Kobe Bryant would not allow Nike to outright retro his shoes. Instead, he insisted they upgrade them for the modern-day ball game. Now, the Kobe 1 Protro is dropping in an homage to the Minneapolis Lakers.



Kobe Bryant has one of the greatest signature shoe lines ever. After his retirement several seasons ago, speculation began as to when Nike would begin to retro his shoes. Of course, being Kobe, he wouldn’t let it happen that simply. Instead, they had to perform better than they did before while maintaining their classic good looks. So, the design team behind the Nike Kobe line came up with the “Protro” series, which takes retro Kobe shoes and guts them, replacing the old technology with much newer and better materials. The new model first released to the public in February at All-Star Weekend, in the form of a collaboration with Undefeated. Now, the Nike Kobe 1 Protro is taking inspiration from NBA history with an “MPLS Lakers” colorway coming next week. The shoe begins with a smooth grey suede for the upper with white detailing around the toes and heels. The carbon fiber shank remains present on either side to provide additional support, while the Swoosh makes a striking contrast in white. Finally, the Minneapolis look is completed by a baby blue collar lining and outsole.

NIKE KOBE 1 PROTRO “MPLS” RELEASE INFORMATION

The next Nike Kobe 1 Protro is scheduled to drop next week on July 6th, 2018. The clean Minneapolis colorway will carry the same $175 price tag as previous pairs, and release from both Nike and select retailers. Check out the early images below for a better look at the next Nike Kobe sneaker, and stay tuned to JustFreshKicks for more Nike release news.

Nike Kobe 1 Protro
Release Date: July 6th, 2018
Price: $175
Color: Wolf Grey/White-University Blue
Style Code: AQ2728-001