Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. When not writing for Sole Retriever, I enjoy attending concerts and catching the latest movies. Email: nick@soleretriever.com
To honor Kobe Bryant's legacy, Nike has begun launching special Air Force 1 Low colorways with branding details for the legendary NBA player. Kicking things off was a two-pack of Lakers-themed AF1s, one in white and another in black, back in December 2024, but we’ve been blessed with a ton of new releases in 2025. Next up for the Kobe AF1 Protro series, which has so far been released in an FC Barcelona collab and in a colorway inspired by Bryant's famous picture taking free throws in his pajamas, is a Linen University Blue color scheme.
Unlike the once-Japanese-exclusive Linen Air Force 1 Low, which returned last year in a 1:1 fashion and earlier this year with a canvas upper, this Kobe-themed Linen AF1 comes with university blue accents. Obviously, the color palette evokes the Minnesota Lakers' color scheme, where the team called home before moving to Los Angeles in 1960. There have been plenty of instances where Kobe paid homage to the Lakers’ Minnesota origins on his sneakers, more specifically, the MPLS series of colorways on the Kobe 1 and Kobe 4.
This speculative mock-up places linen shades across the all-leather upper, while university blue accents appear on the Swoosh, tongue tag, heel tab, AIR text on the sole, and outsole. Kobe’s sheath logo is debossed on the lateral heel, while his number 8 is placed on the heel tab. His signature will also appear on the tongue tag. Internally, the shoe will come with a drop-in ReactX foam midsole for added comfort.
The Nike Kobe Air Force 1 Low Protro Linen will be released Holiday 2025 through Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men’s sizing, the retail price is set at $150. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
