Durant unveils sixth edition of signature shoe
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Kevin Durant wrapped up a two-day event in Washington on Friday to launch the latest installment of his signature shoe, the Nike KD VI.
The sixth edition is a departure from the previous five. It is the first in the line to be produced as a low top, something Durant specifically requested when design began on the shoe 18 months ago.
“He plays in a lot of different heights and is very comfortable when we try something new,” said Nike Basketball Footwear Design Director Leo Chang.
The KD VI does however continue the line’s storytelling, done of course through great attention to detail. It’s become a part of the line’s distinguishing feature dating the release of the KD I in February 2009.
Most noticeable are the colors.
The shoe’s standard colors are teal and yellow, the trademark colors of the Seat Pleasant Activities Center in Durant’s Maryland hometown. The rec center has been labeled as Durant’s childhood home away from home.
Each of Durant’s signature shoes pay similar homage to the people and places that helped shaped him into person and player he is today.
“He said, ‘I wanna put Seat Pleasant on the map,’” said Chang, who first spotted the colors on the rec center’s doormat during his first visit in 2008. “That’s where he grew up, and he’s very proud of his hometown roots.”
Among other details the shoe includes a six-sided hexagonal pattern, which commemorates this as Durant’s sixth shoe, a max air unit in the heel and new off-center tongue construction for superior fit. In addition to Durant’s hometown, each detail of the shoe was inspired by machining lines of a wristwatch, each one being critical to the precision, performance and craftsmanship of the timepiece.
“That’s how I look at my game,” Durant said. “It’s the small details that make me who I am.”
The KD VI retails at $130, the third price increase after the line started at $85 before shooting up to $95 with the KD IV and $115 with the KD V. The show is available in several different colorways, including the orange and black “NYC 66,” which salutes Durant’s 66 points in New York City’s renowned Rucker Park, the black and pink “Meteorology,” another nod to Durant’s stated second career choice, the multicolored “DC/Pre-Heat” and the all green “Bamboo.”
Custom colors also can be created with NikeiD, a service both online and in stores that allows customers to personalize Nike merchandise.
“Leo’s been a big part of every shoe that I’ve worn since I’ve been in the NBA. He’s done such a great job. He’s a genius,” Durant said. “He makes my foot safe. Makes me feel safe and comfortable on the floor. Just like I’m getting better at my game, he’s getting better and better every day as well.”