Newly acquired Brooklyn Nets point guard and six-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving grabbed headlines by shifting the power axis of the league when free-agency opened in early July. By signing him, the Nets are getting much more than just a basketball player. From waxing poetic about existential angst between shootarounds to crossing over opponents on the court, the former Duke player has become one of the sport’s most enigmatic and identifiable players.
The Kyrie x SpongeBob SquarePants Collection captures the NBA Champion’s eccentric personality by basing its design on what may be the strangest fixation of Irving’s to date — the depths of Bikini Bottom. Irving’s newest pro-model of sneakers pays homage to his fanatic appreciation of the 1990s cartoon series whose popularity still resonates today.
Working in collaboration with Nickelodeon, Irving and Nike have released a line of five shoes, three Kyrie 5s and two Kyrie Low 2s, that will appeal to anyone who has ever dreamed of living in a pineapple under the sea. The standout in this collection is a SpongeBob model in bright yellow with gold dots, a water-warped swoosh icon, and accents that reflect SpongeBob’s iconic khakis and red tie. The collection also features a Patrick Starr model that pairs a pink-on-pink upper and neon green sole to create a shoe that reflects Patrick’s loud tropical print surf shorts.