THE OFFICIAL NIKE KOBE FOOTWEAR THREAD: RIP LEGEND 1978-2020. MAMBA FOREVER | 8-24-24

[dmxgod]

I’m not impressed with the quality of the protros..I feel like I’ll barely get 5 years of casual wear out of them compared to the OGs which I’m going on 10-15 years for many pairs..

I love the comfort of the OGs better than the protros also but I think everyone would agree there

 

[bigHazy32]

Protro'ing a shoe is a gamble in innovation. I'm all for it and the protro concept is something Kobe personally wanted for his line as well (I think he was against retroing them as is when they did the Kobe 1 protro).
Yes, there's the Kobe 4 protro zoom fiasco that was a miss, but the Kobe 1 Protro with the full-length zoom was a success, and the 5 and 6 are great shoes too.
I also think the Protro concept is a great way (for Nike) to use currently mass-produced tech instead of having to go back and recreate, say the original Lunarlon foam compound or Met zoom bags that aren't used in other current models.

Innovation is great, I just wonder if they play tested the shoes at all. Increasing the zoom bag size and thickness while making the toe box narrower is just a recipe for discomfort / bad fit.

 

[Kobekobe]

Protros easily outperform the OG due to the better forefoot cushion

 

[206to813]

I’m not impressed with the quality of the protros..I feel like I’ll barely get 5 years of casual wear out of them compared to the OGs which I’m going on 10-15 years for many pairs..

I love the comfort of the OGs better than the protros also but I think everyone would agree there

That’s wild. Casual use lol

 

[bigHazy32]

I’m not impressed with the quality of the protros..I feel like I’ll barely get 5 years of casual wear out of them compared to the OGs which I’m going on 10-15 years for many pairs..

I love the comfort of the OGs better than the protros also but I think everyone would agree there

The shape of the OG was much more foot friendly. The pro tro is noticeably more narrow and tapered. While the originals were rounder

 

[bigHazy32]

That’s wild. Casual use lol

Kind of wish I kept some of my og in better shape
For casual wear. I basically played in all of them until they fell apart, then tossed them lol.

 

[206to813]

Kind of wish I kept some of my og in better shape
For casual wear. I basically played in all of them until they fell apart, then tossed them lol.

Yea. A lot of regrets when it comes to Kobe’s but we had no idea what was gonna happen

 

[206to813]

I pulled the trigger on my first pair of protro 6s. Hopefully tts will be alright for me. Feel like worst case scenario I can wear the insole in other shoes for them to mold to my feet lol

 

[Beeb2407]

I pulled the trigger on my first pair of protro 6s. Hopefully tts will be alright for me. Feel like worst case scenario I can wear the insole in other shoes for them to mold to my feet lol

Was it the Grinches? If you had OG 6s... sticking to the same size you had in them... you'd be fine(well if your feet are the same from then lol)

 

[Beeb2407]

Chaos. Joints are just beautiful.

 

[206to813]

Was it the Grinches? If you had OG 6s... sticking to the same size you had in them... you'd be fine(well if your feet are the same from then lol)

Yessir but not the pair we talked about. And yea I had OGs, I went tts in them and these

 

[Beeb2407]

I’m not impressed with the quality of the protros..I feel like I’ll barely get 5 years of casual wear out of them compared to the OGs which I’m going on 10-15 years for many pairs..

I love the comfort of the OGs better than the protros also but I think everyone would agree there

Yea that's when we gotta remember... they meant to be used to perform on the hardwood...blacktops.. whatever(I do hope more hardwood though for yall lol). But yea casually... even if you tryna wear them for a full day... you gonna start to feel them being snug. Hey just carry an extra pair of comfortable shoes ... this for all of us lol.

 

[Beeb2407]

Yessir but not the pair we talked about. And yea I had OGs, I went tts in them and these

Ok cool!!!

 

[bigHazy32]

Yea. A lot of regrets when it comes to Kobe’s but we had no idea what was gonna happen

Won a lot of games and league chips wearing them so i think Kobe would have been happy! Just wish I had more pairs to wear now. Still prefer them to any model currently in production

 

[bigHazy32]

I pulled the trigger on my first pair of protro 6s. Hopefully tts will be alright for me. Feel like worst case scenario I can wear the insole in other shoes for them to mold to my feet lol

My man if you couldn’t wear the lebron 2 retro comfortably (me neither) then the protro tts is gonna be tight. The toe box is more narrow shaped compared to og, and it has a thicker zoom cushion which pushes up against your feet and makes it feel even more cramped.

 

[bobj885]

Inch of empty space isn’t a lot… it’s recommended some breathing room for foot and toe health. You don’t want your toe touching the toebox at all

i think what he meant is you get an inch of dead space lengthwise instead of height/width-wise which is better but still awkward because the main problem is the height and width of the toebox are flawed, and sizing up doesn't change that. OGs had the perfect amount of toe space while still giving you that 1:1 fit.

a good way to test comfort is if you have enough space to flick your big toe against your 2nd toe and hear a thump. i can do that with every kobe TTS except for protro 5 and 6s.

so tbh i've been considering getting rid of protros altogether and just praying nike will make them the right way 10 years later lol. can't be understated how badly they effed up the toebox.

for example look how much rounder the toebox shape is on the OGs compared to the protros where it just slopes straight down.

 

[vettez06]

The Protro 1's are good for basketball and casual use.

 

[bigHazy32]

i think what he meant is you get an inch of dead space lengthwise instead of height/width-wise which is better but still awkward because the main problem is the height and width of the toebox are flawed, and sizing up doesn't change that.

OGs had the perfect amount of toe space while still giving you that 1:1 fit. whereas protro 5s and 6s feel like straitjackets if you go TTS.

a good way to test comfort is if you have enough space to flick your big toe against your 2nd toe and hear a thump. i can do that with every kobe TTS except for protro 5 and 6s.

so tbh i've been considering getting rid of protros altogether and just praying nike will make them the right way 10 years later lol. can't be understated how badly they effed up the toebox.

Yeah in my true to size I cannot even move my toes. They are pressed down completely from the top and the sides due to the more narrow toe box and the thicker zoom. Half size up I can wiggle the toes a bit but I’ve got the dead space in the front as you mentioned.

 

[206to813]

My man if you couldn’t wear the lebron 2 retro comfortably (me neither) then the protro tts is gonna be tight. The toe box is more narrow shaped compared to og, and it has a thicker zoom cushion which pushes up against your feet and makes it feel even more cramped.

Yea I’m definitely worried but 0.5 up ain’t an option so just gonna hope for the best.

 

[206to813]

By the way, y’all remember what Kobe did on todays date, Jan 22, 2006 right?!

 

[James_O]

By the way, y’all remember what Kobe did on todays date, Jan 22, 2006 right?!

81 points baby, RIP mamba

 

[therealest1]

 

[the red model]

I half sized up in all Proto’s anticipating that they would fit a half size smaller. The Kobe Vs were the best fitting.

 

[Beeb2407]

I know I've told my HOF Vs story before but here's a refresher. My brother was able to get an 11 from Undfted for me and I'm and 11.5. It was said the HOFs were more snug compared to the other Protro 5s. I still tried to get my 11.5... found a guy that let me try them and yea they were snug bit because I already came in with that notion... joints felt even more snug. So then found a guy to swap a 12 with... and my feet were swimming and looked like I had clown shoes. So the 12 was a absolute no go. So obviously seeked out my 11.5(2 pairs). But again it's to be said... they aren't meant for casual wear but if you got them for hooping you will be fine.

 

[skaterplayer808]

I have pretty narrow feet so I actually like playing in my protros. I like how they fit pretty perfect for me, especially the 5’s. They def run tighter, especially compared to my AD model. I can’t even remember how the 5 and 6 non protros fit anymore. That was years ago and I don’t have my OG 5 anymore. OG 6 is also flapping so can’t even wear it.