KD V

 

 

 

 

 

Aesthetically, speaking, the KD V was a drastic change of course from the of its predecessor, the KD IV. I recall upon my first time seeing the shoe, I was a bit underwhelmed( think Klay Thompson), I remember thinking, ” those just look like hyperdunks with heel max air unit.” With that being said, my initial ,let’s call it slight, disappointment in the KD V’s look did not deter me from taking them for some serious action out on the court.

 

Although I had an issue with the right shoe, the KD V still provided a good fit
                                 Although I had an issue with the right shoe, the KD V still provided a good fit

The KD V’s inner is pretty straightforward; the tongue is not integrated in the inner in the fashion of forming an inner bootie. No raised seems or issues that would cause any discomfort issues ,on my left foot, however on nearly every wearing the shoe caused great discomfort  in the area above my first metatarsal bone.It was noticable even while playing, while it never rose to what I’d call pain ( pain tolerances are different for every person) , I will say experienced relief when I was finally able to take that right shoe off. I could not figure out what caused the issue for me on my right foot; I don’t have foot problems, as stated earlier ,there are no issues with the inner and I didn’t experience this issue with any other shoe I owned. This was in all likelihood the exception and I feel that the inner experience with the left shoe, which was very good, is more indicative of the attributes of the inner.

 

The cushioning for the KD V was adequate
                                                                     The cushioning for the KD V was adequate

Sliding down to the cushioning the load is a phylon midsole with a forefoot Zoom Air unit and a 180 max air bag at the heel. The phylon midsole required a couple of wearings to really break in to really feel the benefits of the cushioning,particularly in the forefoot, but I never was able to get to the point to where I could totally feel the Zoom-Air. Nonetheless, the KD V provided more than adequate cushioning during my time in the shoe.

 

The unsusal, but effective traction pattern of the KD V.
The unsusal, but effective traction pattern of the KD V.

The traction of the KD V was quite good. The pattern is not your traditional herringbone, but it does its job of gripping the floor quite well. The color way I had for this review features a solid rubber outsole so  there was some initial debris adhering to the outsole, but once the rubber wore down some this ceased to be an issue. If you play on a dusty surface, be mindful of this if you are taking the V on the court for this first time. The rubber is somewhat robust , without being heavy so you can take them outdoor as well.

 

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On closing, the KD V moves the Durant line further in terms of performance. It is simply solid all the way around and does not really have any glaring deficiencies. The V offers good, fit, cushioning, traction, and support. It is a shoe, even now, I would reach for to play in a game with out second thought.

 

KD V 

Color way Reviewed: 

Weight: 12.6oz ( in a size 11)

Pros: Good Fit, Cushioning, Support, and Traction; at 12.6 oz, not very heavy 

Cons: Good but not great performance; there are more cost effective options that perform just as well if not better. 

Fit: 16/20

Cushioning: 16/20

Traction: 17/20

Support: 17/20

Comfort: 17/20

 

Overall: 83/100