Nike has unveiled its latest Kobe Brand shoe design which will be released on what would have been the basketball icon’s 45th birthday. The Kobe 8 Protro Halo was designed and created by Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, according to a statement Nike released on Aug. 10.
Nike establishes via the statement that the Halo concept will be a yearly release set to commemorate Bryant on his birthday and as it has done with recent releases, Nike has partnered with the SNKRS app to release the shoe as well as “select global retailers.”
The sneaker giant is sticking with its strategy of limited releases for commemorative shoes. Nike is also hosting a tournament in Los Angeles at the Lakers Crypto.com Arena on August 23 (Kobe’s birthday) and 24. The Mamba League Invitational will feature eight teams featuring the top high school players in the LA area, irrespective of gender.
Nike began working with Kobe on the Kobe Brand 8 line in 2012. At the time of release, the shoe featured the lightest design that Nike had produced for the Laker legend in accordance with his wishes that the shoe should feel like an extension of his foot.
Both Nike and Vanessa Bryant used social media to promote their collaboration, as Bryant posted a design on Instagram that featured a black and white image of a shoe touching a basketball. Bryant captioned her post, “Kobe 8 “Halo” 8.23.23 🤍 This will be one of many Kobe 8 “Halo” styles coming soon.🤍”.
On Twitter/X, Nike posted an image of two shoes on its post which read “The legacy continues. The Kobe Protro 8 ‘Halo’ marks the continuation of a storied legacy, pairing a triple white colorway with the iconic Kobe 8 silhouette, embodying the timelessness of an icon never forgotten.”
Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, 13, died in a helicopter crash in January 26, 2020. Bryant, one of the best basketball players of all-time, was 41.