By james art Kyrie Irving kicked off his NBA season Thursday night in a special pair of Anta sneakers customized by The Shoe Surgeon.
The Anta Kai 1s worn by Irving in the Dallas Mavericks’ season opener were dip-dyed and hand-painted by the renowned sneaker customizer instead of undergoing one of the more dramatic reconstructions that The Shoe Surgeon is often known for. Shades of blue and green from the Mavericks’ old uniforms appear throughout the sneaker, including a gradient feature on the heel of the midsole as well. The shoe’s midsole strap also received a new set of symbols to depict the name of Irving’s parents, Elizabeth and Dredd, in his custom typography. Shoe Surgeon’s skull and sword logo appears on the heel, while Irving’s logo pops in red throughout the sneaker.
After debuting in the spring, Irving’s first sneaker for Anta was a big hit and was joined by a number of other models. The simplistic Anta Kai 1 Speed debuts in a colorway designed by Irving’s father, while the “Chief Hélà” edition of the regular Kai 1 with moccasin-style fringe stands out as one of the bolder basketball sneakers to hit the NBA court. A skate shoe for Irving, which will retail for $70, is also on the way to grow the line even more.
The shoe surgeon, whose custom sneakers are regularly worn in the NBA and NFL in addition to other sports, is currently embroiled in his own conflict with Nike, which dropped Irving before signing with Anta. The shoe giant has filed a $60 million lawsuit against the customizer, accusing it of trademark infringement by challenging its sales of custom Nike products at scale, rather than one-offs, as well as its workshops. In a public response to the suit, The Shoe Surgeon said it was “confused” because it had officially cooperated with the company in the past.
About the author:
Ian Cervantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News, specializing in sneaker coverage. He previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after starting his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “the ball is life” and doesn’t worry about his kicks getting dirty.