For the latest Boardroom Talks Live, the panel breaks down the KITH x KD 18 collaboration, diving into legacy, storytelling, performance design, and the long-term strategy behind Durant’s signature sneaker empire.
When Kevin Durant, Ronnie Fieg, and Rich Kleiman share a stage, the conversation inevitably stretches beyond sneakers. At a recent Boardroom Talks Live over NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, what began as a discussion about Durant’s 18th signature shoe evolved into a masterclass on legacy, authenticity, and the long game of brand-building.
The spark for the collaboration? A “friends and family” iteration of the KD 18, designed by Fieg, founder and creative director of KITH. Fieg admitted that the first images Durant posted were actually an early sample. “You were a little early,” he joked. But the leak only added to the mystique of a project rooted in deep mutual respect.
For Fieg, the KD signature archive represents one of the most consistent runs in modern basketball footwear. While he once favored the KD 4, the 18 immediately struck him as a leap forward. He praised its tooling and saw an opportunity to elevate the upper with premium materials rarely seen in performance basketball today. Real leather and suede replaced synthetics, and subtle design tweaks gave the shoe a distinct identity without losing its DNA.
The inspiration drew from one of Fieg’s personal grails, the Nike Air Max 95 “Neon.” Rather than simply transpose the colorway, he reworked panel lines and fine details, even swapping neon perforations for silver at the last minute. Only 14 pairs were produced — seven for Durant and seven for Fieg — a nod to Durant’s longtime No. 7.
For Durant, however, aesthetics always come second. “The most important thing is how it plays on the court,” he said. Every silhouette is tailored to his game first, trusting Nike’s design team to strike the balance between performance and visual impact. That commitment to substance, Fieg noted, is precisely why consumers continue to buy in: “It’s authentic. It’s organic to him.”
Kleiman zoomed out to the broader business. Eighteen signature models represent nearly two decades of ebbs and flows. Early in Durant’s career, storytelling around colorways created emotional anchors that now fuel a powerful retro market. Today, Kleiman says, the partnership with Nike feels stronger than it has in over a decade, in part because Durant and his team learned to take ownership of their platform rather than rely solely on the brand machine.
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The conversation inevitably shifted to legacy. Both Fieg and Durant spoke about evolution, of product, of mindset, of impact. Fieg, now 30 years into his career, thinks carefully about how his work will age in the archive. Durant, 37, is focused on sustainability: staying rooted in basketball while expanding thoughtfully into new territory.
As for what’s next? Durant hinted at continuing cornerstone franchises like the “Aunt Pearl” series while leaving room for fresh stories drawn from new life experiences. The goal isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake; it’s inviting fans to walk alongside him in real time.
If there was a unifying theme, it was patience. No rushed launches. No forced narratives. Just performance, partnership, and perspective. In an era obsessed with immediacy, Durant, Fieg, and Kleiman are playing the long game and making it look effortless.
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