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

25 Classic NBA Players and the Sneakers They Should Have Worn

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2013 NBA All-Star Locker Room Sneaker Line-up

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By John Kim February 21, 2013
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NBA Feet: Weekend Recap – 1/18 – 1/20

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By John Kim January 21, 2013
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Sneaker News Top 30 of 2012

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By Sneaker News December 28, 2012
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NBA Feet: Weekend Recap – 11/9 – 11/11

Sneakerheads are taking over the NBA! This past weekend was filled with awesome kicks, like DeMar DeRozan’s Air Jordan XIII ‘Altitude’, Nate Robinson’s Air Jordan...

By John Kim November 12, 2012
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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
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NBA Pre-Season Feet: Weekend Recap – 10/19 – 10/21

Another weekend of top-shelf NBA action in Pre-Season form went down, and if the collection of on-feet fire is any indication as to how great...

By John Kim October 22, 2012
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NBA Pre-Season Feet: Weekend Recap – 10/12 – 10/14

We’re slowly creeping up to the 2012-13 NBA Season, so what does that mean? The best NBA Feet coverage out there. If you’re an NBA...

By John Kim October 15, 2012
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NBA Feet: Weekend Recap – 5/4 – 5/6

The NBA Playoffs continued over the past weekend, as we got a look a select number of new sneakers as the teams shifted ‘Home’ and...

By John Kim May 7, 2012
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