Kyrie Irving hates his next signature shoe, the Nike Kyrie 8. That’s not speculation—Irving said so himself when he referred to the upcoming release as “trash” in the comment section of an Instagram leak. He’s since softened his stance and claims that he’s working with Nike to restructure the shoe, but it’s hard to imagine any drastic changes occurring before tip-off ‘21. So, as of now, we’re left with this current version of the Kyrie 8.
The shoe appears to inherit some heritage Nike Kyrie design language, reverting back to the Kyrie 6 more than the Kyrie 7. With that, the detached heel is reminiscent of the Air Yeezy 2, which was a not-so-secret source of inspiration for the Kyrie 6. There’s also a flowing leather overlay reminiscent of the Air Jordan 10 and Adidas-like middle lace tabs. Perhaps a nod to Kyrie’s love of Nike Skateboarding, the tongue looks a little more “fat” than the tongue on standard hoop models.
Despite Kyrie’s feelings about the shoe, if it’s already being put into production, this could very well be the version of the Kyrie 8 he has to live with. In recent years, the new Kyrie signature shoe has launched sometime in November, which leaves little time for a redesign—unless it’s pushed back indefinitely. We’ll know more about that in the coming months.
UPDATE (08/24): Thanks to newly captured images by @Treym.jpg on Instagram, Irving was spotted at an offseason workout wearing a new sneaker suspected to be the upcoming Nike Kyrie 8—despite his previous comments on the sneaker. There’s currently no release info on Irving’s new signature shoe but check back soon for updates.
UPDATE (09/07): Today, Kyrie sneaker fan account @k11kicks on Instagram has shared a detailed look at the Kyrie 8 in a previously-unseen grey and white colorway. As of now, the Swoosh has yet to officially unveil Irving’s next signature shoe but expect additional details to arrive in the weeks ahead.
