Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' Mamba Day Release Date, Price & Where to Buy

Side Kicks Streetwear • Global Release Guide

Updated: 10 April 2026

About the release

Ten years ago on 13 April 2016, Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game, dropped 60 points and walked off the court as a Laker for the last time. That night, Nike launched the original 'Mamba Day' Kobe 11 through NikeiD, letting fans customise their own pair in real time as the game played out. It was one of the most culturally significant moments in Kobe's sneaker legacy.

Now, exactly a decade later, the Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' returns for the first time as a proper public release. Originally a NikeiD-only drop, this 2026 version gives everyone who missed it the first time a genuine shot. Style code IU4902-900 drops on 13 April 2026 at 8:00 AM for £174.99 in the UK and $220 USD via Nike SNKRS and select retailers.

It releases alongside the Kobe 11 Elite Protro 'Fade to Black' to mark Mamba Day 2026 as a full celebration.

TL;DR – Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' Mamba Day Release Date, Price & Where to Buy

• Release date: 13 April 2026 at 8:00 AM
• Model: Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro
• Colourway: Black / Metallic Gold
• Style code: IU4902-900
• UK retail price: £174.99
• US retail price: $220
• Where to buy: Nike SNKRS and select retailers
• Anniversary: 10th anniversary of Mamba Day 2016
• Key detail: Eight career accolade stats in Metallic Gold, ReactX midsole upgrade, icy translucent outsole

Release date and price

The Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' releases on Sunday 13 April 2026 at 8:00 AM via Nike SNKRS and select Nike Basketball retailers. The date is Mamba Day, the annual 13 April celebration of Kobe Bryant's career and final game anniversary.

UK retail is £174.99 and US retail is $220. Given this is the first time the 'Mamba Day' colourway has received a proper public release outside of the original NikeiD programme, demand is expected to be high.

Design and details

The upper is built from a black engineered mesh with layered numerical graphics running across the surface in Metallic Gold. Each number embedded in the upper represents a career milestone from Bryant's legacy, making this as much a biographical document as it is a colourway. The gold also lands on the Swoosh and Kobe shield logo, keeping the premium tone consistent across the shoe's branding points.

White branding provides contrast against the black base, while an icy blue translucent outsole completes the exterior. The 2026 Protro version upgrades the original's Lunarlon cushioning to a ReactX drop-in midsole, combined with a heel Air Zoom unit for more responsive cushioning on court. The outsole also features a revised tread pattern for improved traction and court feel.

Unlike the original NikeiD release, the 2026 version is not customisable. The accolades are fixed in gold on a black base with white branding, which is the correct call. The 'Mamba Out' colourway has always had a definitive look, and this version delivers it cleanly for the first time at proper scale.

The eight accolade stats

Every number on the upper references a specific moment or milestone from Kobe Bryant's career. Here is what they stand for:

• 8 and 24 — his two jersey numbers worn during his career
• 11.01.96 — the date of his first NBA game
• 4.13.16 — the date of his final NBA game
• 18 — All-Star appearances
• 81 — points scored in a single game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006
• 5 — NBA championships won with the Los Angeles Lakers
• 4 — All-Star MVP awards
• 20 — years played in the NBA

Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' images

Credit: Nike

The Mamba Day 2016 story

On 13 April 2016, Kobe Bryant played his final NBA game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He scored 60 points in his last performance, finished the game with the ball in his hand and closed one of the most significant careers in basketball history. As the game tipped off, Nike opened the NikeiD platform to let fans customise their own Kobe 11 in real time, allowing them to change the base colour and add personal text inside the tongue. It was the first Mamba Day, and it set the template for every 13 April celebration that has followed.

The original NikeiD pairs never received a wide public release. That meant the 'Mamba Day' colourway existed largely in customised form, with no standard version available at retail. The 2026 Protro is the first time that changes.

2026 vs the original: what's different

The core look is faithful to the 2016 original: black base, Metallic Gold numerology, Kobe shield branding and an icy outsole. The biggest changes are under the shoe rather than on it.

The Lunarlon foam from the original has been replaced by a ReactX drop-in midsole combined with a heel Air Zoom unit, bringing the cushioning in line with modern Nike Basketball standards. The tread pattern on the outsole has also been revised for better court feel. The 2026 version is not customisable, which means the accolades are fixed in their gold-on-black presentation rather than personalised. For most buyers, that is the correct call. The definitive version of this colourway should look definitive.

Why this release matters

The 'Mamba Day' colourway has always carried more weight than most Kobe releases because of what the date represents. A decade on from Kobe's farewell, Nike giving the colourway its first proper public release is a meaningful step. This is not just a retro. It is the first time most people will have a genuine shot at owning this specific colourway without going through customisation or resale.

The numerology embedded in the upper makes this one of the most information-dense sneakers in recent memory. Every number means something, and knowing what they stand for changes how you look at the shoe.

Where to buy

The Nike Kobe 11 EM Protro 'Mamba Out' releases on 13 April 2026 at 8:00 AM via Nike SNKRS and select retailers. Browse all Nike Kobe releases and the latest Nike drops on Side Kicks.

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