After he departed from Nike, Kyrie Irving made moves toward a new sneaker home. According to Musiq Soulchild, Irving is nearing a deal with the Black-owned shoe company SIA Collective.
TMZ caught the R&B star as he wore a pair of Croc-adjacent foam shoes. The shoe was from the SIA Collective, detailing that the brand, an acronym for Somewhere In America, is close to a new deal to make Irving their star endorsement.
“These shoes are made by a Black man,” Soulchild said. “His name is Devlin. He has his own company called SIA Collective… He’s actually in talks trying to work out a deal with Kyrie Irving.”
SIA is owned by Delvin Carter, which currently has nearly 400,000 followers on social media. The sneaker brand is sponsored in Oakland.
Soulchild added, “I think that will be an awesome decision.”
Earlier this month, Nike severed all business partnerships with NBA star Kyrie Irving, just one month following his Nike contract’s “suspension,” which stemmed from a perceived anti-Semitic video reposted by the Nets star on social media.
With Irving offering, no apology for posting the video, his suspended contract with Nike was paired with a suspension from the Brooklyn Nets. Nike also decided to shelf the release of its signature shoe, the Kyrie 8.
The sides have parted ways one month after Nike suspended its relationship with the Nets star. Sports reporter Shams Charania tweeted, “Kyrie Irving is no longer a Nike athlete, Nike spokesperson says. Irving has one of the most popular signature shoes in the NBA and is now a sneaker free agent.”
