Love, loss, and legacy: The story behind the ANTA Kai 2 ‘Mother’s Day’ sneaker

Much to the delight of avid fans, star athletes drop signature shoes all the time, but few carry the emotional weight of Kyrie Irving’s latest.

The ANTA Kai 2 “Mother’s Love” edition, releasing exclusively through Sneaker Room in a limited run of just 1,111 pairs, is more than a sneaker, it’s a tribute.

Rooted in Irving’s personal journey of loss, healing and heritage, the release honors the memory of his late mother, Elizabeth Larson, while giving back to the community through the Sneaker Room Foundation, which will receive 100% of the proceeds for their community initiatives.

The sneakers feature a striking red base with gold accents and heart motifs that represent both a mother’s strength and the private struggles she endures. Each shoe tells its own story. The left honors Irving’s mother with poppy flowers, green and yellow hues inspired by Australia, where Irving was born, and custom icons reflecting her passions. The right shoe pays tribute to Sneaker Room CEO Suraj Kaufman’s mother, Ellen, with soft blue and yellow tones, Jersey City-inspired details, and carnations.

Kyrie’s journey from heartbreak to healing

The Dallas Mavericks All-Star point guard has opened up about the pain of growing up without a mother, describing how he often felt like the only kid who had lost a parent. And watching other children with what seemed like “perfect” two-parent families only deepened that sense of isolation.

“I just never really brought it up, like ever, you know. So, I would be in my room and just sit there on my bed and just like, stare at the wall, it was just, it was an emotional thing,” Irving said in an interview.  “When I was feeling like that, usually I would just go out the house and pick up a basketball and just go outside and just do what I love to do. That's still my getaway to this day.”

Though Irving was only four when his mother passed away, she’s become a major influence in Irving’s life.

A descendant of the Standing Rock Sioux, Larson was adopted as a child, and it wasn’t until 2016 that Irving began to explore that part of his heritage, which, according to PWNA, “prompted elders to trace his lineage, confirming his ancestors from the White Mountain family in the Standing Rock reservation.”

In 2018 he was officially welcomed into the tribe during a traditional naming ceremony in North Dakota, where he was given the Lakota name “Little Mountain.”

While the price has yet to be revealed, the ANTA Kai 2 “Mother’s Day” will be available in very limited quantities beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, exclusively onsite at the Jersey City, New Jersey location of Sneaker Room and online at www.sneakerroom.com.