Some of the game’s most totemic figures represent the prep-to-pro route — a pathway eliminated in the modern game, but one that birthed titans like LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, and, of course, Kobe Bryant. The phenom was already something of a superstar before he stepped into the league, and Nike has paid special attention to honoring his varsity days through his footwear empire.

As the Mamba line extends from simply a performance one to an additional lifestyle wing, that very much remains the case. After bringing you a look at the Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Lower Merion High” Home, now an away look joins next year’s festivities. Maintaining the scaly all-over print that’s been a hallmark of his Uptown series, an inversion of the burgundy/white school pride color scheme results in red taking up most of the real estate. To distinguish it from other, less narratively weighted versions, Bryant’s jersey number appears on the heel — expected to shift to a literal ace on the left shoe as additional angles surface.

The Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low “Lower Merion High” is currently set to drop on March 26th, 2026. We’ll keep you posted with any relevant updates that surface between now and then via this article and our Sneaker Release Dates page.

Kobe Bryant Nike Air Force 1 Lower Merion Aces Ib0018 600

Written by

Matt Varga, Junior Editor

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.