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The Nike Zoom Kobe 5 made its debut during the 2009-2010 NBA season. The silhouette followed suit from its predecessor as Nike Basketball legend Eric Avar crafted yet another low-top perfectly engineered for Kobe Bryant and his nearly unguardable game.
The Kobe 5 was sleek in nature due to its heat-bonded overlays. The shoe featured top of the line technology with the implementation of Flywire along with the addition of Zoom Air cushioning in the heel and forefoot. The Kobe 5 also included a perforated tongue for comfort and a sculpted heel for stability and a lock-down feel.
The Mamba’s fifth signature sneaker was the battle armor of choice as the Lakers were crowned champions after taking the Boston Celtics to seven games. As expected, Kobe Bryant showcased why he was one of the best players of all-time with an MVP performance averaging nearly 29 points throughout the series. The Kobe 5 became immortalized for hoop connoisseurs and Laker loyalists alike as Vino locked his fifth NBA title.
The silhouette came back in Protro from, (part retro, and part performance), as a part of “Prelude Pack” in 2014. Since then, the silhouette has been dormant. Throughout the 2018-2019 season, Nike released a plethora of Kobe 4 Protros in OG and non-OG colorways. The return of the Kobe 4 raised the possibility of the Nike Zoom Kobe 5 Protro appearing in the 2019-2020 season with a possibility of retail releases as well.
Luckily, Nike delivered.
The Kobe 5 Protro rollout kicked off with the release of the Nike Zoom Kobe 5 Protro “Chaos” in early January. However, the death of Kobe Bryant and the production delays of COVID-19 have halted the release of other colorways such as the “Big Stage” and “Bruce Lee” iterations. Nonetheless, the hardwood classic is making a handful of cameos as NBA, and WNBA stars are rocking the shoe within their respective bubbles.
Take a look at some of the best colorways of the Kobe 5 Protro below. Be sure to follow Kicks On Court on Instagram for all of your hoop needs.
