Landon Buford
Kyrie Irving is presently a free agent in the sneaker market, but it might not be for long. Musiq Soulchild confirmed that Nets All-Star may be partnering with a new black-owned footwear company.
Last month, TMZ spotted the Platinum R&B singer wearing a pair of Croc-inspired foam shoes and looked into the brand. That is when Musiq revealed that a black shoe company was producing the kicks he had.
They are produced by SIA Collective. SIA, which means Somewhere In America, belongs to Devlin Carter, a black business owner, who said the brand has over 400,000 supporters. The singer also said the shoe company, which is based in Oakland, is negotiating a deal with Irving.
“These shoes are made by a Black man,” said Soulchild. “His name is Devlin. He has his own company called SIA Collective… He’s actually in talks trying to work out a deal with Kyrie Irving.”
Soulchild said clearly that nothing is official yet, but he thinks the partnership will be a big step forward for both.
“We don’t know, but we’re going to send good vibes out there,” he said with his fingers crossed in the TMZ video interview. TMZ then asked if the collaboration would be a good idea and he replied: “I think that will be an awesome decision.”
On Tuesday night, the founder of SIA Collective, Devlin Carter was on Instagram Live with Game Changers with Fabian Lyon featured, Darold Cuba, and veteran journalist Michael Tillary.
During the interview, Carter shared how he heard Kyrie Irving name-drop him in a Brooklyn Nets’ postgame press conference.
“I was sitting Courtside [with] the Sacramento Kings [where] I’m a season ticket holder. And I’m looking at my DMs because someone is DMing me, he said ‘Yeah Kyrie just talked about you. I said what? So, I write the guy because it’s late. He’s probably on the East Coast because he is watching the Brooklyn Nets game, said
“It’s 9 o’clock and I wrote him back and say, what did he say? Where is it? He didn’t respond and I look at more of my DMs and someone else says, Kyrie just talked about you, and I’m like what did he say? So, I’m sitting here trying to find it at the game. We just came back from 19 points down, it was a good game, but I’m sitting here [trying to find this]. So, I send it to my assistant and my wife the screenshot. Find out what Kyrie said, we got the league pass, and find the postgame interview. My assistant found it and I listen to it in the car and said that’s dope.”
Irving shared, “In terms of SIA Collective great brand, great brothers, the great operation team behind the scenes, but again, I’m looking for a home where we can build a huge marketplace, and I can have some ownership. But that takes time to build.”
However, Bally Sports’ Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson shared last month, “Kyrie Irving is getting looks from sneaker companies & it is not a foregone conclusion that he is signing with one that has been popularized in recent days.”
“Whoever signs him will be the quietest in approach & willing to build something special.”
