The Nike Kobe 9 Elite & EM Dropping in August 2024

NBA legend Kobe Bryant's ninth signature Nike sneaker returns in two styles in August 2024.

After a painfully long time without any sneaker releases from the signature line of Kobe Bryant, the news continues to pick up. Since the official re-launch of the "Kobe Brand" earlier this year, Nike has kept its foot on the gas with a flurry of exciting announcements.

It all began with Nike celebrating what would have been Bryant's 45th birthday and then Kobe Day on August 23-24, 2023. The brand released the Nike Kobe 8 Protro in an all-white 'Halo' colorway alongside limited-edition apparel.

Thanks to the outlet Sneaker Files and the social media user "@zSneakerHeadz," fans know what to expect for the next Kobe Day celebration. The Nike Kobe 9 Elite and EM (Engineered Mesh) are both dropping in a 'Halo' colorway. There is still no official imagery, tech specs, or release information.

This will be the first time Bryant's ninth signature sneaker enjoys a retro release and a technology upgrade (part of the Protro series). Nike began releasing Bryant's retro models in 2018 and is slowly covering the entire sneaker catalog of the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

However, fans have every right to be distrustful about the highly anticipated release. This past August, Nike limited the Kobe 8 'Halo' stock to just over 47,000 pairs, leaving many loyal customers upset. According to Vanessa Bryant, Nike wanted the release to be "limited" for fans.

While the re-launch of Kobe Brand does not do any good if Nike creates artificial scarcities, we remain ever hopeful that one day it will be easy to purchase a pair of Bryant's legendary hoop shoes. Follow FanNationKicks.com for all your sneaker news from the sports world.

Every Nike Kobe Sneaker Release Date for 2023-2024