Although Kobe Bryant dominated the NBA and has gone down as a legend of the sport, his second passion is for soccer (sorry, football). His connection to the sport goes way back to his childhood in Italy, where he played for a local club, but even as an adult, he kept his love for the game. Further cementing his connection to soccer, Nike has teamed up with FC Barcelona for a Kobe Bryant Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro, launching later this fall.
While Bryant was a professed AC Milan fan, he also took a liking to FC Barcelona during his playing days. There are plenty of instances where he would visit Barca’s practices when they came to the U.S. and when Kobe visited Europe. This love extended to footwear, as in 2011, a two-pack of Nike Kobe 6 colorways was launched in limited quantities, one for the team’s home kit and another for the away.
Images via GOAT
As for Kobe and Barca’s latest link-up, the duo tackles the newly designed Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro, which features updated Kobe branding, a ReactX foam drop-in midsole, and premium leather on the upper. The pair pictured here comes coated in purple across most of the design, with this leather also getting a faux snakeskin finish to nod to Bryant’s Black Mamba nickname. Black details appear on the Swoosh, lace set, tongue, sockliner, and heel, the latter containing the Kobe sheath logo.
Images via FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona's presence is found on the model via the team's logos on the lace dubrae, tongue tag, and insole, all rendered in tonal purple and black shades. Underfoot, the sneaker has a tonal purple rubber midsole containing Kobe's signature in black on the lateral heel, replacing the usual AIR text. Finishing the sneaker is the black rubber outsole that now contains Kobe sheath logos instead of the star design synonymous with the AF1.
The FC Barcelona x Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro will release in Fall 2025 through Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Available in men’s sizing, retail is set at $150. Check below for images of the sneaker, and download the Sole Retriever mobile app to stay updated on the latest releases, raffles, news, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.
Images via solesbyzay_backup
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
