People Are Using Flashlights To Crack Nike's Kobe Mystery Boxes

BY Ben Atkinson
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Kobe Bryant, seen in his office in Costa Mesa, California, has been a champion of LeBron James' success.Xxx Hah 4127 Jpg S
Kobe Bryant, seen in his office in Costa Mesa, California, has been a champion of LeBron James' success. Xxx Hah 4127 Jpg S Sports Usa Ca
Fans have discovered an innovative flashlight trick that reveals which colorway sits inside Nike's Kobe mystery bags.

Fans have found a way to peek inside the Kobe 4 Protro Draft Day Pack mystery bags. Shining a flashlight through the gold wrapping reveals the shoe inside.

Buyers have shared clips online showing the trick in action. The method appears to work because of how thin the wrapping material is.

Nike released this pack to mark 30 years since Kobe Bryant's 1996 NBA Draft. The collection includes 14 total colorways, each sealed inside matching gold packaging. Thirteen pairs represent teams that passed on drafting Bryant that year. A 14th pair, done in Lakers gold, completes the full set.

Most colorways start with a white leather upper hiding a second color underneath. Wearing down the leather reveals each team's primary color over time. The flashlight trick lets buyers guess the colorway without damaging the shoe. That makes it useful for anyone hoping to land a specific team pair.

Mystery box style releases have grown more common across sneakers recently. Nike borrowed the format from trends popularized by collectible toy lines.

Buyers won't know their exact pair until they open the packaging themselves. For now, the flashlight method offers a workaround.

Kobe Bryant Mystery Box

The Kobe 4 Protro Draft Day Pack ties directly into Bryant's draft history. Thirteen colorways represent the teams that picked before the Lakers selected him. The Charlotte Hornets are also included, since they originally held his draft rights. A 14th colorway, done in gold, represents the Lakers themselves.

Each white based pair hides a second color underneath the leather upper. Scuffing or sanding the surface slowly reveals that hidden team color. That design adds a layer of interaction beyond just opening the box. Combined with the blind packaging, it turns the release into more of an experience.

The flashlight trick taps into that same curiosity from a different angle. Shining light through the thin gold wrapping reveals enough to identify some pairs. It doesn't damage the shoe, making it a safer option than scuffing leather early. For collectors chasing specific colorways, that small workaround has already proven useful.

About The Author
Benjamin Atkinson is a sneaker content writer at HotNewHipHop, where he has been covering the latest sneaker releases and industry news since 2023. With a deep understanding of the sneaker market, Ben regularly reports on exclusive sneaker drops, collaborations, and trends shaping the footwear world. From covering the return of top Nike releases to writing about Travis Scott's famous Air Jordan collaboration, Ben delivers in-depth content for the sneakerhead community. He also brings valuable insights from his former sneaker reselling business, Midwest Soles, which sharpens his expertise on the market.

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