The Nike Kobe 5 Protro ‘Year Of The Mamba’ Gets a Price Hike
It’s set to be a monster year for Kobe releases in 2025, with Kobe Bryant’s legendary Black Mamba moniker aligning with the Chinese Zodiac's Year of the Snake. Nike are kicking things off with a duo of ‘Year of the Mamba’ colourways, as both the red and purple editions are arriving sometime in 2025. (Currently, the purple colourway is expected to land in February, while the purple will reportedly launch later in the year.) Unfortunately, both editions will hit the hip pocket a little bit harder than usual, with a recommended retail price of $200 attached to each pair. This represents a $10 increase from standard .
As the new NBA season gets underway, expect to see plenty of Black Mamba energy slide through Nike’s hoops releases. Just recently, we saw Devin Booker lace the new release Kobe 5 ‘X-Ray’ for a preseason game against the Detroit Pistons, and we’ve also caught wind of an upcoming Beethoven-inspired Kobe 9 that’s hitting all the right notes. We’re now getting an up-close look at the upcoming , with the red-hot rendition expected to light up our calendars in February.
Having already surface in a rich eggplant colourway, the ‘Year of the Mamba’ theme showcases a striking golden snake coiled around the lateral Swoosh logos – an unmistakable nod to both the Black Mamba legacy and the approaching 2025 Chinese Zodiac Year of the Snake. Over on the heels, the theme continues with snakeskin-esque patterns providing texture to the design. Unlike the aforementioned eggplant colourway, the red rendition also extends the gilded motif to the toes.
The Kobe 5 Protro, equipped with Nike’s signature Flywire technology, also incorporates Cushlon foam and Zoom Air units in both the forefoot and heel. First introduced in 2018, the Protro line – short for ‘performance retro’ –revitalises classic Kobe sneakers by integrating modern performance enhancements.
While nothing official has been confirmed, we’re expecting the Nike Kobe 5 Protro ‘Year of the Mamba’ to slither onto shelves on January 16.
