The Nike Kobe 8 Protro “What The” (often referred to as the “What The” Kobe 8), releases on April 13th, 2025 in men’s and grade school sizing, retailing at $180 and $120 respectively. Initially released in 2013, the mashup style became arguably the most beloved of multiple Kobe shoes to take on the concept, leading to the shoe’s first retro to instantly become an extremely hot commodity. Because of this, retailers are largely releasing their pairs via raffle, but the typical SNKRS release is also queued up if your name doesn’t come up for those drawings.
Check below for a complete raffle list. Scroll down for multiple galleries of product photos, with a detailed breakdown of everything this release has to offer further ahead.
Additional Retailer Images Of The Nike “What The” Kobe 8 Protro
Obviously crafted in the mold of the iconic “What The” Dunk, the theme on display with this Kobe 8 Protro release was one that had a penchant for gracing basketball shoes of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Kobe’s line particularly took to mismatched colorways, splayed across every silhouette from 7 to 10. For the edition at hand, pairs like the “Extraterrestrial” and “Venice Beach” can be seen as inspirations for the marbled finish of either shoe, but its true appeal comes in its attention-grabbing hues, not necessarily its ties to the backlog.
The “What The” Kobe 8 is notably the Swoosh’s foremost drop for Mamba Day, a yearly brand holiday every April 13th that commemorates the anniversary of Bryant’s final game in the NBA. 2024 marked the earnest push of product on this date and the most sprawling capsule to this point, delivering the Kobe 4 “Philly,” Kobe 6 “Italian Camo,” and Kobe 8 “Venice Beach.” Early reports suggested a similar trio for this year, buttressing the shoe at hand with the Kobe 9 “What The” and Kobe 6 “Dodgers,” but those two pairs are now expected for release in May.
