The Nike KD 18 Slides An Icy "Soft Pearl" (2025)

Kevin Durant’s future is trending more and more away from Phoenix, Arizona, but his legacy as an all-time great is well-secured regardless of what jersey he wears next. That goes for his Nike catalog as well, becoming more backwards-facing as time goes on through both retro efforts for past hits like the KD 4 and a continuing trend of using archive Nike models as inspiration.

The Nike KD 18 checks off sparkling aesthetics with its latest “Soft Pearl” edition, its mesh foundation while painting st5eely and metallic grey shades across the branching overlays and Terra Humara mid-foot cage. It certainly makes for a sleek overall look, subtly shining with just a sprinkling of reflective flair in the shoe’s trim, but the bigger pieces of note for our purposes come in the closing details. For one, Durant’s “Easy Money Sniper” appears inside either tongue, a touch we haven’t spotted on any of the silo’s previous looks. Additionally, the heartbeat graphic first spotted on the KD 18 “Liquid Lime” appears again on the insole, almost resembling mountain peaks in this palette swapped version.

If there’s a sturdier narrative on display with the KD 18 “Soft Pearl,” we’ll likely find out as the release comes closer — retailers already have this pair queued up for May 1st, retailing at $160. Even without any additional storytelling, this pair is easily among the most impressive to date for Durant’s latest. Get a closer look via the official Nike shots included below and watch our Sneaker Release Dates page for more info as it comes.

Matt Varga is an Editor at SneakerNews. Initially earning a degree in Video Arts and Technology, he got his start in video editing and writing in the music world — primarily on hip-hop and electronic. A long-standing interest in sneakers led him to switching over to footwear. An avid collector, his favorite sneaker of all time comes down to either the Air Jordan 1 “Black Toe” and Air Jordan 5 “Laney,” his first ever pick-ups. When he’s not writing, you can find Matt cooking, traveling, attending concerts and when weather permits, on the handball court.

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