Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “China” Releases On November 22nd

Given how prolific his lifestyle arm has been in recent months via the Kobe Bryant Air Force 1 enterprise, we could forgive some of our readers for losing track of Bryant’s performance line. While we look ahead to further iterations of the Kobe 3 as the latest entrant into the Protro universe and the reintroduction of his first silhouette, there’s still more left on the table for a current standard-bearer, as the Nike Kobe 9 EM revisits its “China” edition.

This side of the “Mambacita,” the Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro has focused on Team Bank colorways rather than any sort of special editions, marking this as the first pair since to break from that simplistically shaded world. With no in-hand images surfacing just yet, we’re left to rely on the color codes (University Red/Metallic Gold/Black) to project what this pair will hold. The tongue will truly be the make-or-break section, originally depicting a traditional artistic interpretation of the Black Mamba’s namesake.

On a narrative note, this continues the connection between China and the Mamba legacy, visited with various Chinese New Year pairs like the “Year of the Mamba” and a novel Protro invention in the Kobe 4 “CHBL.” Shifting our view into the new year, the return of pairs like the Kobe 8 “Year of the Horse” will only work to revitalize that relationship.

At the time of publication, the Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “China” is expected to touch down on November 22nd, likely clocking in at or above the silhouette’s usual $180 sticker price.

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.