Nike Officially Unveils the Nike Kobe x FC Barcelona Collaboration

Published July 29, 2025 at 2:28 PM

Over the last few months, we’ve seen teasers and indications that Kobe Bryant’s Nike line was set to collaborate with FC Barcelona. These initial rumors became true once official imagery of multiple Nike Kobe sneakers and apparel for Barca appeared online, but today, Nike has officially announced release details for the Nike Kobe x FC Barcelona collection.

Kobe Bryant’s lifelong love of football (or soccer if you’re American) was well documented. The Black Mamba spent a portion of his childhood living in Italy, making him more exposed to the beautiful game than those in America. While he was a vocal AC Milan fan, his La Liga team was FC Barcelona.

Over the years, he would visit their training facility on overseas trips, and they would pop up in Los Angeles from time to time and connect, leading to an eventual collaboration on Bryant’s Nike Kobe line in the 2010s. These collaborations in the 2010s included an FC Barcelona Kobe 6 and Kobe 7 pack, as well as a Barca-inspired Nike Kobe 11

Images via Nike

Starting with the footwear in this collection, Nike has created a special Nike Kobe 4 Protro and an Air Force 1 Low Protro, both inspired by Barcelona’s current kits. The AF1 Protro was introduced this year, which upgrades Bruce Kilgore’s original Air Force 1 design with ReactX cushioning, new Kobe branding features, and premium leather on the upper. Both pairs also contain added FC Barcelona branding. Alongside the sneakers, Nike has also prepped an Offcourt Slide in Persian Violet to match the AF1.

Joining the three footwear offerings is an array of apparel, ranging from on-field jerseys to lifestyle silhouettes. The jersey comes with a team gold base and accents of Persian Violet and black. Shorts come with a black base, snakeskin textures, and Persian Violet accents. Both also bear Kobe’s sheath logo.

The Nike Kobe x FC Barcelona Collection will release in July 2025. First, the apparel will release on July 29, 2025, via Nike and FC Barcelona’s online stores and in select Nike stores. Following this, the footwear will launch on July 31. Check below for looks at the footwear and apparel, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.