Mega streamer Kai Cenat, 23, had yet another viral moment this week, but this time, it wasn’t from his gaming streams or high-profile celebrity drop-ins. During his appearance on NFL legend Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast, Cenat’s rare Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” sneakers unexpectedly crumbled mid-interview.
The interview focused on Cenat’s rise to fame, his lucrative endorsements, and his historic partnership with Nike as the first streamer to secure a deal with the brand. According to Forbes, the creator is worth $8.5 million.
“My ultimate [endorsement] was Nike,” Cenat said. “I love Nike. I didn’t grow up with the best shoes or gear, athletic gear or anything. And Nike, it came around the corner, I did not think it was possible.”
Sneaker Mishap
While the conversation flowed with inspirational anecdotes, the moment that stole the show was a wardrobe malfunction. Midway through the discussion, a piece of plastic broke off Cenat’s decade-old Yeezy Red Octobers. Sharpe cracked, “Did we get that? This dude got on some fake Yeezys. He got on some Peezys.”
Cenat, referencing Cool Kicks — the Los Angeles resale shop where he purchased the sneakers — responded, “Oh my gosh. Damn bro. Oh hell no. Yo, Cool Kicks.”
Released in 2014, the Yeezy Red Octobers are valued at up to $50,000 on resale platforms like GOAT.
Speaking of sneakers, the top-watched Twitch streamer recently received a box of Puma sneakers and apparel from A$AP Rocky — and he declined.
“A$AP Rocky! Puma? I’m checks over…I’m checks over tigers,” Cenat said, referring to Drake’s “checks over stripes” lyric from Travis Scott’s 2018 song “Sicko Mode.”
So why did he turn down the Puma sneakers? He inked a deal with Nike in February 2024. “I’m [team] Nike,” Cenat said. “I can’t have no Puma. Come on. Damn, man. No way A$AP. A$AP, I can’t do this, I’m Nike. I’m putting this to the side. The opps pulled up, Puma tried it. Puma, you really tried it knowing I’m Nike, Puma. Puma, really, Puma? I’m Nike, you really tried that?”
Endorsements aside, Cenat built his wealth and fame streaming on Twitch and revealed to Sharpe that he turned down a $60 million deal to jump to streaming platform Kick.
Kai responded, “It wasn’t right. I couldn’t join Kick at the time because I realized that not all money is good money. Some money you could take and deals you could sign that would jeopardize everything you built up.”
He added that his loyalty was to his Twitch community. “Sometimes you gotta just say no. This is cool, it’s generational, but I’m more like, what am I stamping on the world? What am I going to be known for? If it doesn’t make sense, I’m not doing it. I have such a great community where I’m at now—why would I leave it?”
