Kevin Durant’s KD9 sneaker runs for $150, which is a pretty fair market place considering how much some pairs go for. But Durant’s sig didn’t always have such a price tag, and early on in his line his kicks ran for under $100.
Nice Kicks did an in-depth feature on Durant and his sneakers and asked the newest Warrior about the price increase:
Durant is extremely cognizant of those who feel he’s priced them out, but both he and his team at Nike feel they’ve gotten to a good zone by bringing the KD9 back to the $150 level.
The 9 features perhaps more innovation than any prior KD shoe, with its new Flyknit construction, full-length best-in-class Zoom Air unit and a detailed translucent outsole. “You get a $250 shoe for like $150,” he jokes.
A decade in, KD is also not shying away from the fact that his game and his status in the league have evolved — and he feels his footwear and marketing should reflect that.
“As humbly as I can say it, I’m not a $88 player. I’m an elite player in the league,” Durant responds. “I wanted everything to be affordable, but I knew we had to sacrifice some stuff. I just wanted the fans of the brand and of the shoe to just stay patient with me. And stay patient with who I am as a player, and the level I was trying to go to.”