2014 is turning out to be quite the remarkable year for Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving. He began by being voted MVP of the 2014 NBA All-Star Game. In July he signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cavaliers; then went on to grace the cover of EA Sports NBA Live 14 video game. There is only one way to top things off: having his own signature shoe with Nike, the company that has turned great players into icons, well known names into legends.

The original Air Jordan launched in 1985

With the KYRIE 1, Irving joins the original Michael Jordan, along with Charles Barkley, Penny Hardaway and LeBron James (who all attended the shoe unveiling) as part of one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sports. Irving is only the 20th NBA player to get a Nike signature shoe and the first since Kevin Durant in 2007.

Irving was the first overall round pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA draft and was named NBA Rookie of the Year in his first season. At only 22, he is having a stellar career and becoming the future of basketball. At an exclusive event held in New York City, on the eve of the shoe’s unveiling at Madison Square Garden when the Cavaliers face the NY Knicks, I had a chance to speak at length with Irving and test out his signature shoe.

HOMBRE: Does having your own signature shoe add increased pressure to your game?
Kyrie Irving: No, it’s just about having my own mindset and the legacy I want to leave. There are so many guys that have done so much for our league and so much for the path that I’m on. The pressure is inevitable. For me is just about accomplishing my goals and what I want to do out there on the court. And that’s to win a championship and be the best player I can be.

H: 2014 has been quite a year for you, can you describe it in one word?
KI: As cliche as it sounds: surreal. It’s been happening so fast. Last year was a growth year. I had to figure out who I wanted to be and deal with all the turmoil we were going through. It really shaped how I attacked the summertime and how I came into this season. When I was going through it I hated it, but now you get to reap the rewards. We have so many great players, such a great locker room, such a great team now. I’m just happy of the place that I’m in.

H: As a kid playing ball, did you ever imagine this day would come?
KI: No, no; working out and playing you just don’t imagine you wearing your shoe. At one point it was like, “Hey dad, can I get these new pair?” And it was like he told me, “You keep working, you keep doing this, you keep doing that…” laying out the steps. When I got to the NBA I had to lay out my own steps of how I wanted to accomplish things. He thought me how to be a man, how to accomplish things, how to work hard for things, how to truly appreciate the journey that it took to get here.

H: What guys did you admire, what sneakers did you wear?
KI: LeBron, Kobe and KD (Kevin Durant), but with ‘Bron and Kobe you got two different ends of the spectrum. Kobe is who he is, and he is so comfortable and ‘Bron is too. They have so many colors, so I wanted to wear both. It was a true inspiration of how I wanted to attack my shoe.

H: Will you make any changes to your style of play?
KI: I feel pretty much the same. I’m just going to go there and do whatever it takes to win. It’s the same mindset. Now that I have my shoes on it’s just added confidence. For me is just staying focused trying to win the game.

H: Having lived in New Jersey, how do you feel coming back ‘home’ to unveil the shoe at Madison Square Garden?
KI: It’s exciting. It’s the mecca. The most important thing is to go out there and try to beat the Knicks.
But coming home it means so much more to me to know that I came and dropped the shoe here.

H: How involved were you in the design of the shoe?
KI: I was in it. Whether it was phone calls, meetings, me flying to Portland or them flying to Jersey, wherever I was. I was in LA and we met a few times there. I just wanted to have a lot of input on it. I wanted to represent a lot more things than myself. It’s my generation and the generation that is going to come after me. I just really had to make this kind of last. It’s my legacy and I just want to continue it.

Nike’s KYRIE 1 features an interlocking “KI” logo, his signature on the inside of the tongue and his number on the back of the heel. His mother’s name, Elizabeth, is etched on the sole of the shoe along with her birthdate and the date of her passing, when Irving was 4. Underneath Irving’s logo on the shoe’s bottom are the letters “JBY,” which stands for “Just Be You.” Hyperfuse and mesh compose the upper for a lightweight fit, while Zoom Air and Phylon cover the cushioning for a low to the ground, responsive feel. Jagged styling on the outsole take to Irving’s quick cuts, while also drawing inspiration from the Australian flag (his place of birth) and the Sydney Opera House. A black-based “Dream” colorway carries graphic lining and vibrant underlays, while a “Deceptive Red” rendition relies on the topic tone in bold fashion.

The shoe is designed by Nike’s Leo Chang and his team. The Nike KYRIE 1 will sell for $110. and launches on December 23rd in the “Dream” colorway, with the “Deceptive Red” dropping on January 10th. Available at www.nike.com

Cleveland Cavalier Kyrie Irving with HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo at the unveiling of his Nike signature shoe the KYRIE 1