Zapatillas para hombre Nike Kyrie 6

With that confidence and a history of success, designing the Kyrie 6 gets easier on the one hand and harder on another. Designer Benjamin Nethongkome said at the time, "We've built a lot of trust over the last three shoes. I know what Kyrie wants from an overall feel. There is a certain formula: An extra-padded tongue, almost SB [skateboard] style, and a cushy collar, combined with support in the midfoot."

Nethongkome mentions style, and that's a key driver for Irving and the Nike team with the Kyrie 6. It's not that they weren't concerned about the silhouettes they were creating in the past. But having established his shoes as peak performers, with the Kyrie 6 the challenge was more about creating a shoe that could one day be seen as iconic. That thinking drove decisions like the strap across the top of the midfoot, the molded heel counter and the materials chosen for the uppers.

It seemed as though the "Jet Black" colorway (BQ4630-001/BQ4631-001) would be the first Kyrie 6 out of the gate on November 22, 2019. But Nike and Irving, who has a particular affinity for the number 11, announced the Preheat Collection, which would include 11 colorways inspired by 11 world cities that have special meaning for Irving: Beijing, Berlin, Guangzhou, Houston, Los Angeles, Manila, Miami, New York City, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo. Each colorway dropped in its respective city only, on November 11 (as in, 11/11). Each shoe was unique not just for its colors and patterns but also for a symbol on the instep side of the midfoot strap — a depiction of the George Washington Bridge for the "New York City" colorway (CN9839-401) for example, or a palm tree and ocean wave for the beach culture in the "Los Angeles" colorway (CN9839-101).

The "Los Angeles" version is also one of the more highly valued versions, netting nearly $300 at auction in 2021. International ones are harder to come by in the United States, and their prices reflect that. "Berlin" (CN9839-600) typically goes for over $300, but a "Tokyo" (CQ7634-601) pair more than doubled that, selling for $900 on eBay in 2021.

Irving has spoken about using his shoes to tell stories, and "Trophies" (CD5026-900/CD5028-900) is one example of this. Irving draws a line between the fact that he won his first NBA title on Father's Day in 2016, while Michael Jordan did the same thing twenty years earlier. Under the laces of "Trophies" in gold embroidery are the championship games' dates (Jordan's on the right shoe, Irving's on the left). Nike's drop described the shoes as representing "the love both men have for their fathers and the game of basketball." From a collecting standpoint, this shoe typically lists in the $150 to $300 range.

Another drop capturing the attention of sneakerheads is the "Chinese New Year" colorway, of which two were actually released. The primary version (CD5029-001/CD5030-001) features a predominantly black upper, dark green inner lining and purple outsole. However, Nike also released an alternate version (CD5029-700) with a primarily yellow upper, lighter green inner lining and yellow outsole. It's the alternate version that collectors value more, with a pair selling on eBay for $280 in 2021. The primary version has been spotted with asking prices from $115 to $180 on eBay.

Irving also continued his unique collaborations for the Kyrie 6 line, including a return engagement with Concepts, the Boston-based skateboard and streetwear brand. His relationship has grown with them over the years, from the kitschy Kyrie 4 "Green Lobster" (AR4597-301) to the cosmic Kyrie 5 "Orion's Belt" (CU2352-400). For the Kyrie 6, Concepts and Irving dove deep into Egyptian mythology with the Concepts x Kyrie 6 "Khepri" shoe (CU8879-600). As explained in the Nike announcement, "An Egyptian solar deity represented by the scarab beetle, Khepri, the god of creation, is associated with resurrection — explicitly known for rolling the sun above the horizon each morning and carrying it through the other world after sunset. The word "Khepri" also means "to transform," a thematically fitting truth for Irving's continual development." Collectors will find a lot of price variety on the Khepri, which can be a function of new versus used, regular box versus special box or even the size of the shoes. One pair sold for $300 in 2021, but another sold for just over $100. Dozens of others have sold within that range, but most tend to sell for under $200.