Kobe Vault

Kobe IX

Kobe Bryant and Nike unveiled the Kobe IX—also known as the Kobe IX Elite—in December of 2013. Recognized as one of Nike Basketball’s most innovative shoes at the time, the ninth signature installment blended key technologies all throughout in a high-cut design. The upper for the Kobe IX merged Flyknit lightweight engineering—a first for Nike Basketball—and Flywire technology for dynamic lockdown support. Lunarlon technology in the midsole provided responsive cushioning and the durable outsole featured a traction pattern mimicking the natural contours of the foot. Breaking from the low-cut industry standard that Kobe himself ushered in, the Kobe IX Elite’s high-cut design was more than two years in the making and a result of Kobe’s observations from boxing. A low-cut version of the Kobe IX was later released in both Flyknit and engineered mesh variants.

Kobe IX Protro

The Kobe IX was revealed in Protro form for the first time in August of 2024, and was led with the ‘Halo’ colorway and concept honoring Kobe’s birthday. Coined by Kobe himself, Protro stands for performance retro and involves enhancing existing silhouettes for the current state of the game. The Kobe IX was retooled with a React midsole for higher energy return, and an updated traction pattern.

Dive into Kobe IX