A fan-favorite Kobe Bryant sneaker is set to rerelease for the first time ever next year.
Bryant’s Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “Beethoven” shoe is set to receive a Protro (performance retro) update in 2025. Originally launched in August 2014, the Flyknit-based white, black and wolf gray sneakers combined a marled gray lateral side mixed with black and white with a fully white medial section.
Long before the “Panda” Dunk nickname came about, the “Beethoven” Kobe 9 Elite Low was a black-and-white sneaker that had fans clamoring for a chance to pick up a pair.
Known for his fervent interests outside of basketball such as martial arts and soccer, Bryant was also a noted fan of the legendary composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
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“Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata calms me down when I reach my breaking point,” the late NBA legend tweeted in 2013 alongside a photo of himself playing the piano.
An ESPN profile following Bryant’s 2016 retirement documents how he learned to play the “Moonlight Sonata” by ear in an attempt to earn wife Vanessa’s good graces after an argument.
“If you just sit down and say, ‘I’m going to learn this thing until I do,’ there’s not really much out there that you can’t figure out eventually,” Bryant said in the ’16 article.
While there’s no explicit Beethoven reference on the Kobe 9 Elite Low, the pair’s white-and-black colorway is said to be inspired by the keys of a piano. During its original release, Nike noted that the pair also paid tribute to the composer’s Ninth Symphony (aka Symphony No. 9).
And although Bryant didn’t wear the “Beethoven” style in an NBA game, he did lace the pair up during a trip to Brazil during the ’14 FIFA World Cup.
The upcoming Proto version will be the first time the “Beethoven” colorway has been reissued since its ’14 debut. Based on the early look, the ’25 Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “Beethoven” will match the aesthetics of the original iteration. The pair is currently on track to be released in April at a retail price of $210. This story will be updated with any changes.
