Detailed Look At The Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba”

The red edition creates a high-heat duo for 2025.

Matt Varga October 24th, 2024 (updated)

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Updated October 24th, 2024: A detailed look at the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” has been shared by @chriscolgan. The shoes are expected to release on January 18th, 2025 in Adult and GS sizes.

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

: Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Year Of The Mamba” Chris Colgan

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WHERE TO BUY

Mens Nike Zoom Kobe 5 Protro "Year of the Mamba – Red"

SKU: HF5182-600

RETAIL PRICE: $200

RELEASE DATE: Jan 18, 2025

US 01/18/2025 Saturday

Retailer	Release type	Status
KICKS CREW	Aftermarket	Aftermarket
Nike SNKRS US	Standard	Check Site

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With the Kobe 5 “X-Ray” now officially in the rear-view, the new age of Bryant’s 5th signature is set to continue with a ton of heat in the coming months. Following an initial leak, in-hand photos of the Kobe 5 “Year Of The Mamba” have now emerged, giving us a clearer sense of what to expect for February.

For clarity’s sake, this is a distinct pair to the “Eggplant”-esque pair that surfaced in September, creating a two-pack that leans into the interplay between Bryant’s iconic moniker and the Year of the Snake coming up on the Chinese zodiac calendar. Much the same as that purple edition, gold snakes encircle the Swoosh on both sides; that piece of branding is replete with gold trim around jet black. A patch of velveteen fabric enhances the motif with a scale-like pattern embedded within.

While this “Year Of The Mamba” spin is the first time the nickname and holiday have been officially linked, note that this reprises a short-lived series from the 2010s. The Kobe 7, Kobe 8 and Kobe 9 each penned odes to the Dragon, Snake and Horse in their original runs, with the 8th edition’s collection spread across four pairs in total.

The Nike Kobe 5 “Year of the Mamba” in purple has already been confirmed for a February 8th, 2025 release. Though launch info hasn’t been set in stone for the “University Red” pair in question, expect a launch in close proximity.

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.