Sneaker enthusiasts everywhere are waiting patiently for the release of Kyrie Irving’s upcoming Anta KAI 1 shoe, the Speed ‘Twin Flame’. Amidst the growing anticipation, Uncle Drew took to his Twitch stream to discuss how his parents influenced the shoe’s design.
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Irving revealed that this shoe was more than just a stylish footwear. It carried a deep personal meaning to his family. It celebrated the first meeting between his parents, Drederick and Elizabeth, at Boston University. Their names were consequently printed on the shoe as a sign of tribute.
The design particularly honored his mother, Elizabeth. For instance, the toe embroidery pays homage to her Native American heritage. The shoe thus reminds Irving of her contributions to his successful NBA career.
“It has my dad’s name [Drederick] and then it has my mom’s name [Elizabeth]… My mom is a huge impact on my life and she is a very meaningful ancestor that’s always around me, giving me guidance and just making sure everything is good on a spiritual level. Having somebody that gave me that other side of my creativity, the other side of my passion… I’m glad that they could split this first shoe.”
The 8x All-Star also spoke about how his father orchestrated the whole design. In doing so, he reminisced about onboarding him as Anta’s first signature athlete in June this year. He recounted his father’s reaction to the news, saying,
“Man, he really gave a lot of his inputs into these and this is his little brainchild… It’s really a part of his legacy, most importantly. I think it surprised the heck outta him when I signed him as my signature athlete. I just kinda like dropped it on him and was like, ‘Yo, dad, you gonna be my first signature athlete. He was like, ‘Bruh, what? Really?'”
Kyrie Irving shares the moment he told his dad, Drederick Irving, that he was becoming Kyrie’s first signature with ANTA 🤞🔥 https://t.co/LO52cVIKKA pic.twitter.com/KZSwEZpc9D
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) September 5, 2024
Since joining Anta as their Chief Creative Officer in July 2023, Irving has taken several steps. But nothing compares to this one. The shoe became even more special when he wore it during his return to Boston during Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. This completed its full-circle moment and added to the excitement around its launch.
As of now, the sneaker might hit the market sometime in November. Irving as much hinted at this during his latest livestream. Sneakerheads have a lot to look forward to as the Mavericks star continues to shake up the market with full force.
