The Dream of the 90s Is Alive in Nike KD 12

Finding a way to stand out as a Nike athlete must be tough. With so many high-profile athletes affiliated with the company and so many signature sneakers across the brand's line, players and designers have their work cut out for them when it comes to making an impression.

NBA superstar Kevin Durant's last sneaker, the KD11, ended up a bit underwhelming as it strongly (at least in this writer's opinion) resembled the LeBron 15 and 16, albeit in a low cut rather than high or mid. However, Durant and his longtime designer Leo Chang have turned that around with the All Star's latest sneaker: the KD12, one of the most memorable sneakers in Nike's rotation in recent memory.

The Nike KD 12 is a stark departure from the 11 in just about every conceivable way. The silhouette itself, for one, bears zero resemblance to its predecessor beyond the logos. Where the 11 featured a low-cut shoe with a knit upper, the 12 sports an upper constructed from Nike's signature flywire.

The vibe as a whole is also on another level. The KD11 isn't a particularly flashy sneaker - it's all business, a great basketball sneaker but not necessarily a great everyday wear. The Nike KD 12, though? It's got style. It's flashy. It's fun! In a recent conversation Chang noted that the strongest point of reference throughout the process of designing the shoe was the '90s, and that came down to everything from the different colorways the shoe will be available in over the next year or so to the shape and construction. Chang and Durant drew heavily from basketball sneakers of the '90s - those worn by Penny Hardaway, Patrick Ewing, and of course, Michael Jordan - in putting together the new silhouette.

It's only fitting, then, that the shoe's first non-black and white colorway is the upcoming Nike KD 12: The '90s Kid. The sneaker features a speckled lime-green lower evocative of early Nickelodeon and the era in which "getting slimed" was a pop cultural rite of passage. The upper is based in a neutral grey, which allows for the bright orange and green accents to pop all the more. Graphics on the heel heavily evoke hip-hop design from the decade (and let's be honest: it's hard to look at them and not think of paper Dixie cups - but in a good way). It all makes for a great tribute to an era, a feeling, and let's be honest, some of the best cartoons of all time.