Elite Epic Pack

With the launch of the Nike Basketball Elite Series, footwear designers and consumers had to re-think the conventions of a ‘basketball shoe’. In what was...

By John Kim May 1, 2012
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