2026 is upon us, which means a fresh new slate of Kobe footwear is planned for the calendar year. We already saw the Kobe 9 EM “Purple Dynasty” hit stores this month, while Black Mamba fanatics remain excited for the upcoming Kobe 8 “Year Of The Horse” options (and they’re pretty darn good). Kobe Brand has managed to happily blend the performance and lifestyle worlds, but the string of Kobe 9 EM Protros that began last Fall seem to be tailored specifically for the on-court workers.
Coming later this Spring season is an all-new colorway of the Kobe 9 EM Protro dubbed the “Hydrogen Blue”. The softened shade floods the Engineered Mesh upper and the midsole, while a Light Photo Blue accents the bottoms and interior for that team-based formula that has worked well for Nike thus far. It’s got a bit of that Minneapolis Lakers vibe due to the shades of blue, although not a perfect representation of the throwback franchise.
A release is expected sometime this Spring 2026 season for $190; a February drop seems likely.
- Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “Hydrogen Blue” airhogsneakers
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- Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “Hydrogen Blue” airhogsneakers
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- Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “Hydrogen Blue” airhogsneakers
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- Nike Kobe 9 EM Protro “Hydrogen Blue” airhogsneakers