Duke Basketball Adds Gradient Hit to Alternate Kobe 5 Protro PE Colorway

Playing for a blue blood school has its privileges. With all the basketball legacy and constant expectations at Duke, the Blue Devils have a lot on their shoulders, but they also have state-of-the-art facilities, a clear path to NIL deals, and of course, some of the best player exclusive sneakers in college sports.

After previewing two pairs of Kobe 5 Protro colorways for the men’s and women’s Duke basketball teams in blue and black and blue and white, the Blue Devils are back with a third pair before the season tips off next week. The alternate colorway mixes blue, black, and white together with black patent leather on the toebox and side panels. A gradient design on the structural panels moves from white on the front of the shoe to blue on the back, changing over in the middle of the lace panel.

Like the other two Kobe 5 Protro Duke PE colorways this year, the gradient colorway features a Duke “D” logo on one tongue and the Kobe sheath logo on the other. Kobe famously skipped college for the NBA, but over his career he switched back and forth between Duke and UNC as his hypothetical choice for alma mater, and if you ask any Duke fan, they’ll tell you he would’ve picked Coach K.

The Nike Kobe 5 Protro Duke PE Alternate colorway won’t be released to the public, so don’t even think about grabbing a pair. If you show up down Tobacco Road at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, you’ll probably get a glance at the colorway running up and down the court. For all the latest NCAA PE sneaker news, make sure you’re tapped in with the Sole Retriever mobile app.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com