Nike Asks Stores to Remove Kyrie Irving's New Shoes

Nike reportedly requests that retailers from Kyrie Irving's new shoes from shelves.

Three days ago, the Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving indefinitely for social media posts and rhetoric deemed antisemitic. Later that day, Nike suspended its relationship with Irving and canceled the launch of his ninth signature shoe. 

Following the major news, we wrote a complete breakdown of the situation. Irving debuted the Nike Kyrie 8 this summer and wore it during the 2022-23 NBA season. Now Sole Savy reports that Nike has emailed retailers asking them to remove the unreleased shoes from their store shelves.

Nike

Reported email sent from Nike to retailers / Atatf

The email above states, "Effective immediately, stores are to pull all Kyrie 8 models from sales floor and place in their back room. Stores are not to sell any Kyrie 8 product until further notice."

However, the email does indicate that all other Kyrie products can continue to be sold until further notice. So, the Nike Kyrie Infinity, Nike Kyrie Low 5, and apparel from previous collections can still remain in stores. 

The email lists multiple Nike Kyrie 8 colorways that were scheduled for release. In August, Irving hinted at a launch date of November 11, 2022. Due to the controversies, Nike never released official images, tech specs, or pricing for the Nike Kyrie 8.

Nike Kyrie 8

View of the Nike Kyrie 8 'Multi.' / @Sneakerologue

Nike will never launch Irving's ninth signature shoe. However, images of the unreleased model have circulated online for several months. Above is an image of the Nike Kyrie 8 'Multi,' which was scheduled to be one of the first colorways sold. 

Irving is still serving his suspension, so it remains to be seen if he will still wear Nike basketball shoes whenever he plays again. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for news, analysis, and interviews.

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