Third Time's More Than
a Charm: The Kyrie 3
For Nike, December 2014 and December 2015 featured the launches of sneakers designed with NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving in mind — The Kyrie 1 and Kyrie 2. Though both were resounding successes, the Kyrie 2 kicked things up a notch with more colorways and tech upgrades to the shoe's traction, strapping systems and cushioning.
But as the game evolves, the shoes need to keep up. For the Kyrie 3, Irving envisioned applying lessons learned from the previous shoes' creations so the shoe could be helpful not just for point guards but for every position. His inclusive philosophy extends beyond the court, as signified by the "JBY" acronym on the tongue of the Kyrie 3 to the left of his initials. It stands for "Just Be You," Irving's personal motto.
Family is a critical element of the sneaker's design. To the right of Kyrie's initials on the tongue is "H+H," for the "hungry and humble" motto that comes from his father. Many of the colorways feature a roman numeral 8 (VIII) inside the left shoe and 13 (XIII) inside the right shoe. This replicates the tattoos on Irving's wrists and represents his late mother's birthday. Her name, Elizabeth, also appears on the shoe's sole in a frame bordering a transparent window that reveals the heel's Nike Zoom Air unit. The name of Irving's daughter, Azurie, also appears on that frame.
Notable Kyrie 3 Colorways
The official launch of the Kyrie was supposed to be on December 26, 2016, with the debut of the "Black Ice" colorway (852395-018). This shoe features a design element not seen on all the colorways — textured spikes on the shoe's back half. This was meant as a tribute to "the unorthodox way Kyrie sees the court." However, Nike surprised sneakerheads with a mystery drop on Christmas Day, the "Samurai" colorway (852395-900). Of the two, the Christmas Day debut is the one more coveted by collectors and routinely nets $200 or more in 2021 auctions.
The "Samurai" design also served as inspiration for what's now the hands-down most collectible shoe from the Kyrie 3 line — the "Mamba Mentality Bruce Lee" colorway (AJ1672-700/AJ1692-700). The shoe itself can be read as a nod to a changing of the guard, so to speak. Kobe Bryant, whose self-given nickname was the "Black Mamba," retired after the 2016 NBA season, and Irving can be said to represent the next generation of superstar guards. The back half of the shoe transitions from a snakeskin pattern on one side to the "Samurai" design on the opposite side. The tongue's logo is a mash-up of the Kobe "Sheath" logo and Irving's stylized initials logo. The colors are inspired by the Kobe 5 "Bruce Lee" colorway (386429-701), itself inspired by Lee's iconic tracksuit from Enter the Dragon. The four red slash marks are a nod to injuries Lee sustains during the filming of that movie. Originally retailing for $120 when it debuted in September 2017, "Mamba Mentality Bruce Lee" can now command around $300 for pre-owned versions and as much as $800 for a new pair.
Nike_Kyrie 3 - "Black Ice" (852395-018)
Nike_Kyrie 3 - "Samurai" (852395-900)
Nike_Kyrie 3 - "Mamba Mentality Bruce Lee" (AJ1672-700/AJ1692-700)
Nike_Kyrie 3 - "Duke" colorway (922027-001)
One of the most difficult pairs to acquire is the "Montverde" colorway (818897). This was a player-exclusive colorway made for the Montverde Academy Eagles, one of the nation's most successful high school basketball teams. When it does appear on the secondary market, it can fetch a pretty penny on eBay — as much as $750.
Irving himself only played college basketball in his freshman year, foregoing the final three years to enter the NBA Draft — and even then, he missed three months of that freshman season due to a toe injury. Nevertheless, his connection with Duke University is strong, as evidenced by the "Duke" colorway (922027-001). The shoe is practically monochromatic, with the only exceptions being the black and white of the Swoosh logo, the tongue embroidery, and "DUKE" broken across the backs of the shoes. The left shoe tongue exchanges Irving's initials for a number "1" in honor of the jersey number he wore for the Blue Devils. Pairs have been spotted on eBay in the $300 range.
A Different Breed: The Kyrie 3 Low
As the name may suggest, the Kyrie 3 Low is not a low-top version of the Kyrie 3. The "Low" sneakers are their own thing, having started in 2018 with the Kyrie 1 Low and proceeding annually from there. Generally speaking, compared to the Kyrie 3, the Kyrie 3 Low is not nearly as collectible, but a few colorways have attracted above-average prices in the secondary market. The "Harmony" colorway (CJ1286-600) in Atomic Pink/Stone Blue is the most desired and can sell for close to $200.
Courting the Unbelievable: Structure and Tech of the Kyrie 3
In describing the enhancements to the Kyrie 2, the Nike design and product teams cited their application of physics to videos of Irving in motion on the court. For the Kyrie 3, the team surprised the athlete himself with his highlight-reel moves. "The team at Nike shows me pictures of me on court and my foot is at an unbelievable angle. I'm crossing over somebody and my body angle and positioning is so abnormal, even when I look at it," Irving recalls. "I'm kind of amazed, because I'm thinking, all I did was a simple crossover here, but my foot is dang near touching the ground horizontally. I want to have technology in this shoe that is fit for those moments."
Nike responded to Irving's wish with targeted changes. The forefoot now includes two independent traction pods for incredible responsiveness. The traction wraps further along the sides of the shoe, and the Kyrie 2's rounded outsole has been extended to the forefoot as well. The strapping system, which moved from the ankle to the top of the foot in the Kyrie 2, is enhanced in the Kyrie 3 by a new Flywire support system, which Nike describes as "ultralight, super-strong fibers that act as support cables." A forefoot band locks the foot down, as keeping the foot securely in place is crucial to Irving's court performance.
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