Kyrie Irving had an unceremonious and notorious breakup with Nike in 2023 and since then, sneaker fans have been wondering what sneaker brand would land him. Kyrie Irving’s signature line was immensely popular, and Nike’s best-selling signature (basketball) line, so it would be a huge asset for whoever signed him.

After a brief courting period, it would ultimately be Anta that would come away with the W. Anta has been producing top-notch, high-performance basketball shoes for years at this point, so here at WearTesters we were excited to hear the news.

Kyrie’s first shoe with the brand will be the Anta Shock Wave 5. It isn’t a signature shoe, and it wasn’t even designed for Kyrie specifically, it is only the most Kyrie-esque shoe Anta has. But it is a very well-thought-out performance basketball shoe with all the bells and whistles. Let’s jump into the review and see how these will perform on court. In this article, we will also include the testing results of WearTester’s own Rico Villeta, as you know him, SneakerWeb344.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Specs:

Anta Shock Wave 5 Traction

The Anta Shock Wave 5 has a durable solid rubber outsole with a shark tooth traction pattern that offers excellent multidirectional coverage. The rubber is thick and firm, and the shoe’s sole is flat, making these a perfect choice for playing outdoors. There are also some portions of the outsole that wrap around the front end of the shoe, for some added grip on specific moves on court.

This setup will work equally as well indoors, if not better because of the enhanced durability, but there is an indoor-specific version of this shoe. The Anta Shock Wave 5 Pro also features a solid rubber sole but the traction pattern is slightly different and the rubber is not formulated to withstand outdoor use, so it’s a bit softer.

Rico: The foundation of the shoe is the traction and since the Shock Wave 5 is marketed as an outdoor shoe I put more emphasis on playing outdoors but still got some play time inside as well. The traction simply works, there are no gimmicks in the design, and functions via a triangle herringbone pattern mixed with thick wave bone for lateral movements.

And since the rubber isn’t as pliable as most shoes we’re used to in the US, it’s going to last longer. It’s also more flat than it is peaked so it’s going to wear out evenly over time whether you play in or outdoors. It’s just great solid reliable traction. The only thing I recommend for indoors is after every couple of games just give them a wipe and you’ll be good to go again.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Cushion

The cushioning on the Anta Shock Wave 5 is what you would expect from a Kyrie shoe. What we have is a full-length slab of nitrogen-infused foam. It’s shaped like a wedge so it’s thinner towards the forefoot of the shoe. The foam is wrapped in TPU for added stability and reactiveness on court. That foam offers a very nice mix of impact protection and court feel.

It’s very reminiscent of the cushioning that was featured on the Harden Vol. 1 which was a great basketball shoe. If you’re looking for a reactive and agile, guard-style shoe that offers a bit of spring and impact protection this will be a very good option.

Rico: The cushion that’s featured on the Anta Shock Wave 5 is called Nitroedge, a material made with Pebax and infused with nitrogen! This cushion is designed for high rebound while also lasting longer than a cushion filled with air. If you have played in previous anta products like the KT 7 and KT 8 then you’ll feel comfortable with this cushion and enjoy it.

But if you haven’t felt this type of cushion already then the closest experience I can give you is a bouncier lightstrike from Adidas, a slightly firmer version of Boost, as if React and Cushlon had a baby. You get a nice responsive feeling underfoot propelling you forward and sideways while also having a stable platform to keep you from feeling like you’re going to roll over. Your bones and joints will thank you, even when playing outdoors.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Materials

Materials are perhaps the shoe’s worst quality. They are very functional, but they do feel very plastic and cheap in hand. The Shock Wave 5 is built with a textile upper with TPU and fuse overlays for added containment and durability. The textile portions keep the shoe lightweight and breathable and allow the shoe to break in quickly and conform well to your foot.

The fuse and TPU portions are strategically placed along the upper to keep your foot well-restrained as you play. There are also portions of the midsole that wrap up the upper to act as containment walls that also boost lockdown. Again, these materials all work very well in terms of on-court performance, however, they do feel particularly plasticky in hand.

Rico: The materials are a mixture of TPU plastics and rubber splattered all over the shoe but placed strategically. The lateral side has a rubber piece on top of the plastic to protect and reinforce the area, and the medial side as well for when you drag your foot.

The front has a piece of the outsole wrapping up for toe drags, and even though this shoe has vents in the plastic for heat to escape, none of the threads has torn or separated from my time playing them. It holds well and retains its shape. This has survived the tennis courts, asphalt, and the weird puzzle courts and hasn’t torn, or ripped. I would recommend wearing some pretty decent padded socks when you play because the plastic near the ankle can chafe and rub your skin if you play for long hours, and other than the bubbling in the forefoot, the materials simply get the job done.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Support

Support on the Shock Wave 5 is on point, and very detail oriented, which is refreshing to see. Everything on the Shock Wave 5 is very well thought out. Through the very wide and flat sole of the shoe, we can see a blue TPU spring plate in the forefoot and a carbon fiber shank plate in the midfoot.

Wrapping the midsole is a TPU cage that adds stability to the cushioning system and some torsional support as well. In the midfoot, we have 2 straps integrated into the lacing system for lateral containment, and several lace cables towards the top of the lacing system as well. And last but not least the shoe is equipped with a heel counter as well. This is a top-tier setup, to say the least, but that’s not all.

There’s also the build of the shoe. The medial side of the Shock Wave 5 is rounded for added mobility, and the lateral side is much flatter and wider for stability. This is a great configuration, especially for an electrifying player like Kyrie Irving.

Rico: Let us list everything that you get with the bigger companies here in the US won’t even offer you at this price point in terms of support! A lateral outrigger, TPU cage from the forefoot to the heel, carbon fiber midfoot shank for torsional support, TPU two-piece spring plate, midfoot strap, nylon cables, and internal heel counter!

All of it works in harmony with each other except for one tiny thing that you have to change from the jump in my experience which is the insole. After the first two times playing it started to slide around and bunched under my foot, but after putting in my preferred insole I had no issues being locked in the shoe and played to my heart’s content. Chris (aka Nightwing2303) also mentioned that the heel counter could’ve been a little stronger and I agree, but for most people it gets the job done. You’re going to get good solid support that matches the likes of modern-day Kyries.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Fit

The Anta Shock Wave 5 fits like a glove. The textile upper adapts very well to your foot, and there is plenty of sculpting in the heel as well. So, go true to size, but, since Anta is a Chinese brand, the safest bet is to go with your Euro size, so keep that in mind.

Rico: I recommend that you go with your euro size since these are an overseas release. I did so by getting a size 45 which is a size 11 in the US and it fits to my liking which is a half-thumb width of space in the front to allow my toes to splay just a tad.

After you get your size you sit within a TPU plastic shell on the outside which is great for outdoors with all the debris flying around. But within that shell is a pretty heavily padded interior that is going to sculpt to your foot the more you play in these, especially the back padding around your achilles area to aid with keeping that fit secure and comfortable.

Anta Shock Wave 5 Overall

Even though the Anta Shock Wave 5 wasn’t designed specifically for Kyrie Irving, it’s a very “Kyrie feeling” shoe. If you liked Kyrie’s Nike shoes you will like this one as well. Anta really has thought of everything when designing this model and has created an elite guard shoe.

So, if you were looking for an agile, low-profile, reactive hoop shoe, with a dash of impact protection underfoot, the Shock Wave 5 is going to be a very good option.

Rico: If this is a small look into what Kyrie’s next shoe will look and feel like then I’m very excited! I mean, if this is what they offer for a budget model, then I believe we are still going to get a high-end performance product without breaking the bank to use both outdoors and indoors. The Anta Shock Wave 5 is a punch above its price point performer and should be considered in your options especially if you play outdoors.