Nike announces Kyrie Irving’s latest sneaker, the Kyrie 5

If you’re anything like me — read: an obnoxious sneakerhead — then today is a very good day: Nike has officially unveiled the latest in Kyrie Irving’s signature sneaker line, the Kyrie 5.

The initial announcement on the Nike website is filled with a fantastic array of Kyrie-isms. It begins with Kyrie talking to his 17-year-old self. The traction is designed after the tattoo on Kyrie’s left hand, designed to ward off “bad juju,” and it will enable Kyrie to “apply more of his spirit” to the sneaker. The new containment system is inspired by the Venus Flytrap. Nike says Kyrie is starting to use his sneakers as a platform for storytelling.

And, of course, there’s a giant “All-Seeing Eye” on the heel.

Nike detailed three notable changes from the Kyrie 4: the Air Zoom Turbo unit in the forefoot, the “Venus Flytrap” containment system and the new traction pattern. Of the three, the containment system seems to be the biggest development. Nike is using a flywire setup to help clasp your foot into the shoe more securely, and it seems to be the most substantial change to the line in some time.

Visually, the debut colorway — dubbed “Blk Mgc” — is a pretty simple black and white, with a splash of color on the outsole. It’s nothing terribly exciting, in my opinion, but Nike has promised plenty of colorways “that tap into both Irving’s past passions and the contemporary creative forces that are inspiring him today.” This is the guy who themed an entire run of sneakers after cereal boxes, after all. The design itself looks pretty sharp, perhaps a bit of a fusion of the Kyrie 1s and 3s. I’m a big fan of the panel on the heel in particular, which looks extremely similar to the one featured on the recent LeBron 16s.

As someone who already owns multiple pairs of Kyrie’s sneakers — including these Kyrie 4s, one of my favorite pairs in my collection — I’m doubtless very excited to get my hands on these eventually. What are your thoughts on the Kyrie 5s? Like? Dislike? Let us know your thoughts down below.