One of the loudest Kobes ever made is coming back. Nike’s SNKRS app lists the Kobe 8 Protro “Shanghai Fireworks” for November 11, 2026, at $200 for adults and $125 in big kids’ sizes. The style code is IO6259-800.
This is a shoe that doesn’t leave much room for discussion. The upper is covered in Laser Orange and Safety Orange, with artwork that Nike says depicts “the brilliance of a fireworks display.” The colorway first arrived in 2013, and the Protro brings it back on the same low, stripped-down shape that Nike describes as “low, sleek and exceptionally light.”
What’s different this time
The Protro name is the difference. It’s Nike’s line of updated Kobe models, which keep the look of the original and upgrade what’s inside. Kobe Bryant summed it up himself in Nike’s own explanation of the program: “Protro is about evolution and improving things that were.”
On this pair, that means a Nike React foam insert. Nike has used React in the Kobe 8 since the model’s Protro debut in August 2023, along with updates to the tongue and upper. The rest is what you’d want from a Kobe 8: a soft synthetic upper that conforms to the foot, and an outsole built for what Nike calls “squeaky court bite” on quick cuts.
The pair is on Nike’s SNKRS upcoming calendar for November 11. Check the app for your local drop time and access rules before then. Nike lists the adult pair at $200 and the big kids’ pair at $125, so treat anything well above that as resale.
Our take
Plenty of Kobe retros are for collectors. The 8 is one you can still play in, and at $200 it’s priced like a performance shoe rather than a display piece. The color won’t work with much outside a gym, and that’s fine. Fireworks aren’t supposed to be subtle.
