A Closer Look at the Nike Kyrie 7 “Ky-D”
The Nike Kyrie 7 KY-D draws its inspiration from the Nike KD4 Weatherman. The Nike KD4 Weatherman sneakers are known for their multi-colors. The Nike Kyrie 7 KY-D brand has green mesh uppers and black swooshes. These Nike sneakers emerged due to Nike’s sponsorship deal with American basketballers; Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The sneakers were made mainly to improve the skills of the basketballers. By wearing these sneakers, they can have better control, energy, and speed on the basketball pitch. How exactly do these sneakers improve your athletic performance? We will understand how once we discuss its features. Also, remember these sneakers are not only for athleticism. You can also wear them as casual gear.
Mesh Upper
The chances of sweating during a basketball game are high due to it being a strenuous activity. The greatest concern is sweating around your feet. Sweat makes your feet wet, and that is an uncomfortable feeling. Besides being uncomfortable, you are likely to develop foot odor. Luckily, these sneakers contain a mesh upper, which is a breathable material. The mesh upper is breathable because it has some pores on them. The pores allow air to circulate within your feet. When the air hits the sweat on your feet, it causes the sweat to evaporate. Besides fighting off bad odor, its mesh upper is lightweight. Its lightweight consequently makes these sneakers light. You can therefore use these sneakers for running without experiencing any fatigue. Also, its lightweight cushions your feet from pain when you walk or run. Some shoe companies detest using leather to make shoes. Using leather would mean slaughtering cows, and some people get squeamish thinking about that. It could be the reason why Nike is using synthetic mesh for the sneakers. After all, synthetic mesh is just as durable as leather sneakers.
Nike Air Zoom Turbo Unit Technology
This technology improves an athlete’s performance by cushioning their feet. The cushioning technology is on the forefoot area. The forefoot of the sneaker contains tightly stretched tensile fibers. When the athlete steps on the ground, the fibers compress to cushion the impact. However, the fibers do not remain compressed for too long, so they quickly spring up to retain their normal shape. If the fibers remained compressed for long, the athlete would feel the impact of their feet hitting the ground. Besides cushioning your feet, the technology does not slow you down when you walk or run. It would be uncomfortable if the fibers remained compressed since your sole would be very low. Therefore, it would take a lot of effort for the person to raise their foot back to their normal position. With this technology, your feet remain within a standard height.
Two TPU (Thermal Plastic Unit) Fingers
The feature that stands out on these sneakers is the TPU fingers on the lateral and medial sides of the forefoot. Instead of the normal strap on most sneakers, you have the TPU fingers in their place. The TPU fingers pay homage to a punishment Irvin’s dad would give him. Whenever Irvin went too far, his father would make him do the “two fingers of death.” In this punishment, he would lean against a wall while balancing only on his two fingers. However, some basketballers do the “two fingers of death” to strengthen their hands. Strong hands mean that a basketballer will have a firm grip on the ball without dropping it. Despite replacing the straps, the TPU fingers still function like straps. They secure your feet in the shoe by preventing them from slipping around. Without the TPU fingers, the sneakers would come off.
Traction Pattern
When you observe these sneakers’ outsoles, you will observe a unique traction pattern. The pattern is such that the treads cover the entire outsole rather than parts of the outsole. As a result, the pattern provides traction for your entire feet rather than part of your feet like most shoes. Its traction pattern prevents you from slipping, especially during a basketball game. Most basketball stadiums are polished for aesthetics, yet the polish makes them slippery. To reduce the chances of slipping, the treads throughout the outsole prevent you from sliding by increasing the friction between the sneaker and the floor.
True-to-Size Fit
A common problem when buying sneakers is buying the wrong fit. It could happen despite correctly identifying the correct shoe size. Shoe sizing is inaccurate mainly because it only focuses on the length of the foot. Some of the factors it ignores are weight, genetics, age, and foot conditions. So, how does Nike ensure these sneakers fit you? Nike has a true-to-size chart for the US, UK, EU/FR, and CM/JP sizes. It may seem unnecessary to consider all other different size measurements until you remember that some people use the shoe size metric they are familiar with. Also, the United States is a melting pot of cultures because of immigrants moving there. Therefore, some of them may not be familiar with the US way. To create these true-to-size sneakers, Nike gathered data from several shoe companies. From the data, they were able to compile the chart that they then refer to when a client orders them. So if you want to get the right size from Nike, you need to be familiar with their chart. Also, if you habitually wear Nike shoes, you will be able to get the correct shoe size. For instance, a size 7 from Nike may differ from a size 7 from another shoe company.
Conclusion
If you are active in games, then you will find these sneakers an excellent fit for you. For instance, you will sweat less on the feet and suffer fewer injuries. Most athletes wear these sneakers, but you could still wear them in casual settings. Due to their multi-color pattern, you can match them with outfits of varying colors. For instance, the colors in the sneakers are orange, black, green, and yellow. Therefore, you can wear clothing of either of the four colors identified to match these sneakers. So, if you like to play games and attend social gatherings, why not kill two birds with these sneakers?
