After months of of speculation surrounding a brand new takedown Kyrie model from Nike, Kyrie Irving has officially debuted his cost-friendly signature sneakers. The reveal occurred during a recent interview on the Sneaker School YouTube channel with Chris Strachan.
While an official name still has yet to be announced for the silhouette, Irving refers to them in the video as the "Nike Core shoes." The pair revealed sports a very extravagant color scheme inspired by one of Irving's favorite movies—Pixar's Toy Story. The left and right shoes are done up to resemble the Buzz Lightyear and Woody, the two main characters from the animated movie.
The left shoe is sports Buzz's signature purple, white, and green spacesuit colors, while special details including rope laces, gold Swoosh detailing, and denim on the heel are used to represent Woody's outfit on the right shoe. On the tech side of things, Irving's budget sneakers will be constructed of a mesh upper and feature Zoom Air technology for additional comfort and responsiveness on the court.
Plans for the shoe were first revealed at Nike's Investor Day event in Portland this past October. Since then, other pairs that have surfaced include a "U.S.A." colorway and a pair that celebrates the championship history of the Boston Celtics.
While an official launch date is still up in the air, Irving says the "Nike Core" can be expected "in stores soon" for the affordable retail price of $80.
The Sneaker School YouTube channel is connected to the Fashion Institute of Technology's new Sneaker Essentials program, which Complex Networks is affiliated with, for students looking for a career in the sneaker industry. Sneaker Essentials is a 6-course online program offered by FIT that delves into all of the aspects of sneaker culture including history, design, manufacturing, marketing, media, and more. For more information on the program, check out the official page here.