A sneaker that Sabrina Ionescu rocked in the 2021 WNBA season was the Nike Kobe 6 Protro. This despite the Nike contract with the Kobe Bryant estate ending in early 2021.
The Kobe 6 originally was designed by Eric Avar, releasing in 2010. That featured polyurethane (plastic) scales all across the upper, which protects the foot from collisions. the scales also reduce the weight from simply just making an all polyurethane upper.
This time around the Protro version Zoom Air gets a “Turbo” upgrade, with notches built-in for an extra bouncy feel at different angles. The midsole also gets softer with updated Cushlon foam. The outsole also has more surface area on the Protro version for better ground contact on cuts.
Ionescu rocked Kobe styles throughout her early career, as the Black Mamba was an idol and mentor for her before Bryant’s passing. The Kobe 6 she chose to rock was a limited EYBL colorway, which isn’t slated to release.
You can find other colorways of the Nike Kobe 6 at StockX, GOAT, Stadium Goods, and Flight Club.
