Nike and Kobe Bryant have officially introduced the first wave of retro Kobes, starting with the Nike Kobe 1 "Protro" which is due to hit retailers on Sunday, February 17th.
'Protro,' a term which Kobe came up with, combines performance at the professional level and retro. Bryant did not want to simply re-release his classic kicks, he needed them to be functional for professional athletes in 2018.
According to Nike, this updated version of the Zoom Kobe 1 carries the same aesthetic but has been upgraded with 2018 technology. Toronto Raptors All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who routinely laces up Kobes on the court, liked the Zoom Kobe I Protro so much that he wore the shoe in a game more than two weeks ago. Much to the delight of Grosso and Bryant, according to Nike, the world just accepted the shoe as an original Zoom Kobe 1.
In speaking about the Nike Kobe 1 Protro, the Black Mamba says,
“Protro is about evolution and improving on things that were,” says Bryant. “I wanted to build a business that wasn’t just based on things I have done in the past. It is important that the brand stands for performance and that everything we do is innovative, even if we are releasing shoes from the past they still must be built on performance.”
The upcoming Kobe 1 "Protro," featuring full-length Zoom Air, will be available on Nike.com and at select Nike retailers on February 17th, prior to the NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center.