
Air Yeezy 2 Red October Vibes, or is that just me? Actually, now that I have it in hand, the Kyrie 6 Pre-Heat “Manila” is actually more of a deep orange than it is the red hue that it seems to come across as in other photos. But do you get what I mean? That bumpy heel section and midfoot strap, it really does remind me of that famous Kanye collab with Nike.
It really raises the question about performance shoes not being for “lifestyle” anymore. Because this is both, and still a classic Kyrie model. The toe is round and has fuse overlay protection for toe-drags and other guard position movements. Zoom Air unit in the forefoot and a firm heel counter to keep you locked in. Of course, Irving’s all-seeing eye is present across the entire design, and there are subtle nods to his philosophy, with tiny text embroidered in the tongue reading “humble” on one foot, and “hungry on the other. But I 100% think that this would look great wearing them casually with jeans! I just shot an episode of our YouTube show, Opening Act for adjima.com, where I’ll be showing it on-foot for lifestyle.

The other thing that really becomes apparent in hand is how interesting the lenticular panels of this design are. Swipe to the end to see the videos. In this Manila colorway, this area is supposed to pay tribute to Manila’s streetball courts, so it has a very “barangay court” vibe to the graphic underlay. I would say that the lenticular on this particular Kyrie 6 is done exceptionally well.

True to size? I’m not sure. I got a size 9, but that’s only because the shoe is limited and that’s all that was available for me. But on foot, they fit fine. Especially compared to my size 9.5 PG3 “NASA,” which at first were almost too snug in the arch until I broke them in. The Kyrie 6 has a nice distribution of tension across the entire foot and I do feel like this would be a shoe that responds well to quick movements. The minor concern I have about going a size down is aesthetically, the midfoot strap not going all the way down bothers me a bit.
Watch my entire unboxing and review here:
Thanks to Nike for sending this shoe over. If you want a pair, they are limited and are only releasing in Nike Park Fort and in Titan. They drop on 11/11, which is “Singles Day.”
— Kayo Cosio, Editor in Chief.