Nike KD 9 Verdict Review – When Zooming Anywhere

As one of the NBA’s most valuable players, Kevin Durant has gradually asserted his worth in both the football field and the shoe market. Kevin Durant said in an interview about the $ 150 price tag of the Nike KD 9, “I am not a player (just) worth $ 88. I am one of the best players in the tournament. ” ($ 88 is the price of the original Nike KD pair). EACHSHOES would like to evaluate the material and performance of the KD 9 so that you can see if the KD 9 is worth its $ 150 price tag.

Nike KD 9 “USA”. Photo: Afew-store

1. Material (Material / design)

Instead of using the Flyweave upper like the KD 8, in the 9th version Nike used Flyknit for the nose and plain fabric for the heels. The entire upper body of the KD 9 is simply a layer of bootie sock material. Flyknit nose part is sewn in a honeycomb shape to create a sturdy frame while retaining a certain elasticity. The eyelets are sewn into the upper part and the bottom of the Flyknit has a thin layer of nylon that reinforces the upper.

Continuing between the 2 parts of the material is a thin piece of Fuse, while Nike also textures the heel like the nose for a smoother transition when looking at.

The rest of the midsole is Phylon on a very thin “giant” Max Zoom bag. The toe section is split for added flexibility – a common Max Zoom defect as seen in Lebron X. The sole pattern of the KD 9 is also mainly honeycomb in the heel and toe pad and the edge of the sole is. a variation of herringbone. Outsole is also rounded corners instead of a flat surface like the traditional shoe sole.

2. Traction (grip)

The honeycomb pattern of the KD 9 has a quite wide distance to help prevent dust and the edge is still a fishbone base so the good grip of the KD 9 is nothing to blame. Even the splitting of the shoe of the KD 9 also helps increase grip because your feet will be more flexible, making the friction point more accurate and wider. Not to mention the groove can also be substituted for cleats in some difficult situations.

On dusty grounds the performance of the KD 9 will be slightly reduced, but dust is not a big problem with this design. You may notice that the honeycomb base pattern belongs to the “closed” form as EACHSHOES analyzed at Lebron Soldier X and Super.Fly V, but thanks to the combination of two types of cleats as well as thicker sole, KD’s grip 9 is much better. The rubber material used is quite soft, so KD 9 is not really suitable for outdoor. However, some people believe that the clear rubber material of some color schemes is hard enough to withstand the corrosion of cement.

Is KD 9 “Gold Medal” internal rubber soles stiffer than normal rubber in “USA”?

3. Comfort & Fit (Smoothness, embrace)

The first problem you’ll have with the KD 9 is that the collar is so heavily sewn that the shoe becomes difficult to insert. That compensation is also the only problem of the KD 9 because the upper material and the Zoom part are designed to be as smooth as possible. You may experience some discomfort in the toes or the seams between the two layers at first.

KD 9 fit is the right size, but due to the design of a bootie piece, tying the shoelaces will not work as well as on a traditional shoe. Unless your feet are wide (wide footers) you should buy them half a size so that your feet can be hugged more securely.

Once you get the right size, you won’t have to worry too much about the KD 9’s grip. The heel pad is quite thick and the Flywire cable on the back of the heel helps to hold the heels tighter and minimize slipping. heel. In this respect the KD 9 does a little better than the 2016 adidas Crazylight Boost.

Overall comfort and fit of the Nike KD 9 is fine but provided you can get the right size.

4. Cushioning

As Nike Basketball’s fourth shoe to feature the Max Zoom sole, the KD 9’s cushioning has been completely redesigned. Instead of an extra thick Zoom bag at the Lebron X or KD 6 Elite, the KD 9’s Max Zoom is made very thin for maximum ruggedness. The Phylon layer has also been cut thin, reducing the thickness of the sole quite significantly. Finally, Nike increased the amount of fiber in the Zoom several times to increase the sensitivity and bounce of the Zoom.

Nike KD 9 vs. Lebron X. Photo: schwollo

You are almost in direct contact with the Zoom bag on the nose and heels instead of going through a layer of Phylon. Nike cut down most of the extra details to create the KD 9’s Max Zoom.

Cross section of Nike KD 9. Photo: fastpass

In addition, the Zoom bag is “articulated” on the nose and heels for increased flexibility. In addition, Nike has removed all the outer hard plastic on the edge of the KD 8 so that the riders can fully feel the Zoom. All of the above constitute a still very thin buffer with a high pitch feel, flexibility but with the particular Zoom smoothness and bounce across the entire sole. It can be said that Nike has been extremely creative with KD’s Max Zoom bag 9 times. You get a pair of smoother shoes than the previous version for between $ 30 and $ 50 cheaper. Remember KD 6 Elite used Max Zoom but was mostly ignored by Kevin Durant because it was too heavy for him.

5. Stability / Support / Containment (Stability / Strength / Ruggedness)

Although the base of the KD 9 is not as wide as a few pairs with large buffers (Rose 7, Crazy Explosive), but with a rounded design at the corners of the sole and thin midsole, the shoes are generally quite stable. In particular, the heel has a wide enough base to create a barrier.

The rounded base also lets you take advantage of the Zoom bag more, the movement is more natural, and prevents foot flipping without using the outrigger.

KD 9’s ruggedness depends heavily on leg hugging, so EACHSHOES still advises you to spend more time choosing the right size. The outer heel block of the KD 9 is quite thin and small, so it does not work very well, mainly your heels will be protected by the amount of padding and the heel block in the shoe. Midfoot support is also purely buffering.

KD 9’s Flyknit material is also quite sturdy thanks to the extra nylon upholstery and honeycomb stitching. However, in case of folding brake or changing the foot direction, the foot will still slide off the soleplate a little. If Nike lifted the Phylon slightly up or used a plastic like adidas Crazylight Boost, KD 9’s containment would have been a lot better. Regardless compared to the knit material of some other pair like Brandblack JC2 or adidas Crazylight Boost 2015, KD 9 is still more secure.

Containment on average KD 9. Photo: solebrothers

6. Nike KD 9 – Conclusion:

Using the Flyknit with the Max Zoom buffer, the KD 9 is one of Nike’s brightest shoes for 2016. Depending on a few weaknesses such as ruggedness and the Flyknit not strong enough, the Nike KD 9 has very stable performance. in other ways. Cushioning, temporarily, no company can keep up with Nike KD 9.

KD 9 is suitable for those who need a large amount of foot cushion but move, change direction on the field a lot. Some big men can still use these shoes because the soles and buffers are enough for all positions. The $ 150 price tag may be a bit high for many people but it is well worth what the shoe offers. Since KD 9 has been around for a while, you can also take advantage of discount codes to buy below the original price.

How do you see the Nike KD 9? Also, for any questions or suggestions, please comment below to EACHSHOES respond and motivate the team.

Photo: Solestory