By james art 
Few brands have emerged as quickly—and boldly—as ANTA in sneaker design. More eyes have been on the Chinese sportswear brand since Kyrie Irving joined the team, with his first model, the ANTA Kai 1, released earlier in the year. Sole Retriever was lucky enough to chat with Jared Subawon, the designer of the Kai 1, earlier in the year, who provided some behind-the-scenes looks at the model’s creation process. Just a month after the launch of the new Kai 1 Speed model, we caught up with Matt Franklin, the lead designer of the ANTA Kai 1 Speed, to get a full review of the sneaker.
Franklin is not your typical sneaker designer. He didn’t cut his teeth at a prestigious design school or start his career at a major sportswear brand. “My path to shoes is super unconventional,” Franklin shared. “I grew up knowing I wanted to be a shoe designer, but I went to college for sports management, played soccer, and even got a job at Chobani.” During this period, Franklin realized he needed to return to his passion. “I got the itch again and started painting and that’s when I discovered Pensole. Everything fell into place from there.”
As for his advice to those looking to succeed in the shoe industry, Franklin told us, “Don’t give up. It took me years to break into the industry, but if you’re passionate about it, go for it. You never know where the journey will take you.”
The creative process behind the ANTA Kai 1 Speed
Designing the Kai 1 Speed wasn’t just about creating another basketball shoe. It was about telling a story through shoes. Franklin and his team at ANTA took a collaborative approach to designing the sneaker, a process that stood out to him. “We have a great team here,” Franklin said. “It really is a team effort. Although my sketch was selected, the final product is the result of countless team contributions. We all bounce ideas off each other and it’s not about one person being above everyone else.”
This collaborative ethos at ANTA has fostered an environment where creativity can flourish, allowing Franklin and his team to create a sneaker that performs well on the court and embodies Kyrie Irving’s personal stories and cultural influences. One key aspect of the Kai 1 Speed’s design was the way it balanced aesthetics and performance. “A big thing that’s being lost in shoes today is storytelling,” Franklin emphasized. “At ANTA, we ensure that stories are told through design.”
Like the Kai 1, the Kai 1 Speed was designed using Gravity Sketch, a 3D VR design program. Franklin recalls Irving putting on the VR headset for the first time and being amazed by the process: “If I remember correctly, he said something like, ‘I have a whole new respect for what you do.’
Dred’s impact on Kai 1 Speed
While Kyrie inspired and informed the technical details of the sneaker, according to Franklin, Irving’s father, Dredd, was deeply involved in shaping the history and colorways of the shoe. “Dred gave us a lot of interesting stories that influenced the colors,” Franklin revealed. “It was really cool to learn about their relationship and bring that to life in the shoe.” One such story is the original Twin Flame colorway, inspired by Dredd’s relationship with his late wife, Elizabeth, and their time together in Boston. Franklin also shared that “Dred wanted to create a shoe to give back to Kyrie,” which also helped inform the design of many of the sneaker’s colorways.
The evolution of Kai 1 Speed
Compared to its predecessor, the Kai 1, the Speed version is designed to be sleeker and lighter, with a more streamlined look and feel. However, Franklin is quick to clarify that this is not necessarily an improvement over the original Kai 1, but rather a different approach to meet specific performance needs.
“Both shoes have the same fit, but the Speed is more sleek and light. We wanted to give Kyrie that down-to-earth feel that is critical to his style of play,” Franklin said. “Responsive but with enough cushioning to maintain a touch of the ground.”
This evolution had its challenges. Franklin recalled moments during the design process when adjustments had to be made on the fly. “We ran into issues like the TPU being too hard on Kyrie’s foot, so we had to replace it with a softer material. It’s not something you notice visually, but it makes a huge difference in performance.”
The future of Kyrie’s ANTA line
Looking ahead, the future of Kyrie’s partnership with ANTA is brighter than ever. The duo previewed an extensive product lineup in China, from new colorways of the Kai 1 and Kai 1 Speed to athletic runners and skate-inspired footwear. As for the Kai 1 Speed, Franklin hinted that fans can expect even more intimate stories woven into future releases, including a colorway inspired by Kairi and Dredd’s one-on-one battles growing up. As of this writing, the next pair to release will be the Tribe colorway.
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Sneakerhead from South Florida who turned his passion into a career. Concerts, music, trying out new restaurants, and watching the latest movies are some of the things I enjoy when I’m not writing about Sole Retriever. Email: [email protected]