The Nike Kobe 8 Protro “Venice Beach” releases April 13th as a part of Beaverton’s celebration for the anniversary of Bryant’s final NBA game. Though each of the three releases taking places tomorrow will be celebrated by Kobe fans, the “Venice Beach” colorway might just be the biggest. Not only does it reprise an original edition from the shoe’s 2013 run, but it’s also arriving in a full family size run, spanning M3.5 – M18 extended men’s sizes ($190), 3.5Y – 7Y grade school sizes ($120) and 10.5C – 3Y toddler sizes ($90). Below you’ll find our “Where To Buy” section containing direct store links, as well as additional detailed images. Finally, a full breakdown of this shoe is included below both those pieces.
Newly unvieled editions of the shoe like Nike Kobe 8 “Lakers Away” have opted for monochromatic or two-tone approaches in bringing new colorways to the public. While those are a noteworthy evolution for the shoe, sometimes the OGs simply hit the right chord, especially considering the initial 2013 release of the Kobe 8 was anything but. Cladding his 8th signature in all manner of wild patterns and graphics, that flashy through-line made pairs like the Nike 8 Protro “Venice Beach” stand out all the more.
Oceanic blue notes guide the design, but shades of “Tour Yellow” and orange aren’t far behind. It’s a perfect graphic encapsulation of the shoe’s namesake, bringing the beachfront together with the vibrant art scene on display 24/7 at the California locale.
With Kobe’s last game taking place on April 13th, a 60 point affair capped off with the now-iconic “Mamba Out” speech, Nike has lined up three massive drops of his signature to celebrate. On top of this pair, the Nike Kobe 4 “Philly” and Nike Kobe 6 “Italian Camo” will also be releasing. Follow those links for our latest coverage on which stores are stocking those pairs.