This story appears in SLAM KICKS 27. Get your copy here.
It was everything we could have dreamed of. One by one, the 2024 NBA All-Stars from the East and West came out of the tunnel and onto the court. It was February 18, 2024. Everyone was at their best. The King debuted a hybrid Nike LeBron 21 fused with Deion Sanders’ monochrome Nike Air DT Max. Stephen Curry was rocking his signature Curry 4 Low FloTro. The digs were clean. And then under the lights of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the metal plating gleamed.
Decked out in half-red, half-blue striped warmups, Kevin Durant sent everyone, including us, into a frenzy on the court. A slew of social media posts echoed the culture-shattering moments of NikeTalk’s heyday. Bright orange uppers with a printed strap and a medium heel. Tiny blue speckles littered the jet-black midlayer that reflected the depths of deep space. A translucent, glow-in-the-dark sole sits just below. And under the hood, a beautiful galaxy of stars, big bangs, and wormholes that spans the inlays.
For the first time since 2012, Kevin Durant wore the KD 4. And it wasn’t like he rocked that pair of Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 OG Lows from his favorite rotation. The two-time NBA champion was dropping buckets on the Zoom silhouette, just like he did 12 years ago.
Throughout the first half, we got to see KD play, which is consistently heralded as the best sneaker in his lengthy signature discography. We literally witnessed history repeating itself in real time. Above the pivoting triads, circling the circumference without looking gears. Different jersey, different city and a few more gray beards, but the kicks remained the same.
we are serious exactly the same Kevin Durant’s retro run is just that: retro. This isn’t the same ethos that surrounds Kobe Bryant’s Protro pairs, which have been reworked for the modern game. The 4s feature the same smooth TPU strap, full-length Zoom Air cushioning, and unibody windows that Leo Chang masterfully crafted in Beaverton.
On a hallowed night in Orlando more than a decade ago, the world watched the 23-year-old Durant stamp his undying love for the game in his third All-Star appearance. Thirty-six points, 7 boards, 3 points and 3 steals = MVP. Fast forward 12 years, and the sneakers weren’t just attached to KD’s feet as he poured in a surgically efficient 18 points; it also lay in a protected display case at CORPORATE, McCrea St.
Everyone knows about the various defining moments of the NBA season. But for sneaker brands, All-Star Weekend is the epicenter of the year. Budgets are allocated, plans are made on the spot, and venues are booked months and months in advance. Personal activations are the name of the game, combining experiential moments with newly launched products. Customizable gear is like its own currency. Then there are the true sneakerheads who seek out the weekend holy grail at pop-up shops and local boutiques.
Last February in Indianapolis, everyone was hunting for the pair that Durant famously wore a few days later.
The beige and brown “Vear of the Dragon 2.0” colorway may have officially kicked off the silhouette’s renaissance in early February, but the Galaxy was first. original colorway from the iconic 2011-12 run that brought the Swoosh back to market. The shock drop on February 15 set the stage for the return of community favorite ensembles.
Just like we talked about it’s existence last year at KICKS 26, Nike wasn’t hanging it like they were.
did so in 2018 with the release of the KD 4 “Thunderstruck” after Durant and the Warriors made a title run. The Swoosh has scoured the catalog and handpicked the best of the best. Nothing but haymakers for months.
In late May, we were blessed with topographical Weatherman joints in the form of cargo pants and color-coordinated paddles that screamed a bygone era. Once this magazine is in your hands, what some consider to be the most popular colorway of Durant’s 17 signature sneakers will return, with an aesthetic of rubber-tipped bullets and plastic magazines. The KD 4 “Nerf” is upon us. And while it won’t be packaged in the same square box that holds a cardboard mini hoop and foam basketball, those same navy blue, gray, orange and volt colors will bring back memories of digging through the closet door with All. Star-caliber dunk contests in their childhood bedrooms.
The releases have been timely yet staggered, allowing more than enough breathing room between each drop to reignite the deep-rooted passion that exists for the midfoot band. Nike knows they’ve failed us. That’s why they’re reportedly set to close out the 4s retro run with a duo, a copper and black “Christmas” colorway and an “Aunt Marguerite” rendition, the first in what’s now a series of 13 silhouettes. dedicated to K.D.’s late aunt.
The past seven months have been a bunch of nostalgia-fueled trips down memory lane. We live in a parallel reality that we only dreamed of a few years ago. It’s back in the streets, courts and closets around the world. Lucky for us, the story of 4 continues.
Photos via Getty Images and Nike.
