Nike welcomes Kyrie Irving to its esteemed signature athlete family

Nike’s 42-year legacy of signature athletes is bolstered today with the addition of its newest member, Kyrie Irving, and his first shoe, the KYRIE 1. The honor bestowed on Irving is something that he earned through the hungry yet humble approach he brings to competing at basketball’s highest level. 

“As a kid, imagining that I’d be in the Nike family with my own shoe was something that seemed almost unattainable,” said Irving.  “Now that I’ve received the KYRIE 1 I’m honored to represent Nike and its next generation of players.”

At the Dec. 3 unveiling of the KYRIE 1, Irving was welcomed by signature legends Charles Barkley and Penny Hardaway, and was honored by current superstar and teammate LeBron James. Irving was joined by his father Drederick Irving to share in the special moment. Invited guests were given exclusive access to an archive exhibit of past signature greats, from Michael Jordan and John McEnroe, to Mia Hamm and Eric Koston.

When designer Leo Chang and team began the design process of the KYRIE 1, the goal was to build a shoe to match Irving’s tremendous speed and quickness.  The KYRIE 1 needed to be light, bold and responsive with the best traction Nike Basketball could develop for Irving’s prolific first step. 

After months of meticulous testing and feedback, the KYRIE 1 was created to deliver three primary benefits:

• Pinpoint responsiveness with Nike Zoom Air cushioning in the forefoot.
  
• Dynamic grip with a 360-degree dynamic traction pattern wrapping the shoe’s sidewalls.
  
• Ultra support and breathability with Hyperfuse construction for lockdown stability.
  

Irving joins Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James on Nike’s current roster of signature basketball athletes. 

His first signature shoe, the KYRIE 1, lives up to the performance and storytelling expectations set by previous signature kicks:

• The new Kyrie Irving logo on the shoe’s tongue represents his inner strength and hunger to learn.
  
• Hand-written details in Irving’s penmanship: #2 on the upper heel along with his personal signature on the inside of the tongue.
  
• Jagged pattern on the wrapped traction near the toe and heel counter with architectural angles are both inspired by the Sydney Opera House in Irving’s homeland of Australia.
  
• The acronym “JBY” that sits beneath Irving’s new logo on the outsole stands for “Just Be You,” a motto that Irving hopes inspires kids as they establish their own unique identities.
  

Each of these distinctions appear on all KYRIE 1 colorways. Individual stories come to life on each colorway beginning with the KYRIE 1 Dream. Irving often dreamt of waking up on Christmas morning and lacing up for a game professionally – a dream that will come true when Cleveland plays in Miami on Christmas day. The black-based shoe features geometric, colorful objects specific to Irving’s life journey, including stars from the Australian flag, a skateboard, his jersey number and a brass musical instrument.

The KYRIE 1 Deceptive Red is the lead colorway globally; it takes inspiration from Irving’s phenomenal quickness and accelerated first step. 

BRIGHT FUTURE

The bar is set high for Irving based on his family pedigree, international experiences, thirst for knowledge and reluctance to fail. Irving’s role model remains his father Drederick, once a professional basketball star in Australia, who demonstrated great character as a single father raising three kids.

 “My family means everything to me,” said Irving. “My father led by example and taught me how to become a stand-up man both on and off the court. You get what you give, and I’ll never take life or any opportunity for granted.”

The KYRIE 1 is currently available for customization on NIKEiD; the KYRIE 1 Dream colorway will be available in North America on Dec. 23 in adult and kids sizes at nike.com and select retail destinations. The KYRIE 1 Deceptive Red colorway is available globally on Jan. 10, 2015. Along with the shoe, special KYRIE 1 T-shirts, hats and socks will also be available.