A photo of Kevin Durant biting into a candy apple went viral this week. Fans assumed it was official Nike promo art for the KD19. The shoe drops in the "Candy Apple" colorway, a shiny red version of his signature sneaker.
Several sneaker accounts shared the image without checking its source first. It turns out the photo was AI generated, not a real Nike campaign. The footwear site Nice Kicks confirmed the picture was fake earlier this week.
Nike's actual marketing push has featured Drake alongside Durant in several ads. Those ads also included a jab at Minnesota's Anthony Edwards.
Durant debuted the "Candy Apple" colorway in a game against the Lakers back in March. The timing worked well since the shoe's red tone matched Houston's team colors. Nike has already released other bright colorways in this same signature line. Those include "Purple Stuff," "Orange Crush," and "Bubble Gum Bounce" versions of the KD19.
The fake apple photo spread quickly because it looked believable at first glance. Once people looked closer, though, the image raised obvious red flags. AI-generated content has become more common across social media lately. Overall this incident shows how easily fake images can pass as real marketing.
Kevin Durant Says Viral Image Is AI
The fake photo showed Durant eating a candy apple in front of a red backdrop. Its lighting and skin texture looked slightly off once people paid closer attention. Nice Kicks flagged several inconsistencies before confirming the image wasn't real.
Durant's actual promotional material for the KD19 looks nothing like the viral photo. Nike leaned into a car culture theme for this shoe's rollout instead. That campaign included a Houston event and appearances from Drake in short video spots.
The real KD19 "Candy Apple" uses a shiny red coating across most of the upper. A small green detail sits on the insole as the only real contrast. Nike also gave the shoe a redesigned shell that fits closer to the foot. This colorway kicks off a new run of bright, monochrome KD19 releases.
