Sneaker talk with Kyrie Irving in Hong Kong

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Jun 20, 2014
Every Summer, NBA players visit different countries to promote basketball, training camp, fans interaction……especially focus on the new generation.

This year, Kyrie Irving being invited to the Asia basketball tour, and named Hong Kong as their first station. The MVP of All-Star game 2014 also debut his Hong Kong tour.

Irving is invited to our 'Sole Agents' interview as part of his schedule, talk about sneakers and his story……

Kyrie Irving (KI)
Sole Agents (SA)


SA: As you’re All Star Point Guard, do you have any special requirements on selecting a basketball shoes?

KI: When it comes to playing on court, I’m more or less being fit a lightweight shoe. You know it, I was more like the high top guard but now like three quarters, it’s just lots of different colors, a kind of a shoe that will kinda represents me. That’s why most of my shoes have these bright colors and that’s where most of my inspiration comes from. When I’m talking to the Nike guys who designed my colors, I want something that people can relate to and loud colors that you can wear and everyone knows what kind of shoe you have on, so that’s the kind of how I like my shoe.

SA: This year, NIKE had presented the innovation basketball shoes – HyperRev, you are being the first player to wear on it, can you share how's your first feeling when you put them on?

KI: When I first saw them two years ago before they came out, I thought they were the most hard thing I’d ever seen. I just didn’t like the way they looked, they were just looking too futuristic for me, cause you know I, I wasn’t ready but then as the season came along and I knew I was gonna be transitioning into the shoe, then I started looking at it and I thought about all the colors and all the ways you can kind of make this your own shoe. Um, you know also it was comfortable as well, it made things that much easier when I wear the shoe.

SA: Do you think the design is amazing?

KI: Huh? The design? Yeah I mean the design is a great representative of our, our generation in terms of the futuristic stuff on it. You know I guess we would’ve brought this to, you know sneakerheads* like yourselves… Three years ago I don’t think you guys would even, even [laughs] if someone saw this in the store, if it was in normal black and white generic colors, I don’t think anybody would buy the shoe but because of… all the different things they’ve done with it and that comes with the shoe I feel like it makes that much more marketable.

SA: In 2013, your wore the Hyperdunk 2013 for the season, and start from 2014 you have been switched to HyperRev, how you compare with these 2 models? which one you think it is most suitable for you?

KI: I mean they are two different types of shoe, the Hyperdunk that was the first time I was got my emblem which was the “K”…and you know it meant a lot to me, be wearing the Hyperdunk, so I have tons of them, but you know transitioning it was pretty much, it was pretty easy. You know once our designers got down with the colors, the design and how comfortable it was on my feet and other than that it was easy from there

SA: How do you present the Hyperdunk 2013 and HyperRev? Which is suitable for you?

KI: I would choose HyperRev, I would choose this yeah.

SA: Most of the guard like wearing low-top, but your last model Hyperdunk and HyperRev or even the Zoom Soldiers during your Duke season are kind of high top. How about your preference?

KI: I mean I like the low top shoe, you know I have pairs of Kobes and pairs of KDs but um the low, the low top Lebron tens are my favorite low tops sneakers, other than that I’ve worn high tops, you know it’s just more preferable for me when I’m playing on the court.

SA: You’re one of the young player with own signature logo, did you ever think you would having a logo before?

KI: I didn’t think I would ever, you know, have my own logo which is why you know my journey, not only in the NBA but with Nike basketball has been so surreal. You know seen in Hong Kong right now, I don’t think two years ago I would even dream of it but now that I’m actually here, you know I’m just trying to take in every single moment and enjoy it, you know this is gonna last a lifetime this not only represents the Nike brand family, I’m a part of. It represent the family that I’m a part of which is on the back of my jersey when I play every single night, so, I mean it means more to me to have this shoe and my design and you know everything I want in my shoe.

SA: Is it this logo personal for you?]

KI: Oh yeah…I have tattoos, which goes with the roman numerals that goes on the K and you know the V I I…is, you know it symbolises a lot when we put it all together because I met with Nike, and I told them all my inspirations every story that I could think and they came up with this emblem so it’s a true representation of my family, of me. 

SA: For your game shoes, it come with a “K” logo represent yourself. If now, we re-design this logo, any concept or style you would like to add on it?

KI: Oh, my new logo? Have they(Sole Agents)? Have they seen it?...ok…nobody seen anything yet…um…yeah, the new design is better. It’s little bit of a secret.

SA: This is a sneakerhead question, we are all waiting your first signature shoes. So, if you have you own signature model, what kind of features or story you most wanna put on it? And why?

KI: I think the story I want to have my shoes represent is a kind of my journey, before I made to the NBA. You know the life I lived before, I came into being who I’m becoming, who I was. You know 3 years ago before I came into the NBA, it’s about my father, my mother, the importance of my family. I was in St Patrick’s when I went to high school, do basketball. I come from many different families and many different places that I would never forget. They had a huge impact on me, so my signature shoe will definitely be, it’ll hopefully have a lot of stuff that mean a lot to me

SA: How important with having high technology in the shoes? And which cushioning do you like most?

KI: It’s really important nowadays, I mean anything that you can use to be better to your competition, then I think you should put it in the shoe, you know just lightweight shoes or lots of cushioning or three quarters, low or high top. I mean it’s truly a preference. Nowadays, Nike basketball shoes, they all give you different choices, you have the Kobes now which is all the way covering your Achilles and Lebron which is you know still a lot of cushioning, a little bit heavier on your feet but most people like it, then you have the KD which is low, which I feel like took the place of Kobes, it’s always low which is basically you’re wearing socks on your feet, there’s so many different options now.

SA: Difference type of cushioning in Hyperdunk 2013 use Lunarlon, and Hyperrev using Zoom Air, which one will u like?

KI: Obviously, I like the sneakers that you guys have got on your feet (HyperRev) but my shoe that I personally wear has a lot more cushioning, so it’s more fit for my shoe, so I prefer that really.

SA: What have been your favorites PEs that Nike basketball has made for you

KI: My favorite one was my first one which was the Australian based colors because they literally I told them how much Australia meant to me, what I want to do to represent the country I was or the country I was born in and they came out with those colors. When I heard their inspiration on why they chose those colors and they brought it to me. Like I said before, it’s a ‘dream come true' to have my own PE. We release it at different ‘House of Hoops’ for people to have them on their feet, my family and fans as well, it means a lot to me.

SA: We heard that Roshe Run is one of your favorite off-court models, any reason you choose it instead of the others?

KI: I have different types of running shoes, the Roshe, I mean I feel like very lightweight, I mean literally nothing on your feet but the Nike Roshe’s is a big sneaker for me to just to come in different types of colors and everything that you could put on the shoe, I mean design your own and then you know on my instagram the other day I had a pair of cheetah prints Roshe on and you can do so much with it. I feel I could put like any picture or any digital image on the shoe and you know it would look good.

SA: All we know you have worn a face mask before and earned a nickname "The Dark Knight", If u can add a special feature for your signature shoes, what special feature you want to add on it? for example like auto-lacing up system or adding a flying engine?

KI: Er…[laughs] Yeah, I set a record with the black mask and you know eye masks wear which is close to my home and it mean a lot and I obviously if I could design a shoe based on the ‘Dark Knight’, there’s so many different kinds of racism on my life to name but you know definitely be put into action and hopefully like my signature shoe.

   

SA: What vintage model is your favorite when u were a kid?

KI: When I was a kid, my favourite Nike shoe still to this day and I still have them in my dad’s house was Bruce Lee Kobes. I got them literally. Nobody will believe me but I wore them before Kobe. I wore them [chuckles] I dunno if it’s a sneakerhead thing right here but the Bruce Lee Kobes came out on Christmas day. I got them on the 21st and I played in the Nike Extravaganza in 2009. And I had the Bruce Lee Kobes on and no one had ever seen them before and I wore them before Kobe, I don’t care what anyone says [laughs] yeah that was one of all time favorite shoes, that I had on court. 
 
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