Kevin Durant‘s 12th signature shoe with Nike is almost here, and according to the brand, it’s the Swoosh’s most innovative style yet.
For the first time in Nike history, the KD12 features a full-length Air Zoom unit stitched directly to the upper, allowing the foot to be closer to the airbag for elevated responsiveness. This in turn should allow for the broken-in feel Durant craves on the court.
“He loved lows, but he has had problems popping out of his shoes a lot,” Leo Chang, lead designer at Nike Basketball, told Sports Illustrated. “He wants to be locked in, and we wanted to make sure he stays in the shoe. The sneaker is a little bit higher than normal.”
The shoe also boasts a lightweight multilayer mesh upper that uses minimal backing material for less stiffness and a broken-in feel. The upper is interlaced with four-way directional Flywire cables — which relax when the foot is not in motion but engage when needed — to provide targeted stability and on-the-fly lockdown. Meanwhile, a Flyknit-constructed tongue covers the top of the foot for added plushness, and perforated padding is offered around the collar to provide stability.
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The first colorway of the sneaker is called “90s Kid,” inspired by Nike’s experimentation with the bright neon green colors and splattered finishes of the era. It’s set to release on April 1, followed by a black and white version of the style on April 6. Both colorways will retail for $150 on Nike.com and at select retailers.
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