Every year, one half of the biannual Nike N7 collection runs in tandem with Native American Heritage Month, which highlights the stories of Indigenous communities in shaping modern-day North America.
Kyrie Irving’s own story, one of indigenous rediscovery, inspires the color pattern of this year’s winter collection with a design drawn from the star quilt and medallion he received during his Standing Rock Sioux Tribe naming ceremony in 2018.
The footwear includes beautiful, brilliantly-colored radial patterns on the Air Max 1, SB Blazer Low GT and Irving’s Kyrie 6 (available now), which features a haptic graphic that references the gifts he received during his ceremony. The patterns also appear on new Nike N7 apparel — hoodies, long- and short-sleeve T-shirts and leggings.
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Core to the collection is a belief in reclamation of heritage, leading athletes like Irving on brave personal explorations to unearth their histories.
In Irving’s case, the journey drives him to advocate for a better future for Standing Rock and Indigenous communities through activism and collaboration with N7.
“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,” says the Brooklyn Nets point guard.
“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 Nike N7 winter collection releases November 13 on nike.com and at select Hibbett retailers. Select Nike doors and retailers will also re-stock the Kyrie 6 N7.