Nike Kobe Protros fit true to size in length, so buy your usual Nike size if you have narrow or regular feet, and go half a size up if your feet are wide. Every Kobe is built narrow and snug for basketball lockdown. The Kobe 5 and Kobe 6 are the tightest, so lean half a size up in those if you're unsure.

Last updated: 26 October 2026 · Josh Cole, I'm Your Wardrobe

Nike Kobe size chart (US, UK, EU and cm)

Kobes use the standard Nike men's chart. Measure your foot in centimetres, find your true size below, then check the advice for your foot type and Kobe model.

Source: official Nike men's footwear size chart (nike.com). Foot length is Nike's listed measurement converted from inches to centimetres. The cm size on the box or label is not the same as your foot length.

Do Kobes run small?

Not in length, but they do run narrow. The fit reviews collected by The Hoops Geek, plus WearTesters, Schwollo and SoleFeed, mostly land on true to size for the Kobe 4, 6, 8 and 9 Protros. The same sources describe the fit as snug, low-volume and close to one-to-one, with a tapered toe box and no wide version. That tightness is why so many people feel Kobes run small.

Kobes are performance basketball shoes, so the fit is meant to lock your foot in. If you're buying them to wear casually and like a little room, half a size up is a safe choice in any model. For basketball, stay as close to your true size as your foot width allows.

Kobe sizing by foot type

Leather and mesh uppers ease after a few wears. The Hoops Geek collects owner reports of the Kobe 8 loosening after five or six wears and the Kobe 5 stretching out after a tight start. Break-in won't add length, so size for your toes, not for the stretch.

Kobe sizing model by model

• Kobe 4 Protro: true to size; wide feet half a size up. The Hoops Geek, Schwollo and SoleFeed all agree, and Schwollo says even half a size up it still fit like a glove with no heel slip. See the Kobe 4 Protro Gift of Mamba.
• Kobe 5 Protro: snug; half a size up is the safe call. Most reviewers on The Hoops Geek went true to size and recommend half a size up for wide feet. Schwollo says the Protro runs about half a size smaller than the original and calls half a size up the safe play. Go true to size only if you have narrow feet and want a very snug fit. See the Kobe 5 Protro X-Ray.
• Kobe 6 Protro: true to size and very snug; wide feet half a size up. WearTesters' review of the Reverse Grinch says true to size with a snug one-to-one fit that improves with wear. Its Sail All-Star 2.0 review says that pair runs extremely snug and suggests half a size up. The Hoops Geek reports wide feet need at least half a size up, some a full size, and SoleFeed confirms there is no wide version. See the Kobe 6 Protro Reverse Grinch.
• Kobe 8 Protro: true to size; wide feet half a size up. The Hoops Geek calls it narrow and true to size for narrow and medium feet. SoleFeed finds it more forgiving than the Kobe 6, so some wide feet get away with their normal size. Foot Doctor Zach, quoted by The Hoops Geek, says 2E-wide feet can go a full size up. See the Kobe 8 Protro Halo.
• Kobe 9 Elite and Elite Low Protro: true to size; wide feet half a size up. SoleFeed says plan on true to size for both the high and the low. The Hoops Geek finds the Elite Low narrow with a tight toe box and suggests half a size up if you need extra width or length. See the Kobe 9 Elite Low Protro Halo.
• Kobe 3 and Kobe 3 Low Protro: true to size. WearTesters went true to size in the Kobe 3 Protro and suggests wide feet try a pair on first. The Hoops Geek says the Kobe 3 Low is true to size for most, with wide feet half a size up. See the Kobe 3 Low Protro Atomic Pink.
• Kobe 1, Kobe 10 and Kobe 11 Protro: reports are thin or mixed. Schwollo found the Kobe 1 Protro slightly shorter and narrower than the original yet suggests true to size or half a size down, while a reader commenting on WearTesters said he needed half a size up for length. We haven't found enough reliable reviews of the Kobe 10 and 11 Protro to give model-specific advice. For all three, start at your true size and go half a size up for wide feet.

Kobe vs Jordan, Dunk and Air Force 1 sizing

• Nike Dunk and Jordan 1: both fit true to size with more room than a Kobe. Start from the same US size, then add half a size in Kobes if your feet are wide. See the Nike Dunk size guide and Jordan 1 size guide.
• Air Jordan 4 and other retros: true to size, so your Jordan size is your Kobe starting size. If you need half a size up in the Jordan 4 for width, expect to need it in Kobes too. See our Jordan retro size guide.
• Nike Air Force 1: runs big, and Nike recommends half a size down. If you sized down in AF1s, your Kobe size is at least half a size above your AF1 size.

Women's and GS Kobe sizing

Kobe Protros are unisex and listed in US men's sizes. Nike's men's and women's sizes sit exactly 1.5 apart, so subtract 1.5 from your women's size to find your men's size (women's 9.5 = men's 8), then apply the fit advice above.

We also stock GS (grade school) Kobes, from the Kobe 6 Total Orange (GS) to the Kobe 8 Court Purple (GS) and Kobe 5 X-Ray (GS). GS sizes run from 3.5Y to 7Y. A Y size is the same number in men's and 1.5 lower than women's, so women up to a US 8.5 can wear GS pairs.

Source: official Nike size chart (nike.com).

If you're a women's 8.5 with wide feet, the half-size-up rule takes you past 7Y, so choose the men's pair in a US 7.5 instead.

How to measure your foot

1. Tape a sheet of paper to a hard floor against a wall.
2. Stand on it with your heel against the wall, wearing the socks you play or walk in.
3. Mark the tip of your longest toe and measure from the wall in centimetres.
4. Repeat with the other foot and match the longer measurement to the chart above.

Measure later in the day, when your feet are at their largest. If you land between two sizes in a Kobe, take the larger one.

Shop Nike Kobes in NZ

Every pair at I'm Your Wardrobe is authentic and inspected before it ships. Wrong size? See our returns and exchanges policy.

• Shop all Nike Kobes
• Kobe 6 Protro Reverse Grinch
• Kobe 8 Protro Halo
• Kobe 5 Protro X-Ray
• Kobe 4 Protro Gift of Mamba

More sizing help: our full sizing guide, the Jordan retro size guide, Jordan 4 sizing and the Nike Dunk size guide.

Nike Kobe sizing FAQ

Do Kobes run small?

Not in length. Kobe Protros fit true to size, but they are narrow and snug, which makes them feel small. Narrow and regular feet should buy their usual Nike size, and wide feet should go half a size up.

Should I size up in Kobe 6 Protros?

Only if you have wide feet or want a roomier fit. The Kobe 6 Protro fits true to size with a very snug, one-to-one feel. Wide feet should go at least half a size up, and some very wide feet need a full size.

Do Kobe 8 Protros fit true to size?

Yes. The Kobe 8 Protro fits true to size for narrow and regular feet. It is a narrow shoe, so if you have wide feet go up half a size.

Are Kobes good for wide feet?

They can work if you size up. Every Kobe Protro is built narrow and there is no wide version, so wide feet should go half a size up, and very wide feet may need a full size up in the Kobe 5 and Kobe 6.

What size Kobes should a woman get?

Kobe Protros are listed in US men's sizes. Subtract 1.5 from your women's size, so a women's 9.5 is a men's 8. Women up to a US 8.5 can also wear GS sizes, where 7Y equals a women's 8.5.