Kevin Durant’s sneaker collection is great. He is a sneakerhead; he just doesn’t show it off like PJ Tucker. The man has been caught by the sneakerheads wearing size 18 Cactus Jacks and a few other high-profile shoes, but none are more tech-focused than his signature “KD” lineup.
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Durant’s Nike sneaker line, along with that of his teammate Kyrie Irving, has always been Nike’s most affordable option. However, with Kyrie’s deal suspended and LeBron James’ shoe costing $200 off the rack, KD now leads the race for Nike’s most-sold shoes. It trails behind only the Air Jordan lineup.
But as every sneakerhead knows, the Slim Reaper, got a special pair of PEs made. Durant, a fan of Virgil Abloh and his body of work, has worn many Off-White pieces in the past. But since the designer’s passing, he’s slowed down, barring one particular moment.
He got a special KD 15 that paid homage to the original Off-White Presto. The original Presto caused shockwaves in the sneaker market since it was a revolutionary shoe. Nothing like it existed in the market, and even after 5 years, it still holds strong.
The KD 15 has a design language that resembles the Presto. And for Durant, it made perfect sense to mix both. The lace locks like the Presto and blends into the midsole. Make them both off-white, and you have a very similar-looking shoe!
And while the Presto resell for a cool $2150, KD’s “Virgil Abloh” 15s is priceless. It is one-of-one.
Kevin Durant’s tribute to Virgil Abloh is a “1-of-1” shoe
Apart from KD, PJ Tucker is probably the only person who can own this exact colorway. Do not rile him up, because he will pull this “off-white” rabbit out of his hat. As a special exclusive just for the player, Nike made sure the homage was well executed.
Durant put up impressive numbers in the season opener. scoring 32 points in a loss to the Pelicans, he made a statement against them. He’s since worn them a bunch more times and the fans are loving it.
And while this colorway may not make the shelves, others, like Aunt Pearl, will be available in stores. A staple for the past decade, this season’s aunt pearl will also be predominantly pink. Not just from Durant but from LeBron as well. Players seem to like the shade and the fans seem to be loving it too.
Nike should focus on getting out more colorways similar to this to the public
The basketball sneaker market has been saturated with a lot of bland colors so far; even the Air Jordan lineup seems to be hitting a plateau. It may be the recession or the oversaturation of colors, but fans seem to be slowing down their purchases.
Colors like the KD 15 off-white get their attention again and could be a mantra for success. Not that they need to be slapping famous colorways on everything—just start the word of mouth going. Nike always seems to make boring colors at the start and then, as a hail mary, releases the best colorway when the hype dies down.
Poor marketing strategy, given the short attention span for a commodity like shoes.
