Detailed Look // Nike Kobe 5 "Year of the Mamba"

Nike's beloved Kobe 5 silhouette is making a strong comeback in basketball footwear, with several exciting releases on the horizon.

Following the anticipation built around the "X-Ray" colorway set for Halloween 2024, Mamba fans have even more to look forward to in Spring 2025. Joining the "Eggplant" colorway is another dynamic edition: the Nike Kobe 5 "Year of the Mamba."

After initial reports of the new colorway, further information provided by zSneakerheadz, Brandon1an, and SneakermarketRO confirms that the pair will be a special-edition release for the Lunar New Year, tying Kobe Bryant's Black Mamba nickname with the zodiac animal of the year.

The updated mock-up is said to accurately depict the release, including an oversized snake motif in gold on the profile, snakeskin textures at the back heel, and metallic gold caps at the heel and toe.

Enjoy a first look at the pair below via prm.cotd/ig and an in hand via @chriscolgan/ig.

In related happenings, we took the Nike Kobe 5 into our Concept Lab for a colorway inspired by Bryant's first back-to-back NBA championship.