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Best Nike Kobe Shoes 2026
Legends never die: a sentiment that directly applies to the late Kobe Bryant, who passed away in January 2020 but continues to be regarded, and remembered, as one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. One way the 18-time All-Star, who put in two decades with the Los Angeles Lakers, lives on in the present day? Through none other than his circa-2003 Nike partnership, after Bryant’s wife Vanessa decided to extend his contract posthumously in 2022. (Following the announcement of the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s death, all in-stock Nike Kobe shoes promptly sold out.)
After concluding his sneaker free agency, Bryant signed with Nike in 2003. Their collaboration kicked off with a Nike Zoom Kobe I shoe, a high-top style.
Courtesy Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
Since then, key releases have included the “Mambacita” line — a tribute to the Bryants’ daughter, Gigi, who was also killed in the helicopter crash that took the basketball icon’s life — the Kobe “Halo” series, and multiple Protro rollouts. Short for “Performance Retro,” the latter collection updates archival Kobe designs with new-and-improved tech. Nike’s current Kobe styles are varied, spanning from sleek basketball shoes to recovery slides, but they’re all unified by a single concept: the “Mamba Mentality,” a term coined by Bryant to encapsulate his relentless pursuit of perfection and self-mastery.
“If you see me in a fight with a bear, pray for the bear,” the Academy Award winner once said (yes, Bryant also clinched an Oscar for his short film “Dear Basketball,” proving that there wasn’t much the star athlete couldn’t do). Each Kobe shoe, in turn, captures that fearlessness and helps wearers feel more equipped to take on anything life — or the game — throws at them.
No detail is left unconsidered in Nike’s Kobe assortment, with continuous allusions made to Bryant’s career and upbringing — right down to his high school alma mater.
Courtesy Nike
Below, the six best Kobe sneakers and other shoes to shop now, while waiting for much-anticipated upcoming arrivals like the Nike Kobe 5 Protro Dodgers and Nike Kobe 4 Protro “Draft Day” models. Both are set to drop this summer, and, in petty fashion, “Draft Day” reps the 13 teams that passed on Bryant before he ended up joining the Lakers in the 1996 NBA Draft.
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Nike Kobe 3 Low Protro “Mambacita” Shoe
Nike’s “Mambacita” lineup was unveiled in 2022, operating as a direct tribute to Bryant and his daughter Gianna “Gigi,” who were together when their helicopter crashed: killing everyone onboard. “Mambacita,” after all, was the nickname Bryant had for his second-to-oldest child — a feminine, lighter spin on his on-court “Black Mamba” persona. Per an agreement made with Vanessa Bryant, 100 percent of profits from the “Mambacita” line are being donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which “provides funding and sports programming for underserved athletes” and “boys and girls in sports,” as stated on its site. This shoe is no different.
Its upper features high-texture netting and is peppered with metallic gold touches, like Gigi’s name on the heel and her jersey number under the tongue (the girl played for both her school team and the Mamba Sports Academy). Performance-wise, this sneaker is a beast — what with Nike’s Zoom Strobel cushioning right under the insole for maximized impact absorption and responsiveness, as well as Cushlon 3.0 foam for superior energy return on and off the court, whether you’re busy practicing your turnaround fadeaway or walking to and from practice.
Price upon publish date of this article: $200
Nike Kobe XI EM Protro Basketball Shoe
The Kobe XI was the last shoe Bryant ever wore in his career. Just last month, it was reissued for the first time in a decade, now taking on two fresh colorways — one of them being this gold number–adorned “Mamba Day” style, surprisingly still in stock after an overwhelmingly positive reception. According to Footwear News’ previous reporting, “the numerals denote the dates of [Bryant’s] first and final NBA games as well as key statistics including his five titles and 81-point performance, which was the NBA’s second-best individual scoring output until Bam Adebayo surpassed it on March 10.”
Pay respect to that legacy by grabbing the $200 Protro arrival today, while supplies last. More details to appreciate include its lightweight nature; breathable and sock-like Flyknit upper; and Air Zoom unit at the heel, granting the kind of bounce that makes “nothing but net” more than achievable. A herringbone-patterned outsole, too, guarantees traction — swapping out slipping and sliding for head-turning (and point-making) squeakiness.
Price upon publish date of this article: $200
Nike Kobe IX Elite Low EM Protro Shoe
Within this shoe’s online product copy, Nike mentions Bryant’s unfortunate Achilles tendon tear back in 2013 (you remember the one) and ability to recover — both mentally and physically — with impressive speed after the incident. Responsible for that rebound was the “Mamba Mentality,” and you can subscribe to it with this Kobe IX Elite Low EM Protro silhouette. Fittingly enough, it’s a revival of the Nike stepper Bryant wore when he returned to his biggest passion a little under eight months post-injury… and you better believe its careful engineering will save you from any game-day mishaps.
The overachiever is pleasant to look at, sure, but is also chock-full of bells and whistles like a removable React foam sockliner, an outsole that aligns with the natural contours of the foot and its pressure points, plus a mesh composition that leaves sweatiness in the past. As Bryant once said, “You have to keep moving.” This shoe will be there for you every step of the way.
Price upon publish date of this article: $190
Nike Kobe Offcourt Slide
Newsflash: There are off days with the “Mamba Mentality,” since thorough recovery generates the energy you need to fake out opponents and stun refs with your footwork. Nike’s Offcourt Slide — selling for close to 40 percent off its regular price in some shades — is an apt choice for giving your fatigued feet the care they deserve after a particularly intense hoops session (or workout). Nike’s Kobe-specific, samurai-inspired Sheath logo showcases front and center here, representing the interplay between talent and pure, hard work. It’s complemented by an attractive snakeskin finish that’s sure to make a style statement.
Contoured, foam-supported, plush, and ground-gripping, the slip-on is something you’ll find yourself donning from the gym to the sauna to the hangout with the bros and back again: thinking of the “Black Mamba” each time you do so.
Price upon publish date of this article: $26.97
Nike Kobe Air Force 1 Low Shoe
Looking for a less technical and more lifestyle entry point into the Mamba universe? This Kobe Air Force 1 Low is your answer. Like the slide above, it’s wrapped in snakeskin — a subtle allusion to the fact that a black mamba is actually a type of highly venomous snake — and flaunts pops of red that honor Bryant’s alma mater (Lower Merion High School, where he played for the Aces basketball team). Naturally, you’ll also discover an embroidered Ace of Spades emblem on one of the heels, with the other beautified by the number “33” in red stitching: Bryant’s pre-NBA jersey number and the same one his father had during his high school years.
All the components you’ve come to know and love in AF1 low-tops (perforated toe box; padded collar; foam midsole) are found here once more, while being taken to new heights with Kobe-exclusive inclusions like those “Mamba Forever” lace dubraes: veritable status symbols, if you ask us. Sizes are selling out fast — as fast as Bryant’s first step was, dare we suggest.
Price upon publish date of this article: $120
Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro “Siempre Mio” Shoe
“Siempre mio” translates to “always mine,” which is not only the relationship we hope you foster with your new Air Force 1 Low Protro kicks but also a direct nod to the name of the Thoroughbred horse Bryant purchased with Spanish former basketball power forward Pau Gasol in 2012. The outcome of the joint investment? “An unbreakable brotherhood,” as Nike puts it, that extended beyond the professional sphere.
The sneaker’s equine references, similarly, extend beyond its title. Western-style embroidery, a pony hair–coated Swoosh logo, a horse-printed insole, and horseshoe dubraes (with the phrase “Siempre Hermanos” engraved on them) come together to immortalize this significant chapter in Bryant’s story. When the Air Force 1 was rolled out in the ’80s, it became the first Nike basketball shoe to contain Nike Air cushioning — now bare minimum for the brand. It’s safe to say Nike Air makes its home in this special-edition model yet again, augmented by ReactX foam for unparalleled, all-day comfort. Because when you’re training as hard as Bryant used to, you need every bit of that you can get.
Price upon publish date of this article: $150
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska regularly reports on trending footwear worth investing in — including basketball sneakers and Nike’s Kobe line in particular.
