Kyrie Irving has always had affordable sneakers that are tech-focused – his signature line is cheaper than some of the cheapest Jordans.
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The Brooklyn man knows to keep his prices down to make sure his sneaker line is affordable. Kyrie Irving has always been vocal about everyone being able to buy his shoes irrespective of their financial status. Even his signature line, the Kyries do not cost more than 130 dollars. This goes against everything Nike wants to do because they want to make sure their second-best-selling line makes the profit they want.
Coming from by no means a wealthy family, Kyrie endured hardships and knew the struggles to buy luxuries like sneakers. Even for practice, he took care of all his shoes and stretched them to the fullest. Now, he champions the idea of having the most tech at an affordable cost. Damian Lillard does the same thing, just with Adidas. Both these players know the value of having kids being able to afford cool kicks.
Speaking to Joe La Puma on Sneaker Shopping with Complex, he explains how it is a struggle with Nike. Kyrie has never been one to mince his words, and he’s been firm with the sportswear giant. This may be the reason why his signature line has been suffering in quality lately, with the last two releases being lackluster.
Also Read: “If Kyrie Irving was 6ft 6”: Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy compares Nets guard to Kobe Bryant
Kyrie Irving will most likely not renew his contract with Nike – Hopefully, he jumps ship to Puma along with LaMelo Ball
Big-name players like LeBron James and Michael Jordan have their signature lines upwards of 200 dollars – that is a steep price for something that can be easily destroyed. While the face of Nike has affordable lines as well, Bron’s signature line does not dip into the affordable territory. Funny because most of his shoes end up in the outlets anyway! Kyrie looks to be jumping ship, with him rumored heavily to leave Nike after 9 years.
One brand that will actively look to bring him on board is Puma. Adidas and New Balance have their star athletes, but Puma only has LaMelo Ball as of now. Kyle Kuzma may have started the trend, but the potentially Lakers-bound player is the marquee signing Puma is dreaming of. They’ve got a lot of technology that is already affordable anyway – just what Irving needs.
Uncle Drew may be suffering from a huge dip in popularity – a moving business-wise, and team-wise may exactly be what he needs.