Nike is releasing a Lower Merion-themed Kobe Bryant sneaker again, this time in Protro form
Jalen Brunson and Caitlin Clark are among the current pros who wear Nike Kobe Bryant sneakers.
Fifteen years after Nike debuted the Kobe 5 “Lower Merion” shoe, an homage to Kobe Bryant’s high school alma mater, the brand will reportedly release the shoe again, but this time in the Protro form.
According to Sneaker Market, the shoe is set to be released during the spring of 2026. Though the shoe mock-up has not been yet released to the public, the colors of the Kobe 5 Protro “Lower Merion (away)“ will have a metallic silver and team red-white base color. The new shoe is expected to follow a similar pattern as the original Kobe 5 “Lower Merion Aces.”
Currently, there are seven shoes with the Lower Merion colorway listed on StockX, an online marketplace where users can buy and sell shoes: Kobe 4 “Lower Merion,” Kobe 5 “Lower Merion (home),” Kobe 5 “Lower Merion (away),” Kobe 6 “Lower Merion,” Kobe 7 “Lower Merion Aces,” Kobe 11 “Lower Merion,” and the Nike Hyperdunk “Lower Merion” PE. The release of the Kobe 5 Protro “Lower Merion (away)” will add another shoe inspired by Bryant’s high school.
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Last year, Nike honored Bryant’s Philly roots by releasing the Kobe 4 Protro “Philly” shoes, which featured a varsity blue upper, white midsole, and varsity red trim on the shoe laces, sock liner, and the swoosh logo colorway. It was released on April 13, eight years after his final NBA game.
A number of current NBA players still rock Kobe’s shoes, including New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who teamed up with Nike to create player editions of the Kobe IV Protros called “The Nattys.” He wore them for a game against the 76ers in February. They were inspired by his national championships at Villanova in 2016 and 2018.
WNBA star Caitlin Clark recently wore the same Kobe 5 Protro shoe that will be released in the Lower Merion colorway next year. Clark’s shoes that she wore in the Indiana Fever’s season opener last week against the Chicago Sky were a player edition called “Rookie of the Year.”
Lower Merion retired Bryant’s No. 33 in 2002, and the Hall of Famer and former Los Angeles Lakers star made a large donation to the school in 2010. The high school gym was renamed the Kobe Bryant Gymnasium that same year.