Here is the summary of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro Review. For a detailed review, continue reading!
We may earn a commission if you buy through our affiliate links.
Our Verdict:
Best for outdoors
Nike Kobe 6 Protro has great nostalgic value plus it’s a huge upgrade in terms of material, cushion and traction. For hard cutting and pivoting, its wide base will support you for your moves on the court. You get a perfectly balanced cushion that is a nice combination of comfort, court feel, and impact protection. You would definitely enjoy playing on Kobe 6 Protro.
Facts & Specs
Size: True-to-size | Weight: 320g | Top: Low Top | Lockdown: Lace up | Midsole: Zoom Turbo+ Cushlon | Material: Micromesh+ synthetic leather
Pros
- Comfortable cushion
- Outstanding traction
- Lateral containment and stability
- Breathable material
- A balanced cushioning with a nice court feel and impact protection
- Nice fit
Cons
- Soft rubber
- The outsole is not very durable outdoors
Detailed Nike Kobe 6 Protro Review
Nike Kobe 6 Protro released in 2021. Kobe and Vanessa Family Foundation decided not to renew their contract with Nike. So, Nike dropped the latest colorway “ Mambacita Sweet sixteen” of Kobe 6 Protro before officially parting ways.
Nike Kobe 6 is a performance upgrade of its original version. The hollowed-out snakeskin upper design reminds us of the Kobe 6.
With that said, Nike Kobe 6 Protro has a surprisingly superb traction pattern. That’s why Kobe 6 retro deserves a place in Best traction basketball shoes.
But there’s more to it. So read on for a full performance review of the Nike Kobe 6 Protro.
1. Traction:
Nike Kobe Protro 6 has a translucent outsole on the ‘Grinch’ colorway. But the original colorway has a rubber outsole.
The traction pattern is the spaced-out snakeskin pattern. That is similar to the original Kobe 6.
Traction is truly exceptional. It will give you an amazing grip on each end of the floor. On the indoor courts, it grips hard and gives you great control over your moves.
On a clean and well-maintained basketball court, you would not face any issues with traction. On the outdoor courts, you need to wipe the outsole to keep the traction the same. But it’s really easy to wipe the outsole.
The outsole gives great lateral stability that keeps you stable on your side-to-side moves.
Overall, it’s a perfect traction pattern, someone looking for a shoe with the best traction should go with Nike Kobe 6 Protro.
2. Cushion:
Nike Kobe 6 Protro’s cushioning setup is where they upgraded the sneakers from the original one. It features a forefoot Zoom Turbo unit and a Cushlon in the heel part.
The Cushlon is the most comfortable cushion from Nike. It feels plush and soft on the feet. Impact protection is too good. It is better than Nike Kobe 5 Protro.
It’s a nice combination of responsiveness yet a low-profile cushion that does not compromise on the court feel.
The insole in it conforms to the foot shape and adds a nice comfy feel.
Kobe 6 Protro is one of the best bounce pro cushioning that is also not heavy. With the strategic padding on the forefoot and heel part, using different cushioning on both parts, Nike has done a great job.
3. Material:
Nike Kobe 6 Protro features a micromesh material underneath the snakeskin upper pattern. That is embedded with the Flywires material inside.
The mesh upper is very thin and does not need any time to break in. it conforms to your feet really well.
The snakeskin pattern is not only a design tactic, but it adds extra support and looks really cool.
The back has a synthetic leather material on ‘The Grinch’ colorways and an external heel counter. The tongue has a honeycomb net pattern that is plush and padded.
Overall, the material is flexible, and supportive and feels comfortable right out of the box.
4. Support:
Kobe 6 Protro support offers you everything that you expect from a perfect hoop shoe. It has a wide base with a slight outrigger from the lateral side. That is to make sure that you maintain your balance during the side-to-side moves.
It has no foot containment issue. The external heel counter keeps the toys’ feet on the footbed and protects the ankle area. While at the same time giving the freedom to move in these low-cut shoes.
The base of the shoe has a visible midfoot shank plate. The midfoot area is padded to make a curve. That makes it very suitable for wide feet players. It’s great for someone with tendinitis too.
Overall support is superb in Kobe 6 Protro.
5. Fit:
The Nike Kobe 6 Protro is a snug-fit sneaker. So if you have wide feet to very wide feet, you must buy half a size up than your actual size.
Slim and medium feet players should buy a true-to-size pair. Some players have reported that they feel a little pinching in the pinky-toe area.
So buy half a size up if you have wide feet.
Overall fit and lockdown are perfect. The material wraps up nicely around your feel.
6. Looks / Appearance/ Colorways:
Nike Kobe Protro 6’s design and aesthetics are really catchy. They took the concept of mamba a little too seriously, and the design turned out to be unique and impressive.
It has released 5 colorways so far which are Grinch, All-Star, Pop, EYBL, and Mamacita Sweet 16.
Mamacita Sweet 16 was only available to the fans who tracked the basketball star Kobe and Gigi’s journey.
7. Outdoor/Durability:
The Nike Kobe Protro 6 is not recommended for use on outdoor basketball courts. The rubber is soft. So if you use the sneaker on outdoors, it will quickly flat out from the bottom.
The shoe rubber outsole and upper material look very durable. The upper material does not show signs of damage even if you are someone who uses toe drags.
The outsole tread pattern is thick and looks durable.
8. Breathability/Ventilation:
The basketball sneakers’ mesh material is thin and breathable. The tongue is nicely padded yet ventilated to prevent your feet from getting heated up during long games.
9. User Review
Nike Kobe 6 Protro is a minimal shoe that is incredibly popular among players. Especially those who use a lot of shifty moves. It has received a rating of 5 out of 5 from the users.
10. Expert Review
UnorthoBox
“Kobe 6 Protro has a nostalgic value, which makes it a really good buy. It’s the best hoop shoe today for being a mix of old tech and new tech. I would say all the hoop junkies out there must buy this.”
RicheeKim
“It’s one of my favorite basketball sneakers. It’s a solid performer and I loved every single aspect of the shoe. So if you are playing with Kobe 6 Protro, you won’t be disappointed”.
Foot doctor Zach
“It is really easy to get up off the ground in these shoes, high jumps and quick pivoting are really easy. These are actually game-improvement shoes for being better basketball shoes than many out there”.
Markches
“I really liked Nike Kobe 6 Protro. Traction, cushion, and support are on point. These are really well-balanced sneakers”
BBallshoes/ Reddit
“An excellent performance retro that only a few will be able to use for actual performance purpose. The lack of Zoom slightly increased the weight though, but still a top-tier”.