Kobe Bryant's first shoe after he hung it up is coming back, and Nike didn't change a single line on the outside. The Kobe A.D. Protro releases October 23 in the original Purple Stardust colorway for $150 on Nike.com and at select retailers, according to Nike's own release page published October 8. Nike Basketball followed up with the campaign shot above: the purple pair next to a ball, a pile of design sketches and a hand-carved clay model of the shoe, wood shavings and all. Very "we did our homework."
Quick history. The original Kobe A.D. came out in November 2016, a few months after Kobe's last game, and within one season it was the most-worn shoe in the NBA. Nike's Kobe product manager Jessica Davenport says the push to bring it back came from players. When Nike took prototypes on the road, athletes kept telling the team, "I remember these. I played in these." Anyone who watched the league in 2017 remembers it too. The A.D. was everywhere.
Protro means performance retro, which was Kobe's own idea: keep the design, rebuild the engine. The racecar-inspired lines on the upper stay exactly where they were. Underneath, React foam replaces the old Lunarlon, a ZoomX puck sits in the forefoot, a midfoot shank keeps things steady on hard cuts and the heel Zoom Air unit carries over. Nike also gave it a roomier forefoot, a lighter embroidered textile upper and a blade traction pattern that covers more of the outsole and wraps up the sidewall. Nike says the rebuild took two years of testing, including sitting down with the designers who drew the original.
The best news might be the boring part. Nike says this one will be stocked at local retailers, so you can walk into a store, try it on and decide for yourself. "This is for our everyday hooper," Davenport said. For a Kobe release, that's close to a plot twist, since most recent Kobe drops have felt like a fistfight with an app.
The details: Nike Kobe A.D. Protro "Purple Stardust/Black," style code IO8233-500, releases Friday, October 23, 2026 on Nike.com and at select retailers. Nike lists it at $150. A few release calendars, including Sneaker News and Nice Kicks, have it at $155, so double-check the price on release day.
Our take: the A.D. was always the Kobe for people who actually play. Low, quiet, no hype tax. Bringing it back with modern foam at a normal price and in normal quantities is about the most Kobe move Nike could make: less talking, more work. And starting with Purple Stardust is the right call. It's a Lakers wink without yelling Lakers.
At ONENESS: Shop Nike at ONENESS. More Kobe on Orbit: the Kobe 8 Protro "Mambacurial".
Update, October 19: The orange Kobe A.D. Protro (IO8233-800, Laser Orange/Safety Orange) now has a name. It's part of Nike's Día de Muertos "Mamba Eterno" pack, due October 30 at $155 per Sole Retriever. The full pack is in our Mamba Eterno story.
Source: Nike release page (Oct 8, 2026: Kobe A.D. Protro, Purple Stardust, October 23, $150, tech details and quotes) and Nike Basketball on X (Oct 8, "Available 10.23"); style code IO8233-500 per Sneaker News and Nice Kicks. Images: Nike official.
