Nike are up serving one of the most legendary comebacks in sneaker history: the Kobe 11 Elite Protro 'Mamba Out' is set to drop in April, exactly ten years after the silhouette first hit courts and rotations alike.
In 2016, Kobe Bryant closed his iconic NBA career with a night for the ages, thus sparking the first-ever 'Mamba Day'. That same night, Nike let 'heads put their stamp on the Kobe 11 through NikeiD, turning the farewell silhouette into a personal tribute to one of the all-time greats. Fans called it the ultimate send off, and it still ranks as one of Kobe’s cleanest signature moments.
Ten years on, the model that marked Kobe’s final buzzer now returns, faithful to the original yet packed with design cues that honour his career milestones.
The 2026 iteration picks up where the OG left off – black Flyknit wraps the upper, while metallic gold accents nod to Kobe’s legacy-sealing moments – from the 81-point masterpiece to five championships and 20 seasons of dominance. Hidden details appear throughout and a crisp white heel tab and icy translucent sole lock in the clean, iconic look.
