words // Nick DePaula:
For the fourth year in a row, Nike Basketball is releasing an “Elite Series” at the start of the NBA Playoffs, offering up on-paper performance upgrades and of course, the related upgraded pricing that comes along with it.
Pricing that is once again reaching new tiers of astronomical.
On the low end, the KD 7 (which Kevin Durant has worn for one regular season game…) features a more streamlined upper, padded tongue and ventilated molded collar. Those updates will hit you for an extra $50, jumping the shoe from $150 to $200 at retail for the Elite model.
The Kobe X, to this point only released as a fuse-based low top, will be debuting as a Flyknit-equipped High for the same $225 price of last year’s Kobe 9 Elite.
And lastly, the LeBron 12 Elite, featuring all kinds of TPU molding, but largely collar and upper construction, along with an identical platform, jumps up $75 to a mind-blowing $275 retail price.
Let us know what you think of the pricing for each model in the comments section below, and if you’ll be planning to pick up any of the pairs.
Nike KD 7 Elite “Ignite” // Blue Graphite/Bright Citrus-Dove Grey-Volt
Retail Price: $200
Nike Kobe 10 Elite “Ignite” // Ink/Persian Violet-Volt-Reflect Silver
Retail Price: $225
Nike LeBron 12 Elite “Ignite” // University Red/Bright Citrus-Bright Crimson-White
Retail Price: $275
