Kevin Durant has been one of the best-known NBA players since he was drafted second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics (now the Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2007, and he’s been releasing signature shoes with Nike since his sophomore season. He’s one of the league’s most complete and versatile players, and his Nike KDs are a perfect fit for his style of play.
The Nike KD has consistently been one of the most popular shoes in the NBA since the Nike Zoom KD1 came out in 2008. The KD1 was modeled after the Huarache 2K4, Durant’s favorite shoe, with a molded fit and forefoot Zoom Air, and released in 9 colorways. The midfoot strap was introduced with the KD2 and also appeared on the 2014 KD7. In 2010, they released the KD3, the first shoe in the line to use the lighter, more durable Flywire technology, and also the first time in Nike’s history customers could design their own colorways. The next year, he released his most popular shoe yet, the KD4, whose special “Nerf” edition came with a Nerf basketball. This was also the debut of the Aunt Pearl colorway, named for his late aunt, a style that recurred for later iterations. Nike dropped the Zoom from the line’s title with the KD5, the line’s first high-top, while the 2013 KD6 added the Flywire technology that was also utilized in the 2015 KD8. This evolved into the Flyknit technology and Zoom Air cushioning incorporated into the KD9, KD10, and KD11. The Strobel was added with the 2019 KD12, enhancing the responsiveness.