Watch out LeBron, Durantula is coming for you. I still can’t grapple with the fact that Kevin Durant is a sickening 21 years old. What the hell was I doing nearly four years ago? I sure wasn’t going on 29 game streaks of dropping at least a cool 25 per contest in only my third year as a pro. I was also definitely not banking a $60 million endorsement contract with Nike. Step into the shoes of KD.
We’re all trying to figure out where and how we can save a few dollars these days. At $89, the Nike Zoom KD II has gained a reputation as exceeding every penny. Let’s shoot out the specs and intricate details. Nike designer, Leo Chang gave the sneaker a quiet storm of an upper that subtly reflects the persona of its primary host, Kevin Durant.
One of the immediate elements of the shoe that you notice is the thick midfoot strap. As Chang puts it, Durant himself advocated that the strap was “something that was iconic to him” and insisted upon its inclusion. The strap offers an assured lockdown feel and fit. While not as low as the Zoom Kobe V, the ankle collar on this sneaker is considered by Chang to be relatively low, providing both flexibility and stability for any wearer. Within the heel collar are two nodes which coupled with an external heel counter, secure your heel into the footbed. The footbed is really where the Zoom KD II caters to Durantula’s feet – well, just the two.
Chang decided to pack just one Zoom air bag into the forefoot. He said about Kevin, “when you look at his heel strike and his gait, it’s very much midfoot to forefoot”, meaning that the man plays on his toes the majority of the time. No worries though, heel impact protection and a cushioned fit are definitely taken care of with a full Phylon midsole and cupsole. If you’re like Durant and your game is reliant upon exploiting an advantage in quickness and light-footed speed, these kicks may be worth an audition.
The full strap that was mentioned earlier has the word “pure” embroidered on the inside to commemorate KD’s devotion to the game. On the right sneaker’s outsole, the tributes continue with numbers that represent things such as Durant’s address numbers for his grandmother’s house and the post office where his mother used to work. However, the intricacies are not at the expense of high quality traction or purpose as there are also flex grooves for stable mobility. Also embroidered on the inside of each tongue are the initials for his parents, Wayne and Wanda Pratt.
Leo Chang and Kevin Durant seem to have produced one of the better high performance basketball kicks on the market, especially considering its modest $89 price. Bottom line, you will definitely get your “bang for a buck” with the Zoom KD II as even Sole Collector agrees. Nike has also made a bevy of colorways such as the ‘Creamsicle’, Thunder Home, Thunder Away, Black/Purple/White, and Black/Red just to name a few.
These sneakers are shown off every night that KD takes the court during a season in which he has catapulted his team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, into the NBA Playoffs in only his third year as the team’s clear best player. It is widely agreed (myself included) that he is right behind LeBron James as the two leading candidates for MVP. Looks like we’ll be seeing more of the ‘Creamsicle’ in the coming months. And no, I do not mind one bit.
Take a listen as KD talks about a piece of his basketball odyssey below!
[Original Release: 2009; Weight: 13.8 oz.; Price: $89; Players: Kevin Durant / Russell Westbrook / Jeff Green / James Harden / Amare Stoudemire]
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source: solecollector.com