Kevin Durant Teams With Childhood Friend For Nike KD 12 Collection: First Look

[Amber]

Kevin Durant's longtime friend, Devonte Young, and his streetwear brand, Enspire, have reportedly teamed up with Nike to release an exclusive pack of Durant's latest signature sneaker, the Nike KD 12.

Both of the special edition sneakers - one black, one white - are highlighted by a colorful speckle detailing that swarms the entire upper as well as bold "ENSPIRE" text on the outsole. Take an early look at the two Enspire x Nike KD 12s in the IG posts embedded below, and stay tuned for the official release details.

The Nike KD 12 is built on a multi-layer mesh upper with four-way flywire, and a full length zoom air cushioning that has been stitched to the strobel. For reference, the strobel is a thin woven textile that traditionally sits beneath the sockliner and above the midsole.

“It’s one of the unsung heroes in footwear,” says Leo Chang, Senior Creative Director for Nike Basketball Footwear. “The strobel isn’t approached differently other than how it’s been done over the last few decades. And yet it’s literally what separates your foot from the cushioning.”

By stitching a full-length articulated Air Zoom bag to the upper, Chang and Nike engineers made the Air unit a more dynamic element of the shoe.

(Image Via Nike)

Because the strobel defines the size of a shoe, there is one Air unit for every half-size of the KD 12, all the way from size 3.5 to Durant's size 18. According to Nike, that’s the most specific Air-Sole size scale that Nike has ever undertaken.

“There’s a personal fit dialed in for every size person who wears the KD12,” notes Chang.

View the full article