Kevin Durant is having quite the summer. The reigning NBA Finals MVP has traveled the world, destroyed trolls on Twitter, and become a strong voice against social and political issues. It’s pretty good to be Durant right now, and his star is so big that Nike has done something with his latest KD10 sneaker colorway that the shoe giant has never done before.
The KD10 “Numbers” were unveiled on Friday with a release date of October 1, and for the first time ever a team logo will appear on a Nike signature basketball sneaker. The Warriors logo isn’t prominent, but it is subtly placed on the tongue tab and on the bottom of the outsole, while the lining of the shoe is Warriors colors with blue and gold.
It speaks to Durant’s status with Nike that they would do something never done before with one of his signature sneakers. There also could be some ulterior motives, as this is Nike’s most overt effort yet at cornering the Warriors’ fan base in the sneaker market, something they’ve tried to do ever since Durant signed and joined Steph Curry — Under Armour’s poster boy. Since Durant has been with the Warriors, whether a coincidence or not, Curry’s sneaker sales have dropped precipitously.
With the “Numbers” colorway and the Warriors logo on the tab, Nike takes an even bigger step than simply releasing gold and blue colorways of Durant’s sneakers. It’s no surprise that Golden State is the first team to get this treatment, but with Nike now owning manufacturing rights for NBA uniforms and apparel, we might see more team logos appear on sneakers if they see a fit.
