IN FOCUS: LEO CHANG

Has it been two weeks since Kevin Durant was in town for his Manila tour? It was definitely great seeing KD in Manila but what was an even bigger draw for us (sorry, Kevin) was the opportunity to sit down with the designer of KD’s signature line, Leo Chang.

I met Chang a couple of years ago when Nike flew us in for the launch of the KD 7. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is his design philosophy and how he approaches every project as a problem solver. For Chang, his journey was all about being at the right place at the right time, coupled with a lot of hard work. Having worked at Nike Running for a couple of years, Chang grabbed the opportunity to  join Nike Basketball and work with Kevin Durant when it presented itself.

When he began working on the KD 1, he and Kevin started things off with a blank slate. Sure, he read about Durant, his interests, and was able to validate everything by being around him. Over time, he accumulated experiences, knowledge and information about Kevin. He was able to anticipate what Kevin wants and what he needed to address for his signature line.

With the KD 11, Chang decided to switch things up as the previous signatures shoes were “too close” in terms of style and design. Starting off with the platform, Chang maintained certain things that KD loves (full-length Zoom Air), but also combined it with something new, such as the Nike React foam. The foam has been great with running, but for it to work for basketball, it had to be contained in a cup sole for better stability. For the shoe’s upper, they wanted to give Kevin a Flyknit with a broken-in feel, so that he feels comfortable with what he’s wearing. The “plush knit” provides a lot of cushioning and stretch that helps the shoe move with the foot. With these developments, KD now feels that he’s ready to go, whether he’s wearing a new pair or one that he’s been training in for weeks.

When asked about what to expect with the KD 12, all he can say was that they’re switching it up again. He’s pretty excited about it and should be “pretty groundbreaking” when it comes out next summer.

From being inspired by his travels or finding ways to solve problems, Leo Chang is always focused on pushing something better than what’s currently out there. We look forward to seeing more of what Leo Chang’s got in store for us with Nike Basketball and the Kevin Durant line.