Kyrie Irving used some of the last iterations for his Kyrie 4 sneaker to show off a more personal side — the standout design being his love for cereal. Now, he’s finally ready to unveil the new model in his ongoing signature series as a Nike Athlete, giving us a full breakdown of the Kyrie 5 silhouette from the inner stitchings all the way to its colorful sole.
The sneaker shows Irving linking with Nike Footwear Designer Ben Nethongkome once again, and this one packs tons of performance specs for the real ballers out there. Highlights from the shoe’s structure include a new articulated fore-foot Zoom cushioning, which gives the wearer full support while going extra hard in the paint, Flywire arranged to lock the foot into the Air Zoom Turbo unit and a new traction pattern that even takes design cues from Kyrie’s arm tattoo.
Here’s how Kyrie Irving himself breaks down his latest signature shoe:
“I’ve become more involved with what’s going on in the outside world. Before, I was just trying to get a shoe out. I was just trying to have something that looks hot, looks good. Now I’m trying to have something that is driven from who I am.”
— Kyrie Irving, via Nike
Expect the Nike Kyrie 5 to drop officially in its initial “Black Magic” colorway on November 22, with China seeing the release on December 6. Get an in-depth look at the silhouette below, including sketches from the creative process:
