KICKS Purposeful
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HERE ARE TWO THINGS that should stick in the memory banks about Kevin Durant. The first is that he legitimately loves hoop. The second is that he’s always trying to learn more. The first sounds like a given—he’s been in the NBA for almost half of his life. Duh, of course he loves hoop. Right? But not every ballplayer loves hoop. Passion’s been the special ingredient in the mixture of his seven-foot frame, his intellect, his desire and his skills. That’s where the separation has been from the rest of the pack. Because he loves it all so much, he’s
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acutely aware of how his sneakers inform his game. That’s where his appetite for learning comes in. The KD15’s production process was about studying the past, learning from it and weaving that knowledge into a new silhouette. When the two-time champ requested a lower cut for his 15th pair, he and lead designer Ben Nethongkome hit up the archives and found inspiration in 2001’s Nike Air Jet Flight, a low model that was worn by Steve Nash, among others. He used that pair and the KD4 and KD6 as examples of how much closer he wants to be to the court now that he’s 15 looks in. Plan in place, Nethongkome and his squad got to work and answered Durant’s
question about how they could vary materials even while losing height. The heel’s 3D-molded counter leads right into the midfoot’s TPU cage, giving way to an upper whose layers have been reduced from the 14. The 15’s foundation is a fulllength Cushlon midsole that’s combined with a Zoom Air Strobel footbed. It’s a technological diversion from the 12, 13 and 14, which is exactly what Durant wanted. He debuted the 15 in the Nets’ unexpected sweep at the hands of the Celtics. But what’s left to be expected is that No. 7 will learn from his mistakes and get straight back to hooping next season with the 15 on his feet.—Max Resetar
J O N AT H A N L E W I S
KEVIN DURANT made it clear that his 15th signature silhouette has a singular responsibility—help him hoop at the highest level in the world.
