Kevin Durant is one of Nike's most prominent NBA athletes. It's for that reason that he is able to take part in the design of his very own signature sneaker line.
As technology advances, and sports demands of athletes rise, so does the quality of shoe performance. Not only does an athlete need a good looking shoe, but it has to work with the one wearing it; it needs to be comfortable and have the latest technology.
Durant's shoe line has progressed in technology, and the more new things are added, the more the price rises. What started off as an $88 shoe has risen in cost to around $150. Durant points to his rise in stardom as one reason why this is so.
He recently explained what he meant to Nick Depaula of Nice Kicks:
As humbly as I can say it, I'm not a $88 player. I'm an elite player in the league. I wanted everything to be affordable, but I knew we had to sacrifice some stuff. I just wanted the fans of the brand and of the shoe to just stay patient with me. And stay patient with who I am as a player, and the level I was trying to go to.
On these shoes, you get it all, and for a nice price. You get the newest innovation, you get the newest Zoom bag, and you get my story along with it. If you're a fan of what I do in the game of basketball, this is perfect for you. As I evolved as a player, I knew that the shoes, in order for it to stay on the same course and trajectory [that I was headed], I might have to come up a bit on some of the stuff I said earlier. Hopefully people understand, and I think a lot of people have.
While Durant’s statement is nothing personal, it speaks of exactly what happens when an athlete or celebrity becomes more popular. Their demand rises, and as it does, access to their products does as well, driving up the price.
In a way, Durant has worked hard enough to benefit with what comes with his name. His name speaks of quality, his brand speaks of quality, and with the price hike, so does his signature shoe line.
NBA players are their own brand. If their name is attached to it, it is representative of them, and that is a part of their business. Newer materials, such as flynit and lunar, are becoming the norm in performance athletic shoes, and with better materials come higher prices.
It’s really simple economics. Higher consumer demand means higher prices. There may never be another pair of high quality athletic shoes endorsed by a high-profile athlete that you can find below $100, realistically.
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