Nike and Kevin Durant have partnered with KD's longtime friend Devonte Young and his streetwear brand, Enspire, for an exclusive pack of Nike KD 12s. According to Slam Kicks, both of the colorful KD 12 collabs will be available in early 2020, starting with the black colorway on January 18. The white iteration is expected to following on February 1.
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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.
It remains to be seen how many pairs of each colorway will be available, but we'd assume that both will be limited in nature. Check out a breakdown of Durant's 12th signature sneaker below, and stay tuned for more details regarding the Enspire collaboration.
The Nike KD 12 itself 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. 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.
