Kobe Brand and Nike are circling back to one of the most celebrated colorways of the Nike Kobe 5. Inspired by his high school basketball team, the “Lower Merion Aces” colorway reflects the burgundy red threads worn by the legend before he ever stepped foot in the NBA.
The Kobe 5 “Lower Merion Aces” originally released in 2010 in very limited quantity, dropping exclusively at Foot Locker House Of Hoops in partnership with Nike Basketball. House Of Hoops was once the exclusive destination for these PE-style releases, but this retail concept soon became dissolved.
For 2026, Nike updated the shoe’s build under its Protro program while also refreshing the logos on the heel as well as behind the tongue. Replacing the “Aces” text inside a black spade is an embroidered symbol on the left heel with “33” on the right–an homage to Bryant’s jersey number. A new label is added behind the tongue that combines the year of the release with the sheath logo.
The biggest update is that Nike will be dropping the shoe in Grade School sizes for the first time; seen here are official brand images of the kids sizing, offering a first look at the upcoming 2026 pair.
While hardly the first to jump from the high-school ranks to the NBA, Kobe Bryant was often viewed as the face of a movement that saw a lot of young and raw talents forgo the college game and go straight to the draft. With many teams looking to secure the next Kobe, Kevin Garnett, and T-Mac, rosters were younger than ever
