Month: July 2023

Kyrie Irving has officially signed a five-year partnership deal with Chinese brand ANTA. Not only does the Dallas Mavericks guard have a new shoe deal, but he has now been named the brand’s Chief Creative Officer. The news of his appointment and the new deal comes after Irving and Nike ended their partnership last December. Irving was part of the Nike family since 2011 and in 2014, he became the 20th player in NBA history to receive his own signature shoe with the Swoosh. His signing to ANTA also comes after Irving just signed a three-year $126 million USD deal to return to the Mavs. In stats, the 31-year-old basketball player is an eight-time All-Star and has a career average of 23.4 points, 5.7 assists and 27.1 points and 5.5 assists per game last season with the Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks.ANTA, which was founded in 1991, took to Instagram to announce the news of Irving joining the company. A few weeks ago, Irving was spotted wearing ANTA footwear, and now, the partnership has been officially confirmed by the player and the brand. An ANTA x Kyrie Irving model is slated to hit shelves in Q1 of 2024. In his own Instagram post about the new deal, Irving calls this “#BiggerThanAShoeDeal.” As for his role as Chief Creative Officer, he said, “I will push our teams domestically and internationally to unite like minded Trailblazers who have the vision to create and build their craft to transcend the footwear/Apparel industry for generations to come.”Take a look at the announcement below. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Hélà (@kyrieirving) View this post on InstagramA post shared by ANTA Sports (@antasportsofficial) View this post on InstagramA post shared by ANTA Sports (@antasportsofficial)In case you missed it, here is a first look at the Serena Williams Design Crew x Nike Dunk Low Disrupt 2.

Since its launch in 1969, the adidas Superstar has received endless redesigns that place it in a modern light. Most recently, the low-top model was whipped into Mexican “Concha” bread and puffed into adiFOM slip-ons. Gen Z has embraced the model in inventive forms, splashing their unapologetic attitude onto the new adidas Superstar XLG silhouette. adidas brings a bold refresh to the Superstar sneaker, giving it an inflated look that is bold and dynamic. The model’s original canvas is updated to fit the current generation. The adidas Superstar XLG is designed with white leather uppers, featuring improved shell toe boxes, medial Three Stripes branding, and Trefoil backtabs. The sneaker’s structured platform soles set it apart from the rest, giving you a quick boost in height with an elevated look. Take a closer look at the adidas Superstar XLG in the gallery above. The model will release in three colorways on July 17 via adidas and select retailers. In other footwear news, take a closer look at the Dime x ASICS GT-2160 collaboration.

Looking back at the last year, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has been surrounded by nothing but excitement — save for his team’s second round departure to the eventual NBA champions. News in December broke that the young guard would be receiving his first signature shoe with the Swoosh. Following this, the Suns made a monumental trade for superstar Kevin Durant. Just a month later in March, news surrounding the rumored “Nike D Book 1” popped up once again, pointing to the 2023-24 NBA season as its launch period.Now, thanks to a special reveal from Sneaker News, we have a first look at the Nike BOOK 1. Spotted in two primarily-black colorways, both are proof-of-concept samples that showcase what to expect from the sneaker. While not a true low-top, the slick design rests just above the ankle with material tests in both shaggy suede and a mixed material composition. Its lateral Swooshes shine bright in gold while the tongue reads “BOOK” and “96” text at the heel references Booker’s birth year of 1996. Joining this exciting reveal, a model that SN notes as being referred to as the “Craftsman” — possibly a lifestyle sneaker from Booker and Nike — sees a special texture prepared that reaches from the raised mudguard to the midsole, matching the Swoosh that overlaps the mudguard and synthetic upper.Nike has not yet confirmed any details surrounding Devin Booker’s debut silhouette with the brand, however, look for an official announcement to be shared by the end of the year with its release taking place at some point during the upcoming NBA season.For more of the latest breaking news from the always-exciting footwear industry, a first look at the long-awaited Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Reverse Grinch” has popped up alongside a tentative release date scheduled for this December.