Nike KD Trey 5 X Performance Review

The Nike KD Trey 5 X is a solid budget offering from Nike. It’s this year’s takedown model of Kevin Durant’s signature line, which has brought us some of the best signature shoes in recent years. This model clearly takes some design inspiration from the last year’s Nike KD 14. Tech-wise, the shoe feels like someone gave the development team their spare change and told them to get as close to the KD 14 as possible.

But even so, I think they did a decent job and as much as they could while keeping the shoe under $100. This shoe was good enough to make our Best Budget Basketball Shoes, Best for Outdoors, and Best High Tops. Now, let’s dive into the performance features and break everything down.

Traction

The traction on the KD Trey 5 X is solid. The sole features a heat map-style traction pattern that offers multidirectional coverage. So whether you are moving side to side on defense or making a hard cut, these guys won’t leave you hanging.

The rubber compound is not the hardest rubber I’ve ever played in but it also isn’t the softest. Plus, the grooves are pretty deep. So, if you’re planning on playing outdoors with these, I’d say they’re a good option, especially considering the price tag.

Indoors, the traction also did its job well, but the grooves are close together in certain portions of the shoe (ie the forefoot) so I did have to stop and wipe down a couple of times.

Cushion

The cushion on the KD Trey 5 X is the shoe’s best feature, and wouldn’t be out of place on a more premium shoe. In fact, the technology used is pretty similar to the Nike Kyrie Low 5: a rectangular Zoom Air unit in the forefoot and a full-length foam midsole (in this case Renew). The shoes don’t feel anything alike, but the Kyrie Low 5 goes for $15 more.

You get a good amount of impact protection without feeling like you’re sinking into the shoe, or that the shoe won’t react at the speed you want it to. Plus, you can definitely feel the Air Zoom unit in the forefoot, which adds some bounce to your step.

I keep thinking of these as outdoor shoes, maybe because I associate budget shoes with outdoor use. But this setup makes the KD Trey 5 X a great outdoor option, and they’re equally serviceable indoors.

Materials

The materials are the weakest point of this shoe by far. It’s a shame because if the materials on the KD Trey 5 X had been even remotely like the ones on the Kyrie Low 5, I think these would have had a chance to make it onto our best basketball shoe list for the year.

Materials really can elevate a shoe from being mediocre or good to being great. Materials don’t only contribute to the aesthetics of a shoe, they affect fit, lockdown, support, and just the general feeling that a shoe is cheap and not a budget model. Those are two different things.

Unfortunately, the materials on the KD Trey 5 X feel cheap. Not only that, they’re a detriment to the shoe’s containment and all-around fit. When you have shoes like the Puma Court Rider 2 or the Jordan Zoom Separate out there in the same price range with, not necessarily more expensive materials, just better ones, it’s a bit of a bummer.

Fit

The shoe fits ok. The materials (mentioned above) don’t help. The materials are soft and forgiving, but a little bit too much. The one saving grace is that the forefoot strap is functional and does help enhance the fit and the shoe’s overall containment.

This being said, wide-footers might find the soft, malleable materials more accommodating than those in other shoes.

Support

The support is a little hit or miss. You have a relatively wide base that helps with stability, a decent heel counter, two rubber pieces on either side of your heel for added support, and the forefoot strap does help lock down your foot.

On the other hand, there is no torsional plate, so the shoe does bend easily and, once again, the materials do very little to keep your foot securely on the footbed.

I didn’t run into any serious issues with the support while playing, but I can see scenarios where the support of the KD Trey 5 X could fail.

Overall

Overall, I did enjoy playing in the KD Trey 5 X and I do think that it has some really nice performance features. It’s a shame that they didn’t put a little more money into these shoes, because there’s potential for them to be a great performance model.

I think they can be a reliable first option on the court if you’re restricted to a budget. As a secondary pair for practices or as an outdoor option I think these are a no-brainer for most players. If you prefer cushioning on the more reactive side, or you think support might be an issue for you, then you should probably look elsewhere.

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