Some shoes exist purely for performance. Some for nostalgia. Some as quiet signifiers for those in the know. And then there are pairs like the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro “What The”—a maximalist, memory-loaded, detail-stuffed statement that does not whisper. It shouts, “Remember this? And this? And this?”

In the spectrum of basketball footwear, the “What The” series stands alone. It’s Nike’s long-running flex of remix culture, footwear mythos, and brand confidence, the design equivalent of a scrapbook dumped on a scanner. In the case of the Kobe 9 Elite Protro, the chaos is intentional. Every color, texture, and pattern pulls from previous Kobe 9s—thirteen, to be exact. It’s a Frankenstein of fan favorites, a hyper-specific time capsule rendered in knit, carbon fiber, and Flywire.

But to understand the Why of the What The, you need to understand where the Kobe 9 stands in the lineage.

When the original Nike Kobe 9 Elite launched in 2014, it broke every rule of basketball shoe design. High-tops had been largely phased out in favor of sleeker mids and lows. Then came Kobe Bryant and designer Eric Avar with a silhouette inspired by boxing boots and lightweight runners. It was tall, aggressive, strange—and brilliant. Flyknit construction made it feel featherlight. A carbon fiber heel plate kept it locked in. The outsole tread, inspired by Kobe’s own foot scans, added a unique anatomical detail.

The Kobe 9 Elite Protro “What The” doesn’t attempt subtlety. It leans fully into the mash-up tradition, combining a dizzying mix of colors and design references. On one shoe alone, you’ll spot elements from the Masterpiece, Detail, Perspective, Inspiration, Maestro, and Hero editions. The medial and lateral sides don’t match. Neither do the tongues. Even the Flyknit panels weave in contrasting color gradients, making it feel like two different sneakers were merged mid-stride.

But there’s a method to the mayhem.

This isn’t a lazy collage. Every panel serves as a nod to a moment in Kobe’s career or a visual motif from the Kobe 9’s run. The Influence edition’s neon volt Flywire laces wrap one eyelet row, while the Detail’s marble outsole anchors another. The Inspiration’s gold swoosh flashes like a ring. The China and Christmas editions show up as color echoes. Look closely, and you’ll even spot the mosaic from the Sequoia or the woven chaos of the What The Kobe 8—a callback within a callback.

It’s maximalism with intent.

The “Protro” designation matters, too. Nike’s Protro line—short for performance retro—isn’t just about rereleasing shoes. It’s about updating them. In the case of the Kobe 9 Elite Protro, the shoe features enhanced cushioning (Zoom Air in the forefoot and heel), improved lockdown, and refined materials. It respects the OG design but refines it for current performance standards.

This is key. While the “What The” series often skews collector-oriented, the Kobe 9 Protro “What The” is fully playable. It’s engineered to be worn on court, not just posted on IG. Which is exactly what Kobe would’ve wanted. His entire sneaker legacy was about the overlap of innovation, storytelling, and excellence. He hated fluff. The “What The” might look wild, but under the hood, it’s pure focus.

Culturally, this release hits differently. It arrives posthumously. And with Kobe Bryant’s legacy now canonized, every rerelease carries more weight. The “What The” edition doesn’t just honor a shoe—it honors an era. The Kobe 9 represented a turning point in performance design, much like the man himself redefined the possibilities of post-MJ basketball. It’s a visual archive of what made the Kobe line so distinctive: daring design, calculated risk, and a total disregard for trend.

In a world of safe, retro-leaning basketball silhouettes, the Kobe 9 Elite still feels ahead of its time. The “What The” colorway embraces that legacy by doing the opposite of minimal. It’s bold. Loud. In-your-face. And somehow, still coherent.

The footwear world in 2025 is fragmented. Drops are faster. Bots are smarter. Raffles are relentless. And yet, releases like the Kobe 9 Elite Protro “What The” cut through the noise. They speak to a kind of fandom that goes beyond hype—a deeper connection to story and legacy. For longtime Kobe fans, this shoe is a scrapbook. For new ones, it’s a crash course.

And if you’re just into shoes? It’s a fire pair with real presence. Impossible to ignore. Built to last.

You don’t need to be a Kobe historian to wear them. But you’ll probably end up becoming one.

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