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Following a teaser shared by Vanessa Bryant in early April, Nike is set to release a new Kobe Bryant-branded Air Force 1 soon, and it turns out there’s even more to the sneaker than originally expected.
The Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low Soft Yellow adds new elements to the classic 1980s basketball shoe, giving it a Protro (short for “performance retro”) upgrade inspired by the late basketball legend’s vision for his own signature line. The most notable change to the sneaker is the addition of a drop-in ReactX foam insole, which adds Nike’s modern cushioning to the traditionally outdated underfoot tooling of the standard Air Force 1.
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But the updates don’t stop there. The Soft Yellow colorway is decked out with several details new to both Kobe’s sneakers and the Air Force 1 model as a whole. In place of their standard heel tab, each shoe features the NBA star’s first jersey number, 8, stitched in a large, blocky typeface. Purple leather edges add subtle yet undeniable Lakers flair to the buttery look, and the purple outsole’s traction pattern has been tweaked to include a snakeskin texture as well as a repeating pattern of Kobe’s sheath logo.
There are even hidden details on the upcoming pair. Thick, checkered shoelaces reference a pair of flannel pajama pants memorably worn by Kobe in 1999 while he practiced with a broken right hand. That moment is memorialized on the insole, which features a graphic of Kobe putting up left-handed shots.
Introduced in 2018 with the first reissue of the Nike Kobe 1, the Protro concept was conceptualized by Kobe with the goal of making sure his shoes looked the same as their original versions, but were updated with Nike’s latest innovations and technologies.
“We’re always looking to build on things that we’ve done in the past and try to improve them,” Kobe said in a ’18 press release. “Protro is about evolution and improving things that were.”
While this is the first Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro that will be released, there are plans for more launches before the end of the year. A lenticular snakeskin colorway, which was also teased on social media by Vanessa, is expected to drop this holiday season. And beyond the upcoming Protro offerings, there are more standard Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Lows on the way.
The Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro Soft Yellow will be released June 6 from select overseas retailers including South Africa’s Shelflife. The sneaker has an expected retail price of $150, a full colorway of Soft Yellow/Soft Yellow and its SKU is HV9408-700. A stateside release date has not yet been confirmed, but the shoe is expected to be made available this summer.
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