SUMMARY
- Kyrie Irving was signed to ANTA in July 2023 under a five-year contract.
- Kyrie Irving's first signature sneaker called the ANTA KAI 1s is set to release on March 6.
Kyrie Irving’s ANTA KAI 1s have officially been revealed to the public. The China-based shoe has signed multiple superstars such as Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward. But Irving’s acquisition was probably the biggest signing ever done by the brand. It was back in July 2023 when they decided to welcome the Dallas Mavericks star to their family. It happened nearly eight months after he was removed from Nike’s roster.
Kyrie Irving signs 5-year shoe deal with Chinese sportswear company ANTA pic.twitter.com/TMyDQEh4C3
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) July 12, 2023
Irving and Nike’s relationship ended after a major controversy unfolded during the early parts of the 2022-23 season. The former NBA Champion was slammed for showing support towards antisemitism and before the league could take a stand on the issue, Nike folded. They terminated their multi-million-dollar deal with Irving and discontinued his iconic signature shoe line. The 8x All-Star returned better than ever and ended up showing a lot of grit after the issue was resolved.
Kyrie Irving’s ANTA KAI 1s will release on March 6, 2024
Kyrie Irving had an incredibly iconic signature shoe line with Nike and it was one of the fastest-selling sneakers in the market as well. His designs were unique due to the amount of thought and meaning behind each colorway that was released. Initially, this would have put a lot of pressure on ANTA to follow through with. But they proved everyone wrong after Irving debuted the ANTA KAI 1s during his return to Brooklyn game recently.
Kyrie’s 1st signature shoe with ANTA (KAI 1’s “Artist on the Court”) will be released on March 6th 🔥
They will be priced at $125!! pic.twitter.com/LMKQ3Qerdh
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) February 27, 2024
The colorway that he wore during that game is called “Artist on Court”, and this will be the first of many instalments scheduled to release soon. Kyrie was signed to a five-year deal and was appointed as ANTA’s Chief Creative Officer. His other roles would also revolve around recruiting and promoting the brand as well. The ANTA KAI 1s are expected to be released on March 6, 2024. Each pair will be sold for $125 according to Kyrie Center in X.
The meaning behind the design of Kyrie Irving’s ANTA KAI 1s
The ANTA KAI 1s were designed with the help of Jared Subawon, a popular shoe designer. These shoes are mid-tips that come with a velcro strap that stretches around the top half of the top over the laces. The ANTA logo is merged between the body and the sole of the shoe with a brand-new Kyrie Irving symbol on the tongue, inner sole, and sides. This colorway is in purple and pink hues with gold and neon green highlights. The Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown was spotted wearing this colorway during the All-Star Game.
👀 Jaylen Brown is wearing Kyrie Irving’s upcoming ANTA Kai 1 signature shoe. #NBAAllStar2024 pic.twitter.com/cxfPOxYxcT
— KICKS CREW (@kickscrew) February 19, 2024
According to Sabuwon, there is a meaning behind the variety of symbols that are printed on the shoe. He said, “It draws inspiration from the beliefs of Native peoples, integrating the symbolism of the four directions with the psychological and physical impacts that colors exert on the body and mind.” This perfectly describes who Kyrie is as a person. He is someone who has unique beliefs and a spiritual mindset.