When Kyrie Irving walked away from Nike and signed with ANTA, plenty of people wrote it off as a one-off: a Chinese sports brand and an All-Star guard, right after a public split. Three signatures later the KAI line looks like a different proposition. The ANTA KAI 3 is in stores, the KYRIE: THE RETURN campaign is running, and the range is wider — and often cheaper — than you’d expect.
The “Triple Black / Shadow Work”, up close
The colourway we’re anchoring on (8126C1102-6) is a full blackout. Black mesh runs toe to heel over an aggressively shaped midsole that climbs into the sidewalls for grip when you drop into a cut. Look closer and the detail shows up: a small feather charm hanging off the laces, a touch of purple stitching at the heel, and a tribal-style pattern worked into the outsole. It’s a performance low built for how Kyrie plays — low to the ground, quick changes of direction — but an all-black pair like this wears off-court just as easily. Keep it with black or grey denim, a relaxed trouser, a longline coat; the feather is the only thing doing any talking, so let it.
What the Triple Black costs on Solezilla.com
Right now this exact pair is a resale and consignment story in euros, not a retail one. StockX sits at the bottom around €151, then there’s a jump: Stadium Goods near €305 and Farfetch at €400 and up. No regular retailer is carrying this colourway in euros today, and there are no UK or US listings on it yet, so pounds-and-dollars buyers are looking at shipping and import on top. When the floor is €151 and the next step is roughly double, the StockX end is the only one that makes sense unless you need a scarce size — check those on the Triple Black page.
The rest of the line is where the value sits
Here’s the part worth knowing: the Triple Black is one of the pricier KAI 3 entries, not the rule. Across all the KAI 3 colourways on Solezilla.com the floor drops to about €96, and the older models go lower. The KAI Speed 2, the lighter team-and-training build, starts around €71; the KAI 1 opens near €37 and the KAI 2 around €56 now that the 3 has taken over. ANTA’s running side, the C202, starts near €132. If you like the shoe but not the blackout premium, there’s a lot of line sitting underneath it.
The KYRIE: THE RETURN story ties it together: Irving tore a knee ligament in the spring of 2025 and spent the year working back to the floor with the Dallas Mavericks, with the KAI 3 as the shoe he does it in. For a signature line dismissed as niche three years ago, that’s a surprisingly grown-up chapter. Compare every colourway and size on the KAI 3 page, or browse the full ANTA range before you pick one. Grail or Bail?