Nike Giannis Immortality Performance Review

After releasing his third signature pair with Nike, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo recently rolled out the Nike Giannis Immortality, his first ever budget sneaker with the famous brand.

Upon its first appearance, the Giannis Immortality immediately received positive feedback from the sneaker community. From an aesthetic standpoint, some even claimed that this budget sneaker is way better than the latest pair from the main signature line, the Zoom Freak 3.

However, the comparison did not age well for the lebron 19 . It is because when the Giannis Immortality was released in July, many ballers even pondered that the budget pair is also better than the main signature shoe performance-wise.

But before you get too hyped over the claim that the Giannis Immortality is better than the Freak 3, keep in mind that this is a budget pair and it only costs US$80. Of course, Nike made a lot of cutbacks with the pair, so don’t jump the gun just yet.

However, it doesn’t mean that the pair won’t work, either. Besides there are a lot of bright spots Giannis Immortality could offer.

So is it a fact or a myth? Is Giannis Immortality really better than Freak 3 in both major categories?

To enlighten your perplexed minds — and feet — Dribble Media is here to provide an in-depth performance review of the Giannis Immortality.

MATERIALS

The Giannis Immortality is infused with cheap textile materials on the uppers, which feel very minimal thanks to its thinness and softness. The textile uppers are surprisingly excellent in conforming to the users’ feet and are very comfortable for its price.

Also, there is a good amount of airflow and breathability, so ventilation won’t be much of a dilemma. In addition, its forefoot has a minimal amount of fuse materials for reinforcement and protection.

Speaking of protection, the heel portion is infused with micro-molded mesh for added stability, comfort, and lockdown.

However, the uppers have a major downside. Since they are made from basic and weak materials, the durability is questionable. The uppers may be excellent aesthetically and there are also some bright spots performance-wise, but in the long run, the materials won’t be able to take on heavier loads.

There is one word to describe the traction performance of the Giannis Immortality: beast. For a US$80 pair, the shoe is an absolute beast on the court and could be considered a top-tier sneaker.

The outsole is very aggressive and there are almost no delays when stepping on the gas or shifting directions. It is made with either solid rubber or translucent outsole depending on the colorway. Even though Nike has been a bit inconsistent when implementing solid rubber or translucent outsoles performance-wise, this pair somehow made it work.

On top of that, the outsole’s best attribute is the pattern. It is infused with a full-length herringbone traction pattern. Again, the herringbone is a tremendous on-court performer and is arguably the best traction pattern, as it is famous for its aggressive grip and omnidirectional bite, so pairs rarely go wrong with this traction pattern.

Also, the compound used in the sneaker’s outsole is thick and firm, so the durability won’t be much of an issue whether being played indoors or on blacktops.

Therefore, there is no room for debate that the aggressive traction of the Giannis Immortality is its best attribute.

CUSHION AND SUPPORT

Let’s first go with a bit of a reality check here. Since the Giannis Immortality is a budget pair with a US$80 price tag, there is no way that Nike would implement heavy-duty and cutting-edge technologies in the entirety of the pair. So somewhere along the shoe, there will be cutbacks and loopholes. In this case, the Giannis Immortality has a hollowed cushion technology.

That’s hollowed, not lackluster, because the pair literally does not have any cushion technology infused in it — not even a small amount of Zoom unit. Therefore, it did not receive the name Zoom Giannis Immortality, unlike the “Zoom” Freak 3. But despite the absence of cushion technology, Giannis Immortality still has enough compression that fully comes from the full-length phylon midsole.

Also, Nike filled that gap by implementing cored holes, which you can see at the pair’s outsoles — a concept similar to the Nike KD12. The cored holes allow the foam to compress inside the mold, so when the user presses onto the shoe with all the body weight, the hollow pillars will move inward then expand outwards. That would give a sensation of compression even though there is no cushion technology.

In addition, there are two breaks as seen on the outsole. One break is for flexibility that reinforces the traction when running or shifting, while the other is for additional responsiveness wherein the foam will move inwards between the rubbers, resulting in more compression.

Though very minimal, the pair can really serve some responsiveness and is very lightweight, too. The pair also provides excellent court feel, given that it is not bombarded with technologies and foams.

Giannis Immortality’s heel-to-toe transition is also smooth. It has good curves on the heel and forefoot, which reminds us of the Nike Kyrie 8. However, its maximum heel to toe transition relies on its forefoot flex since it has very thin and soft upper materials.

As far as the support goes, there is a minimal amount of padding and mesh on the tongue, while the ankle portion is not really bombarded with foams so there is not much tightness on that portion. Nonetheless, the ankle lockdown is still good.

In addition, there is a double-layered midfoot band beneath the medial Swoosh for added support and lockdown.

For stability, there is not much slide in the footbed except for lateral movements. Since there is no lateral counter and the upper material is very thin, not to mention that the pair’s forefoot is steep, users could experience a bit of instability during lateral movements.

But to make things worse, the major downside of the lack of cushion technology of the pair is the absence of torsional support. It is very evident when the pair is bent to its limit. Hoopers will notice that the Giannis Immortality can actually be bent up to its medial portion where the torsional support must be present. This somehow reminds us of the Nike Roshe Run.

Due to this, some players, especially those who have arch issues, might experience pain on their arch. Though the pain they might encounter may not be very severe, it could still be bothersome. Nonetheless, this issue could not be considered as a deal breaker for the pair.

As far as sizing goes, the pair goes true to size. However, the forefoot area is snug. But if you are considering going down half a size, think twice.

The pair’s sizing is a bit tricky. Depending on your feet structure, going down half a size could make the fit shorter. So it would be best to personally try a pair before purchasing.

Nonetheless, the forefoot will still stretch after a few break-ins.

OVERALL RATING

The Giannis Immortality is definitely a bang for the buck, considering its excellent aesthetics, cool colorways, top-tier traction, and not-so-bad cushion. Remember that ballers could enjoy all these attributes by only paying US$80, which is absolutely a steal.

However, players just have to be wary about the pair’s compatibility. Based on the pair’s materials and performance, it would be more appropriate for players with straightforward play style.

Players who are very shifty or heavy could have a hard time using the pair due to its lackluster lateral stability and support. Also, the absence of a cushion technology and implementation of cheap uppers could be an issue for heavier players in the long run.

Now, how do we settle the argument if the Giannis Immortality is really better than the Freak 3? Since ballers have different preferences and point-of-views, opinions would still vary.

The Giannis Immortality might have some aspects which are better than the main signature shoe such as the aesthetics and traction. However, longevity and overall effectiveness would always be the deal breaker.

Keeping the price comparison aside, we cannot discredit the fact that the Freak 3 has real cutting-edge technologies and better materials, while the Giannis Immortality has no cushion technology, which might backfire on full-time ballers.

Nonetheless, the Giannis Immortality will be highly-sought after and shall definitely make its case for the best budget sneaker of 2021.

The Nike Giannis Immortality nets an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5. 

Despite being a top performer, the absence of a cushion technology could be bothersome for many players, especially to those who have feet issues.

Nike Zoom Kobe IV Performance Review

All hail the Godfather

Before the Kobe IV, lows were afterthoughts for shoe companies as they would produce them after the mid releases and watch them hit the clearance bins. Now everyone clamors for the lows thanks to the innovation Nike, Kobe, and Eric Avar created in the kitchen. Although it has its flaws, the Kobe VI still outperforms most of the newer shoes despite being  seven years old. Hell, it’s still in my top five rotation today.

TRACTION

Full length multi directional herringbone gives the Kobe IV ridiculous traction. I wish they kept this pattern on the V and VI. Worked amazing back then and still sticks like glue. I’d take this traction over almost every shoe out there. No floor was too dirty for the Kobe IV.

CUSHIONING

Zoom in the heel and Lunarfoam in the forefoot. Sound familiar ? The Kobe X basically has the same set up with caged Zoom in the heel and Lunarlon in the forefoot. Zoom in the heel is perfect, stable yet bouncy. Lunarfoam, the first iteration of Lunarlon, worked ok for me but lost its bounce and bottomed outextremely quickly. However, after all these years I have gotten used to the feel and don’t really mind it anymore since the shoe excels at so many other things.

FIT

The Kobe IV was the first Kobe that I went up to an 11 in. Prior to that all my Kobes were a 10.5. These ran shorter and much narrower than the previous Kobes and really set to Nike’s new sizing since nearly  every shoe I’ve bought since the Dunk High has been an 11.

Flywire was in its infancy and wasn’t even detached from the shoe and shows up as raised lines on the upper. I mean, it really did nothing but Nike needed some kind of tech to hype right ? The upper where the Flywire was really had a plasticky feel. No additional support was provided by the raised lines known as Flywire.

Thankfully the shoe still fits like a glove thanks to a plush heel collar that all shoe companies should copy. Almost the exact same heel collar as the Kobe X. Zero heel slip, no side to side movement even on the hardest cuts.

SUPPORT and STABILITY

Support comes from a perfect fit and the Y bar to help keep the ankle from leaning on hard movements.  It works wonderfully as I can honestly say I have never turned my ankle in these in  7 years.

The Kobe IV also has an outrigger at the forefoot that really kept the forefoot stable and safe

CONTAINMENT

Woven uppers and the minimalist movement hadn’t started yet so the upper features a mix of Flywire/fuse and synthetic leather that helped provide excellent containment. None of this mesh stuff that my foot could bust through.

I know I used this pic already
Containment is further enhanced since the footbed is sits below that line you see along the forefoot.

Conclusion 

Aside from the crappy short lived Lunarfoam, the Kobe IV really was and still is a perfect shoe . Excellent traction, fit, support and stability as well as containment all in a low top form factor. It really is no wonder everyone else followed suit after the success of the IV. It took a lot of balls on Nike Kyrie 8 behalf to put a low top on Kobe but thanks to some serious innovation, they set a whole new precedent.

Jordan Jumpman Hustle Performance Review

Let’s warm-up with the freshest Jordan brand’s take on team performance, before having a go at the big daddy – Air Jordan 33. Get ready for the Jordan Jumpman Hustle performance review…

WEIGHT: 335.5 g. / 11.83 oz

TECH: ZOOM AIR

TYPE: LOW-TOP

COLORWAYS: 2+

FIT: TRUE TO SIZE

RETAIL PRICE: $110

BD RATING: 8.2/10

BEST PLACE TO BUY: FINISH LINE 

PERFORMANCE

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MATERIALS

So the Jordan brand bringing back that shroud trend alive with the Why Not Zero.1 has built up a ramp for even more back-to-90s vibe by recapturing that zippered shroud upper with the two-type leather combination on the Jumpman Hustle.

Talking about that two-way leather combo, the toe cap section is rocking that extra shiny patent leather taken straight out of the AJ 11. Meanwhile, the shroud itself is made out of paper-thin synthetic leather which adds an enormous amount of containment & volume for the upper without really making the shoe play heavy/bulky due to its thin nature. And it’s definitely something that lets our eyes take a break from consistently looking at those knitted uppers. Love it.

Now the back area, including the ankle section, and everything else that is hiding underneath the shroud creates a one-piece mesh booty. Worth mentioning – I didn’t receive any fit related issues unlike experiencing some light bubble effect type of scenario in the toe area of the HP X & air max 2021. I’m willing to think that it’s mainly because of the shroud sort of containing everything together in one place. Or it’s just every single piece of the upper contributing & performing as a whole package. Either way – I’m really impressed.

CUSHION

If comparing the Jumpman Hustle with one of its rivals – the Hyperdunk X – that $30 dollar decrease in price leaves us with only one Zoom Air unit located in the forefoot – the rest of the midsole being pure Phylon.

Obviously, with the heel Zoom Air pillow gone, the back loses some of the fun if high-grade of bounciness is what you’re going for. Personally, phylon alone was not enough for me to really enjoy the heel unit as much as I would want to. It definitely wasn’t “dead” by any means. You’re still getting a decent amount of impact protection. But the problem for me was that it did feel some type of way constrained, I’m assuming, that has to do with the phylon compound being too firm – even for my size & weight. Man… That heel Zoom Air pillow would have changed everything.

TRACTION

I feel like for brands it’s so much easier to manufacture a team model, instead of a signature one just because you’re not forced to push the envelope as hard as possible by inventing top-of-the-line technologies and so on. You just pick what’s available & what is proved to work and whoa la – all of the sudden you got yourself a beastly performing sneaker. And the Jordan Jumpman Hustle is the newest proof of that.

So the bottoms are housing, no doubt about it, the best traction pattern since first it came out – herringbone. I think there’s no need to add more. Well, maybe that this stuff is a true dust assassin & the king when it comes to producing beastly bite with whatever surface you’re playing on. The spacing is rather narrow, not going to lie, but that doesn’t make any difference as far as performance goes whatsoever. Those outsoles don’t give a damn. You know your bottoms are so damn good – that the only reason you’re wiping them is to protect that icy look from turning piss yellow.

Also, street ballers should be celebrating since the rubber compound seems to be outdoor friendly – not the most durable – but you should be okay.

FIT

That zippered shroud and one-piece booty combo don’t sound like an easy access for any type of foot. WRONG. The tongue section actually has those rubber panels on the lateral sides for an easy access. No sweating your ass off while trying to stick your foot. They got you, bro.

So what’s going on under that shroud? Well – nothing unusual. Just your standard loop style lacing system. Which has been working flawlessly since I remember it – tight lockdown, your heel is pushed in its ideal spot, no some type of sliding – you get the point.

Now when it comes to actual sizing. These do fit a tad bit narrow but not as narrow enough for regular footers to go up in sizing – true to size is what I recommend. For wide footers, on the other hand, might want to go half a size up. Either way – you ain’t zipping that zipper on. Talking about the zipper, I loved how it tightens up the whole front construction of the shoe, creating that awesome custom fit.

SUPPORT

Can’t say a single bad word against the upper – that area did it thing flawlessly. Strong foot containment in all areas possible, especially on the lateral side. And all of that does come without costing any issues with the comfort whatsoever. I still was having that almost flyknit-like second-skin fit, as flexibility wasn’t intact as well.

Can’t say the same about the midsole. First of all, I’m definitely not a super explosive/shifty player. That being the case, I didn’t experience my foot busting off the footbed when performing mad stuff. Yet, that pretty marrow platform that you have under your foot & not having an outrigger to compensate all of that or at least some of it – explosive players should definitely put that into consideration. Everything else was on point tho.

OVERALL

I would gladly pay those extra $20-30 in exchange for that juicy fat Zoom Air unit in the heel. It makes me so freaking mad when something is so close to taking that big W but comes short in such a frustrating fashion. Just noticed – I accidentally described last night’s the Lakers vs the Spurs game. LOL

Anyway, the Jordan Jumpman Hustle should have been in this year’s TOP 5 list of best performers, yet, was hit by LeBron’s brick free throws, basically. Keeping it serious – they’re still awesome/fun/solid performers. It was some much fun to play in them – definitely going back to them once I have some free time from testing shoes. And if you’re one of those ballers who doesn’t use their heels so often & doesn’t mind having firmer cushioning – this might be your best investment this season.

Risewear Halo 720 Performance Review

Executive Summary: I know 99.99999999999% of people will brush these off but if you’re looking for a bang for your buck shoe that does it all or just an outdoor shoe to beat up, these are it.

Risewear ? More like Surprisewear! 

I don’t know much about Risewear or it’s backstory but I’ve always been curious how a discount brand performs on court. I could have bought some Shaq’s but to tell you the truth, the design and look of the Halo 720 looks better than Shaq’s and a lot of the whack jobs out there today.  It seems Risewear pulled a play from the Hyundai or Kia playbook and made an nice looking for less than the big boys. I find these very Air Jordan 1 and  Hyperdunk looking for the crazy low price of $29.99 available at Kmart using coupon code SHOE10. I even got 4% back on befrugal. (Just looked today, they are $34.99-29.99 without coupon)

The Halo 720 is named after The Air Up There’s 720.

I can’t do that on a 7 foot goal without a ball . Lol

Ah the word Kmart. I remember back in the day Kmart was a demeaning word.
“Oooh your mommy buy those at Kmart? ”

“Is that a Blue light Special?”

I have no idea if Kmart is still looked at in that light anymore nor do I care because I’m a mature man now.  Sadly there are no more Kmart stores around Texas as Walmart and the internet basically killed off everyone.

But I digress and I applaud Risewear for making a good looking inexpensive shoe. I also applaud Shaq for bringing a huge superstar name at an affordable price to an “uncool” segment of the footwear industry.

Pros: good indoor traction, great outdoor traction, outsole durability, fit, materials, decent cushioning, support and stability, containment, price

Cons: traction needs some break in time indoors, needs a lot of wiping on dusty floors, no half sizes past size 11, deadspace on top of forefoot, could use more midfoot support

Sizing: runs short about 1/4 size

Best for: guards

Buying advice: I don’t think they get much cheaper than $29.99.  Retail: $44.99 and $39.99 mid and low respectively

Weight

Surprised it was only half an ounce difference between the low and mid. Usually it’s about an ounce.

Traction:

I get asked all the time about a good outdoor shoe and this pattern and compound will be durable outside. Look how deep the herringbone runs. It says “non marking” which is usually something you see only on outdoor shoes.  Would make sense the old And1 guys are called STREETballers eh?

Indoor performance was great on clean floors (what isn’t ?) Dirty floors do require a lot of wiping which is expected since the rubber isn’t ultra soft; that’s the trade off you pay for durability.

I would have preferred plain full length herringbone but the idea to make lateral side like the did was to help with side to side movements and stops. In theory it’s a nice idea but but those flat spots caused some sliding on dusty floors indoors.

Not the best traction ever but a great pattern for outdoors they will last. Indoor performance is similar to the Lebron Solider 10 to give perspective.

Cushioning

There isn’t much on the Risewear or Kmart website so I’m guessing it is just EVA or something similar but it feels pretty good overall all. It actually has a nice bounce to it although you won’t mistaken it for Boost, Bounce, Micro G or Zoom.  Feels similar to Nike Phylon. I like it better than the Bounse on the Wade 4. By the way, I can six of these for the price of one Wade 4. 

It is low profile so you feel close to the floor and I didn’t have any bottoming out. If this is just EVA or Phylon, I don’t expect it to last long because once that foam compresses it pretty much stays that way.

Risewear also took a play out of the Adidas playbook and gave us a thin insole.. or maybe it was the other way around ? Time to play insole swap.

Overall, I expected the cushioning to be below average since the shoe retails for so little and there probably isn’t a bunch of RnD or proprietary foam. So it was nice to be surprised that it actually felt better than average. No knee pain or other aches after 90 minutes pickup sessions so I’m more than pleased.

Fit
I went true to size with my size 11 and I feel it runs about a 1/4 size short. However there aren’t half sizes above 11 so I made due. No issues with width for my wide feet.

Why are there no half sizes above 11?

My guess is that half sizes above 11 don’t sell well and that’s a money saver to cut out unpopular sizes.

Regardless of length, the Halo fit me perfectly width wise and I had no movement side to side and my ankle was locked in from the get go. There is some dead space in the toe box but it sits on top of the foot which is perfectly fine.  No frills, no gimmicks. Heck they only have two colorways instead of thirty and that helps keep costs down for everyone.

I took both the mid and the low out for a spin and surprisingly, I had no heel slip in either. 

The mid does an excellent job sucking the heel and ankle back with the use of the synthetic straps around the ankle.

The low does a great job holding the heel down due to the overall design that grab the Achilles like fingers.

No need to poke holes anywhere right YEEZY 350 ?

Also the low has a midfoot strap that actually works and puts extra lockdown at the midfoot.

I really think they need to cut the strap 3/4 of an inch or add more Velcro though because that overhang starts flipping upward and gives it a worn out cheap look.

Overall, the fit is great even with a little deadspace in the toe box. I feel the mid gives a better one to one fit due to the ankle collar though.

Well done Risewear!

Materials 
Before I picked up my pair at Sears ..yes Sears still exists..I thought that the materials and build quality would be total garbage but I was wrong. No crispy cracker Kyrie 1 fuse but instead it’s a softer fuse similar to what you’d find in an older Hyperdunk or midlevel Nike.

No hotspots and very little break in time needed to eliminate the bit of stiffness there is in the upper.

The rear lateral and almost the entire medial side even features a nice synthetic leather.

I thought it was leather until I smelled it. I think the synthetic leather on the lateral side would have made more sense but oh well.

Even the tongue is decently padded and features a nice synthetic leather

Overall great materials which you’d expect to find on much higher priced shoes.

Support and Stability 

The support comes mainly from the fit and the heel counter which is surprisingly stiff.

It is stiffer than what you’ll find on the Curry 2, KD 14, Hyperrev 2016 and does a nice job holding the heel and Achilles in place.

It also has a small plastic midfoot shank . I really couldn’t tell it was there but I can see it. The Halo is already low to the ground but is also stable at the heel and passes my heel test easily. I had no qualms or worries playing in these.

I should also note that the shoe is very flexible in the forefoot due to two deep flex grooves. No break in time required to get a natural feel.

Well done Risewear!

Lateral Containment 

No raised midsole or physical barrier to contain the foot had me worried but the extra layer of fuse did a good job holding the foot in place on the footbed on hard cuts. Using stiffer synthetics definitely helps with lateral containment.

Conclusion 
Dear Nike, Adidas, and UA,

Please take a step back (not jumper) and look at what can be achieved with a minimal budget. No outstanding modern tech, no storytelling, no frills or gimmicks. Just a basketball shoe that you can pick up on the cheap, lace up, look good and play well in. There is no shame buying a pair of shoes at Kmart especially when you’re (blue) lighting up your opponents in a shoe that costs a fraction of the big names.

The biggest hurdle for Risewear will be competing against big names at discount stores like Marshall’s and Ross because they are typically priced around $50 and below. Given the choice of similar products, the big names will win every time. However to go out and start at a retail price of $44.99 and bringing the And1 guys on board is fantastic and I wish them best in the future.

Reebok Nano X1: Everything You Need to Know

Ten years ago, Reebok introduced the world to a shoe, that at the time, was a completely new concept for a sneaker, a Crossfit shoe. Crossfit was several years old, but no brands made a shoe specifically for rope climbs, weights, running, box jumps, and everything else your typical WOD includes. To fill that need, Reebok introduced the Nano.

Now, after ten Nano models (click here to read our most recent review, the Air Jordan 1), we get what Reebok is billing as the pinnacle of ten years of research and evolution – the Reebok Nano X1.

Materials

While most cross training or functional fitness sneakers are stiff from the mesh construction (durability and stability are key), the Nano X1 uses a new Flexweave Knit for better flex and comfort while still being tough enough for the gym. However, in a first for Reebok, the Nano X1 will ALSO be available in Flexweave Grit, a tougher, more durable and supportive material for the crazy days or bigger athletes.

Cushion

Under foot, the Nano X1 utilizes what may be my favorite foam (also favorite of fellow testers Drew and Mrs. Wing), Floatride. The last few years, I’ve continually praised Floatride. If you need a comparison, it’s a lighter form of Boost. Last year, Floatride made its training debut in the jordan 1 high. The Floatride midsole might make the Nano X1 Reebok’s best “running” trainer.

Fit

The toebox of the Nano X1 is also reshaped from the bulkier, flat toebox of previous models to a sleeker, formed shape. This is mostly to make the aesthetics cross over from the gym to the street. Honestly, not a bad idea as long as performance doesn’t suffer.

Yes, a review pair is on the way. Stay tuned for a full performance review. It’ll take a lot to knock off the air max 2021 as Reebok’s top cross training shoe, but we’re excited to see if the Reebok Nano X1 is up to the challenge.