Kevin Durant Calls Out Nike Over Football Cleats

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant has 19 signature basketball shoes and a lifetime contract with Nike. Despite his status in the NBA and footwear industry, that doesn't mean Nike will meet all of Durant's requests.

For years, NFL stars like Stefon Diggs, Rashod Bateman, and Bucky Irving have worn custom Nike KD cleats.

Custom cleats are great, but Durant wants a true redesign of his silhouettes to be made for the football field.

Kevin Durant's Message to Nike

Durant has clearly grown frustrated as he aired out his grievances on his Instagram story. Durant asked Irving to call Nike to make his shoes into cleats.

"I'm tired of my dogs having to customize the classics," said Durant. "WAKE UP."

It must not have taken long for Durant to get an answer, as he added a second post to his Instagram story: "Nike told their lifetime athlete that I'm not allowed to make cleats."

Kevin Durant's Nike Frustrations

This has to be frustrating for Durant, as Nike has made football cleats for LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and, of course, Michael Jordan. Even worse, this is not the first time Durant has had a public spat with Nike since signing his lifetime deal.

Just ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Durant took exception to being left out of a marketing campaign titled "Winning Isn't For Everyone."

Durant and his agent, Rich Kleiman, made statements on social media questioning Nike's decision to leave out the country's most accomplished Olympic basketball player.

Kevin Durant's Lifetime Nike Contract

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant wears the Nike KD 19 "University Red" colorway. — Kevin Durant wears the Nike KD 19. | Nike

Durant has been a Nike athlete since entering the NBA, with his signature sneaker line launching during his second season. In April 2023, Durant and Nike agreed to a lifetime contract. It is apparent that the partnership has experienced rough patches since Durant's initial statement.

“When I first signed with Nike, I couldn’t have dreamed of how far we’d go in this partnership," Durant said at the time. "We’ve done amazing work creatively and philanthropically. We’ve traveled the world together and built a business that will now last forever. I’m excited for the future and honored to be in rare company with this deal."

Earlier today, we released our NBA Preseason Sneaker Power Rankings and ranked Durant seventh in the league. Not because his footwear isn't great, but because he puts so little effort into promoting the Nike KD line. That changed quickly.

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