Nike Kobe 8 Protro "Year of the Horse"

TLDR: The Nike Kobe 8 Protro ‘Year of the Horse’ celebrates its comeback with the iconic Zodiac design from 2014 – full of energy, bold colours and cultural details. The sneaker will be released on 31 January 2026 and will cost €190. As always, more information is available at Grailify.

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The Nike Kobe 8 is one of the most popular silhouettes in the Mamba line – and with the ‘Year of the Horse,’ one of the most expressive colourways ever is making a comeback. Originally released in 2014 as part of the Chinese zodiac series, the model fits perfectly into 2026, twelve years later, when the Year of the Horse comes around again.

Visually, Nike stays very close to the original. The upper is characterised by a dynamic pattern of geometric shapes, which gives the shoe its almost abstract, energetic effect. The colour palette of Light Crimson, Bright Citron and Vivid Blue ensures maximum attention, while golden accents underline the festive character. A special detail can be found on the inside of the tongue: a Hanzi character that directly refers to the Year of the Horse and makes the cultural reference clear.

As a Protro version, the Kobe 8 naturally comes with a modernised performance setup, but remains true to the flat, direct court feel for which the model has been celebrated for years. Another new feature compared to the 2014 release is that this time the sneaker is also available in GS sizes – a wish of many Kobe fans that has finally been fulfilled.

The Nike Kobe 8 Protro ‘Year of the Horse’ will be released on Friday, 31st January 2026, at a price of €190.

The release will be available on Nike.com, the SNKRS app and at selected Nike Basketball retailers. If you're into iconic Kobe colourways with strong storytelling, you should definitely keep an eye out for this drop. As always, you can find all the latest updates on Kobe releases at Grailify.