The Nike KD 18 ‘Air Bakin’ Is Cookin'

Fresh out the oven in the late 90s, the Nike Air Bakin was cooked up by veteran Swoosh designer Eric Avar, the brains behind other larger-than-life hoops classics from the era like the Air Penny and Air Foamposite (you’ll find a lot of design crossover between these silhouettes, like the herringbone traction).

Primarily designed for the hardwood, the Air Bakin was also manufactured with asphalt in mind, hence the DRC (Durable Rubber Compound) outsole wrapping the sides of the upper and the mesh vents behind the upper slits. Perennially tied to basketball Hall of Famer Tim Hardway (who wore them as his unofficial signature sneaker during the 1997 season), sneakerheads will also remember that the Air Bakin caused some controversy upon its initial release, with the stylised word ‘Air’ on the heel misread by some as the Arabic text for ‘Allah’. The public reaction caused Nike to pull the release before issuing another version with the standard Nike Air logo on the heel.

Nike and Kevin Durant are paying homage to the long legacy of the Air Bakin with the newest Nike KD 18 colourway, sizzling the uppers in crimson red, black and yellow. Composed in breathable mesh and classic wavy uppers, there’s also a few extra tidbits for KD fans, including including ‘EA$Y’ printed on the inside of the tongues – a callout to his moniker, @easymoneysniper.

The Nike KD 18 is inspired by the classic Air Terra Humara, a 1990s outdoor shoe designed by Peter Fogg. Featuring Air Zoom technology, Cushlon foam and Air tech, the KD 18 launched as part of the Black Label collection in February.