Aaron Hope 
Earlier today, we showed you Kevin Durant’s Nike Blue Chips. His PE features the “kd” logo on the ankle and Oklahoma City Thunder colours. Well, just like Lebron James wore the Air Zoom Generation before the Lebron I, scoring machine Durant is set to get his own signature shoe in his second NBA season.
Compared to his Blue Chip PEs, Durant’s new kicks are similarly sleek, based on a low-profile Zoom Air-equipped midsole with deep ridges for great flexibility. The outside of these are done in white leather with the same “kd” logo at the ankle. On the inside, we’re treated to a fade from yellow to blue, through shades of orange, red and purple. These pictures are more than just an artist’s rendering, but we still can’t wait to find some other angles, so stay tuned. They’re set for a January 2009 release, so we’ll keep you posted.
Update:
We’ve seen the Nike KD1, Kevin Durant’s signature sneaker a number of times over the past few months, today, Nike officially unveiled the sneaker and gives us a much better idea of the design and make up of the KD1.
“Working with Nike on my first signature basketball shoe was a dream come true,” said Durant, consensus 2007 National College Player of the Year and Washington, D.C. native. “My goal was to introduce a shoe that performs well, looks great and showcases my roots.”
Nike and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant showcase the next generation of footwear with the launch of the KD1, Durant’s first signature shoe with the brand. By taking a personal journey through Durant’s life, Nike designers seamlessly integrate superior performance with personal design touches.
Durant’s relentless work ethic is well noted and fundamental to the KD1 design. From the age of nine he has been a “gym rat” through and through and the KD1 includes design details that reflect Durant’s determination. His strong work ethic has carried him from his amateur basketball playing days to life now in the league. Nike collaborated closely with Durant to create a signature shoe with performance and design at the forefront.Nike designers met with Durant to get to know his personality and sources of inspiration. The KD1 has many storytelling elements including:
• A postage stamp inspired design on the left tongue because Durant’s mother worked at the post office; a security badge is included on the right tongue for his father who worked as a security officer
• Symbols and numbers on the left outsole represent locations meaningful to Durant
• Elements that represent the hard-work ethic that he puts into his game, such as “1 hr defense drills, 1000 toe raises, grandma brings dinner to the gym” and “I never quit”
The KD1 shoe is a lightweight, well-cushioned and sleek men’s basketball shoe. Durant plays small forward and needs a lightweight shoe that can keep up with his quick sprints down the court. KD1 has a Nike Zoom unit and a lightweight injection phylon midsole for exceptional cushioning. It’s also equipped with plenty of flex grooves on the outsole that forwards need for multidirectional cuts.
The KD1 is now available in the United States at Nike.com, Hibbett Sporting Goods, Champs, Eastbay.com, Finish Line, The Sports Authority and Foot Locker. The suggested retail price is $88.
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BELOW ARE THE CURRENT LISTINGS FOR THESE KICKS ON EBAY:
[If kicks below are a random assortment, desired kicks are not currently available on eBay.]
