John Kim Kyrie Irving is back at the big stage for the first time since winning it all in 2016 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. As one-half of the dynamic backcourt duo of the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie is ready for his second go at the NBA Finals, and he’s using the major platform to debut his brand new shoe – the ANTA KAI 1 Speed.
It’s not uncommon for signature shoe brands to debut a modified version of a signature shoe during the summer season, and usually the shoe doesn’t depart much from the parent model. That isn’t the case with the ANTA KAI 1 Speed, because the design is almost completely new.
Starting off, the midsole is unlike the KAI 1 shoes as it doesn’t feature the large ANTA strike logo embedded into the midsole. Instead, the logo is stylized on the mesh upper. Everything the toe-box, to the removal of the strap, to the traction is completely different.
The debut colorway, which Kyrie will wear during Game 1 of the Finals, is dubbed “Twin Flame”. It was designed by Kyrie’s father Dred Irving, himself a signature athlete of ANTA (that news was reported just days ago). The concept behind the colorway is the everlasting love between Kyrie’s parents; the purple represents Drederick, orange represents his mother Elizabeth, and the pink reflects the energy between the two. The shoe is truly more than just a sneaker — it’s an homage to their love. And with the two meeting during their time at Boston University, there’s no better moment for Kyrie to debut the shoes.
As of now, ANTA has not shared official release details with us, but a release will likely happen sometime this Summer/Fall season.
