Nike unveils Kevin Durant's latest signature shoe, the 'KD7'
Nike unveiled on Wednesday the latest iteration of Thunder forward Kevin Durant's signature sneaker, the "KD7."
The shoes, which took 18 months for designer Leo Chang to create, have a "lightning" theme and bear the names of Durant's family members.
"It's been a great journey with Nike and I'm confident giving Leo specific feedback on what I'm looking for in a shoe," Durant said in a statement. "For the KD7, I really wanted a shoe that allowed me to move quickly, while having great support and stability. I also wanted to bring back the strap."
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The first colorway to be released -- dubbed "35,000 Degrees" -- is orange and grey with a neon green sole and Zoom air bag. A strap bearing Durant's jersey No. 35 stretches across the front of both low-profile shoes.
Check out photos of the "35,000 Degrees" version of the "KD7" in the gallery below.
Photos: Nike unveils Kevin Durant's latest signature sneaker, the 'KD 7'
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Kevin Durant's Nike KD 7
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Here are additional details, courtesy of Nike.
Designer Leo Chang’s performance objective for the KD7 was to provide Durant with the quickness and forefoot flexibility typically reserved for a point guard, combined with the stability and support in a shoe designed for a power forward. Chang accomplished this “best of both worlds” design challenge by using seamless forefoot mesh, dynamic Nike Flywire technology and encapsulated Nike Zoom in the front of the shoe. Bridging the transition between the forefoot and heel is a midfoot strap. Chang combined Hyperposite support in the heel with a newly developed visible Nike Zoom Air bag for responsive cushioning.
KD’s childhood interest in pursuing a career as a meteorologist first inspired the KD4 Weatherman colorway in 2011. The theme was incorporated into his fifth and sixth signature shoes and continues to take shape with the KD7. The KD7 colorway narrative begins with lightning, and more specifically the average temperature of a lightning strike – 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It also builds on KD’s insight of wanting to be lightning-quick. The KD7 35,000 Degrees colorway features a bright mango upper, volt outsole and hits of deep grey to represent the electric nature of lightning strikes. Stratospheric graphics and nods to lightning also appear on the sole and Swoosh.
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Here's a video released by Nike that hypes the unveiling of the "KD7."
Durant, 25, captured his first MVP last season, averaging a career-best and league-leading 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from deep. He led the Thunder to the Western Conference finals, where they were eliminated by the Spurs in six games.
Custom versions of the "KD7" are available on Nike.com for $195. The regular shoe will go on sale on Thursday.
