Each year, one half of Nike’s biannual N7 collection debuts during Native American Heritage Month.
This year, in tandem with the occasion, the footwear giant is drawing directly on the story of Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving as inspiration for a collection of colorful, radial-patterned footwear and apparel.
Irving, whose mother was half Sioux, first publicly acknowledged his past in 2016 when he tweeted support for the Keystone Pipeline protesters. The N7 collection draws on the star quilt and medallion he received two years later during his Standing Rock Sioux Tribe naming ceremony.
“I’m extremely proud to be Lakota Sioux, and at the same time, I’m still in the process of diving deeper into discovering who I am and where I come from,” Irving said in a statement. “Everything that comes with my background is something I’ve always accepted, but I didn’t necessarily understand it until now. The immense pride I feel comes from this journey I’ve been on, this rediscovery I’ve made in my adult life.”
The collection’s footwear includes brilliantly-colored patterns on the Air Max 1, SB Blazer Low GT and Irving’s Kyrie 6, which features a haptic graphic referencing the gifts he received during his naming ceremony. The patterns also appear on hoodies, long- and short-sleeve T-shirts and leggings. “Core to the collection is a belief in reclamation of heritage, leading athletes like Irving on brave personal explorations to unearth their histories,” Nike said.
The Nike N7 winter collection released Nov. 13 on nike.com and at select Hibbett retailers. Select Nike doors and retailers will also re-stock the Kyrie 6 N7.