Nike Unveils KD8 Elite with Calf-Length Compression Sock

Good news has arrived for all the Kevin Durant fans out there. Nike has prepped a brand-new sneaker for the Oklahoma City Thunder forward to embrace as the 2015-16 NBA season winds down.

The KD8 Elite has been presented as a "high-top" performance shoe. We used quotation marks around "high-top" because this sneaker doesn't resemble your average silhouette.

A calf-length compression sock was added to ensure your ankles are locked in place. This is a drastic shift in direction from the traditional low-top cuts the KD line has been blessed with. Even last year's KD7 Elite gravitated between low and mid.

Credit: Nike

Nike has been a technology savant. A protector of all things ankle. The KD8 Elite falls in line with that way of thinking.

It was armed with a new round of impressive materials to live in peace with the classic Nike Zoom Air cushioning platform.

Credit: Nike

The inclusion of Flywire technology, accompanied by strands of Kevlar aramid fiber, is a big deal. Seeing those kinds of materials used reminds us more of a Kobe Bryant sneaker rather than anything Durant would play in.

Credit: Nike

Sneaker architect Leo Chang decided to go bold with this particular Elite design. He engaged the performance side of Durant's game and brought us a sneaker we can all look forward to, per Nike.com.

"The KD8 Elite is conceptually designed to blur the lines between the shoe, sock and tight, seamlessly transitioning between each so you can't differentiate where one begins and the other ends."

The first drop will be available to consumers April 14, followed by two additional versions hitting retailers May 5 and May 26.

It's exciting to think the KD8 Elite could be Durant's biggest push in terms of advancing the technological side of his personal line. The shoe oozes quality, and that's what we always want when it comes to our kicks.

Credit: Nike

All product and release information via News.Nike.com unless noted otherwise.