Nike Kobe 4 Protro
Released 2/2019, Low Top, Kobe Bryant,
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8.6
EXPERT RATING
6 reviews
9.2
USER RATING
10 ratings
A solid performer that started the low-top trend in basketball shoes
Best Suitable For:
A very versatile shoe that will be most appreciated by players who had the OG Kobe 4
Price Comparison:
Available at 3 shops | Official Retail Price: $174.99
Category Performance Ratings:
Weight & Sizing:
Weight:
light
heavy
Sizing:
small
large
Width:
narrow
wide
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
Nike Kobe 4 Protro |  Under Armour Curry 9 |  Under Armour Curry 10 |  New Balance TWO WXY V3 |  Nike Kyrie Low 5 |  Nike LeBron NXXT Gen | Add shoe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert Rating | 8.6 | 8.9(0.3) | 8.8(0.2) | 8.7(0.1) | 8.3(0.3) | 8.7(0.1) | |
| User Rating | 9.2 | 9.2(0.0) | 9.0(0.2) | 9.1(0.1) | 8.7(0.5) | 9.1(0.1) | |
| Best Price | $174.99 | $89.97 $160 | $119.69 $160 | $99.98 $120 | $79.99 $110 | $82.97 $160 | |
| Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
| Weight | 350g - 370g | 320g - 330g | 350g - 360g | 350g - 360g | 330g - 350g | 350g - 360g |
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Nike Kobe 4 Protro Review
Pros:
Great herringbone traction
Cons:
No full-length Zoom
Performance of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
The Kobe 4 started the low-top trend in basketball shoes and is the second shoe of the Kobe Bryant signature line that got the Protro treatment.
Even though Nike promised full-length Zoom in this updated version, they disappointed by keeping it OG with Zoom in the heel and simple Phylon in the front.
The old-school herringbone traction pattern still works like a charm and needs very little wiping - even on dusty courts.
The synthetic leather and plastic overlays with Flywire cables perform well but feel a little cheap compared to modern knits materials.
Overall, the Kobe 4 Protro is a very solid performer, but there are very few improvements compared to the original Kobe 4 and the retail price of $175 is very steep.
See all 6 reviews
Expert Reviews of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Rating: 8.6 (ranks #98 of 304)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
6
8 - Good
0
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.0
March 7, 2019
Even though this isn't really a performance upgrade to the Kobe 4, this is still a really good performance shoe. However, I don't think they are worth $175.
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8.6
March 7, 2019
I love that Nike didn’t change a thing. And why should they when it’s one of the best low tops of all time?
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8.6
March 7, 2019
This shoe feels more Retro than Protro. They will probably make it into my rotation, but the price of $175 is pretty steep.
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8.6
March 11, 2019
The Nike Kobe 4 is one of the greatest basketball shoes of all-time but I expected the inclusion of forefoot cushion for a performance-upgraded shoe. For $175 they could have, and should have, given us more.
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8.5
July 7, 2019
The Protro 4 is a very solid performer - if you are a Kobe fan get them! But at the price of $175, there are way better shoes out there.
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8.5
September 26, 2019
For $175, these feel like a sneaker from 2009 trying to keep up in 2019.
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User Reviews of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
User Rating: 9.2 (ranks #41 of 304)
10 - Amazing
4
9 - Great
6
8 - Good
0
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.6
November 22, 2021
It is a shoe that fits perfectly, it might feel a bit stiff at the start, but once you break in the leather starts working its magic and it FITS like a glove. The cushion is good but only enough for a center. I feel like I would like it to have a bit more like the KD 14's. The durability is okay, I played outdoors with it twice and i see no big wear and tear with my outsole.
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9.6
March 19, 2022
Amazing experience playing with these shoes. Would have taken better care of them if I’d knew how rare they rare. Unfortunately after playing with them outdoors the lower outer part of the shoe laces got ripped off after a year or so :(
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9.6
March 2, 2023
This shoe is what i wanted because it has amazing traction&cushion good fit&materials overall i recommend this shoe
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8.7
November 17, 2022
Not a bad shoe but not the best Kobe shoe but again it's not bad
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Traction of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Traction Rating: 9.0 (ranks #94 of 304)
User Traction Rating: 9.4 (ranks #47 of 304)
10 - Amazing
5
9 - Great
10
8 - Good
1
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.0
March 7, 2019
The traction is aggressive and works well. Some wiping is needed on dusty courts.
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9.0
March 7, 2019
This herringbone traction pattern is just about as perfect as you can get.
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8.0
March 7, 2019
Most Kobes have a crazy bite, but these were a little disappointing on dusty courts.
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9.0
March 11, 2019
The Kobe 4 Protro offers the same pattern and the same soft bite as the original Kobe 4.
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9.0
July 7, 2019
The traction was a little iffy at first, but after the break-in period, it was really nice.
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10.0
September 26, 2019
The traction is amazing!
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Cushion of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Cushion Rating: 8.0 (ranks #224 of 304)
User Cushion Rating: 9.4 (ranks #42 of 304)
10 - Amazing
4
9 - Great
7
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
March 7, 2019
Springy and bouncy Zoom in the heel and soft and responsive in the forefoot.
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8.0
March 7, 2019
Heel Zoom is fantastic and can be felt from day one. I didn’t have any issues at with the forefoot (yet) but I would have loved full-length Zoom.
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9.0
March 7, 2019
The Zoom unit in the heel is really nice but the forefoot is pretty dead. I am a big fan of this setup because it's very responsive and low-to-the-ground.
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7.0
March 11, 2019
There is a Phylon midsole and a large volume Zoom Air unit in the heel. The setup feels similar to the original but the foam seems to be a bit softer.
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8.0
July 7, 2019
Bounce Zoom unit in the heel and firmer Phylon in the forefoot. Nothing to complain, but there are better cushioning setups out there.
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8.0
September 26, 2019
The Phylon forefoot and heel Zoom are a little disappointing, especially since Nike promised us full-length Zoom.
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Materials of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Materials Rating: 8.2 (ranks #155 of 304)
User Materials Rating: 8.5 (ranks #126 of 304)
10 - Amazing
2
9 - Great
4
8 - Good
8
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
March 7, 2019
We still get synthetic leather and plasticky mid-panels. They absolutely get the job done, but I would have loved an upgrade to the materials.
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8.0
March 7, 2019
The materials feel plasticky feel they confirmed to my foot quickly with no hot spots or pinching!
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8.0
March 7, 2019
You need to break-in the materials for a little bit. I am not a big fan of synthetic materials but they are super durable and will last for a long time.
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9.0
March 11, 2019
It works. It’s durable. It breaks in nicely.
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8.0
July 7, 2019
Not exactly the best materials. The synthetic leather starts off really stiff but gets better over time. The durability of the materials will be very good.
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8.0
September 26, 2019
The materials perform fine but feel a bit old-fashioned.
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Support of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Support Rating: 9.0 (ranks #46 of 304)
User Support Rating: 9.1 (ranks #53 of 304)
10 - Amazing
4
9 - Great
8
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.0
March 7, 2019
Support comes from the excellent fit and heel counter and the stability is excellent thanks to the large outrigger.
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10.0
March 7, 2019
This shoe is crazy supportive, no issues with lateral containment or lockdown.
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9.0
March 11, 2019
The heel counter, carbon shank, and wide forefoot provide a lot of support and stability.
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9.0
July 7, 2019
An external heel counter, lateral outrigger, carbon fiber midfoot shank. Nothing spectacular - but I didn't have any support issues at all!
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8.0
September 26, 2019
The support is really good, especially for a low-top.
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Fit of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Fit Rating: 8.5 (ranks #107 of 304)
User Fit Rating: 9.2 (ranks #29 of 304)
10 - Amazing
4
9 - Great
6
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
March 7, 2019
The comfort of this shoe is slightly above average. I did have pinching issues around the ankles when lacing them very tightly.
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9.0
March 7, 2019
Even half a size up I had zero heel slip no side to side movement and it still fit like a glove.
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8.0
March 7, 2019
I did have slight issues with the top eyelet sawing into my ankle bone. But, overall, the fit was pretty good.
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9.0
March 11, 2019
The fit is awesome.
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Durability of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
User Durability Rating: 8.4 (ranks #172 of 304)
10 - Amazing
2
9 - Great
4
8 - Good
1
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
2
5 - Poor
0
Outdoor of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
Expert Outdoor Rating: 25.0 (ranks #200 of 304)
User Outdoor Rating: 43.8 (ranks #209 of 304)
Good (100%)
2
Fair (50%)
4
Bad (0%)
4
no
March 7, 2019
The rubber is pretty soft and frays easily.
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fair
March 11, 2019
Outdoor hoopers will receive great traction, but due to the softer rubber compound I’m not sure if it’ll be quite as durable as the OG
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Width of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
very narrow
0
slightly narrow
6
regular
6
slightly wide
1
very wide
0
slightly narrow
March 7, 2019
It's a bit snug in the beginning, not as bad as the OG though.
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slightly wide
March 7, 2019
The fit is not as narrow as I am used to from the Kobe line.
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slightly narrow
July 7, 2019
As a slightly wide-footer I experienced a little pinching pain around the forefoot.
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Size of the Nike Kobe 4 Protro:
very small
0
slightly small
1
true to size
12
slightly long
2
very long
0
true to size
March 7, 2019
True to size.
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true to size
March 7, 2019
I suggest true to size for regular feet and half a size up for wide footers.
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½ size large
March 7, 2019
Runs a little bit long.
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true to size
March 11, 2019
True to size.
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true to size
July 7, 2019
I went true to size.
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