Nike KD1
On February 25, 2009, Nike officially unveiled the KD1. The KD1 is Kevin Durant's first signature shoe, putting him in elite company at Nike, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant are the only other two active players that have signature shoes by Nike. Durant worked with shoe designer Leo Chang to add many personal elements to the design of the KD1. 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”
Pre-Production Sketch of the Nike KD1
The KD1 quickly grew in popularity, spawning a career pack of different color KD1 shoes that commemorate Durant's entire basketball career. The career pack incorporates almost every team Durant has played for with six different color schemes for each team. The six teams represented in the career pack are his Boy's and Girl's Club team, Drew Freeman Middle School, Montrose Christian High School, McDonald's All-American team, University of Texas Longhorns, and the Seattle Supersonics.
After the success of the KD1, Nike wasted no time in designing and producing a second shoe in the series. The next shoe in Kevin Durant's signature line will be known as the KD II. The KD II is expected to be part of Nike's Spring 2010 line.
