Kobe Bryant didn’t just play basketball; he obsessed over the mechanics of how a foot interacts with a floor. When the original Nike Kobe 9 Elite dropped back in 2014, it looked like a boxing boot sent from a futuristic dystopia. People lost their minds. Now, with the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The hitting the shelves, we are seeing that same chaotic energy return, but with the updated tech specs that modern hoopers actually need. It’s a weird shoe. It’s loud. It’s arguably the most "Kobe" sneaker ever made because it refuses to be ignored.
If you were around for the original "What The" craze, you know the drill. Nike takes every colorway, every texture, and every scrap of design language from a specific model and mashes them into one Frankenstein-esque masterpiece. With the Kobe 9, that meant Flyknit everywhere. High-top collars that felt like compression socks. Carbon fiber outriggers that looked like they belonged on a Formula 1 car. Honestly, the Protro version is basically a time capsule with a better engine.
The technical madness behind the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The
Let’s talk about that "Protro" tag. For those who aren't sneaker nerds, it stands for Performance Retro. Eric Avar, the legendary designer behind the Kobe line, always pushed for "Performance Architecture." He didn't want shoes that just looked cool; he wanted shoes that responded to Kobe’s manic footwork. The original 2014 version used Lunarlon foam. It felt amazing for about three weeks, then it died. It bottomed out. It became a brick.
The Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The fixes the longevity issue. We’re looking at a drop-in midsole that usually swaps that old-school foam for React or a combination of Zoom Air. This matters. If you're actually playing in these—and let's be real, most people just want them for the clout—you need that impact protection. The traction remains the gold standard. It’s a pressure-mapped outsole that looks like a thumbprint. It grips the hardwood so hard it sounds like a choir of chirping birds every time you change direction.
You’ve got the ultra-high top. Some people hate it. They think it’s restrictive. But Kobe wanted that "Mamba" feel, that sense of being locked in after he tore his Achilles. It’s psychological as much as it is physical. The Flyknit isn't just thread; it’s reinforced with TPU to make sure your foot doesn't slide off the footbed when you're doing a hard crossover. It's engineering disguised as art.
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Why the "What The" colorway is a polarizing mess (and why we love it)
White, neon, blue, orange, red—it’s all there. The Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The doesn't care about your outfit coordination. It’s a visual representation of a decade of design. One shoe looks different from the other. That asymmetry is the point. When Nike first started the "What The" series with the SB Dunk in 2007, it was a niche hobbyist thing. By the time it hit the Kobe 9, it was a global phenomenon.
Some critics call it "clownish." They aren't entirely wrong. It’s a lot to look at. But in a world of muted "Earth tones" and "minimalist aesthetics," this shoe is a punch in the face. It’s a reminder of an era where basketball sneakers were the loudest thing in the room. The Flyknit patterns on the medial side are different from the lateral side. The heel features those iconic red "stitch" marks, a nod to Kobe’s surgery. It’s storytelling through knit.
Addressing the "Drop-in Midsole" controversy
There’s a subset of the sneaker community that's obsessed with the drop-in midsole. It’s a polarizing feature. In the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The, the midsole is a thick wedge of foam you can literally pull out of the shoe. This means the "upper" is basically just a shell.
- Pro: You can swap the midsole out for other Kobe models if they fit.
- Con: If the foam is too thick, you lose court feel.
- The Reality: Nike has refined the React formula for 2025 to ensure you aren't standing too high off the ground.
You want to feel the floor. You want to feel that 1-to-1 transition. If the Protro is too "mushy," it ruins the point of a Kobe shoe. Early reports suggest Nike found the sweet spot here, balancing the "dead" feel of the 2014 Lunarlon with the springiness of modern Zoom.
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How to actually secure a pair without losing your mind
Getting a pair of Kobes in 2026 is still a nightmare. The "Mamba Forever" hype hasn't slowed down, and the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The is a high-heat release. You can't just walk into a Foot Locker and expect these to be sitting on a shelf next to some beat-up Monarchs.
You need to be on the SNKRS app, obviously. But you also need to look at boutique raffles like A Ma Maniere or Social Status. The resale market is going to be predatory. It always is. If you see a pair for retail, you buy it. You don't "think about it." You don't "check your bank account." You pull the trigger. Because five minutes later, they’ll be on StockX for three times the price.
The legacy of the 9 vs. other Protro models
Why do people care about the 9 so much? The Kobe 4 and 5 Protros are arguably better "pure" basketball shoes for most people because they’re low-tops. They’re lighter. But the 9 is the heavy hitter. It’s the shoe that proved Flyknit could work on a high-performance basketball sneaker.
Before the 9, Flyknit was for running shoes. It was fragile. Nike's basketball team had to figure out how to make it survive a 250-pound forward planting his foot at full speed. They did it by backing the knit with layers of mesh and glue, creating a "skin" that moved with the body. The Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The is the ultimate celebration of that breakthrough. It’s the apex of the "High Top" era before the industry swung back toward low-cut designs.
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Real-world performance: What to expect on court
Don't expect these to feel like a pair of socks. They are stiff at first. That carbon fiber—real carbon fiber, not the plastic "carbon fiber finish" you see on cheap takedown models—takes time to break in. The outrigger is huge. It’s there to prevent you from rolling your ankle, acting like a kickstand for your foot.
Once they break in? It’s arguably the best traction ever put on a shoe. It’s "stop on a dime and leave your defender's ankles in the parking lot" kind of traction. The high collar doesn't actually provide much mechanical support against a roll—no shoe truly can—but it provides "proprioception." It lets your brain know where your ankle is in space. It's a weird sensation, but once you get used to the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The, everything else feels "empty" around the leg.
What most people get wrong about Kobe Protros
There’s a myth that every Protro is a direct upgrade. Sometimes, the "upgrade" changes the shoe's soul. For example, some hoopers preferred the original Zoom bags in the Kobe 6 to the new "Turbo" units. With the Kobe 9, the biggest risk was the midsole height.
Fortunately, the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The maintains that low-to-the-ground feel. It’s not a bulky "dad shoe" despite how high the collar goes. It’s sleek. It’s thin. It’s built for guards and wings who need to move. If you’re a center who wants maximum cushion, this isn't your shoe. This is for the shifty players. The ones who live in the mid-range. The ones who actually try to mimic the Mamba Mentality, even if they’re just playing at the YMCA.
Actionable Next Steps for Collectors and Hoopers
If you are planning to pick up the Nike Kobe 9 Elite Protro What The, you need a game plan. First, verify your size in modern Kobe Protros; many find they need to go up a half-size because the Flyknit and internal padding are quite snug. Second, monitor official "Release Radar" calendars specifically for January and February 2025, as dates for these high-profile Protros often shift by a few days to manage bot traffic. Finally, if you're buying for performance, prepare to swap the drop-in midsole if you have a preferred orthopedic insole, though be aware that the 9's shallow footbed makes third-party insoles tricky. Check the heel lockdown immediately upon arrival—if there's even a slight slip, the high-top aesthetic won't save your performance on court.