Peformance Review: Nike Giannis Freak 7

 

The Giannis Freak 8 has already launched and with that I am sure that the 7s are going to be on sale. With that said, I was able snag a pair of Giannis Freak 7 at Toby's Sports months ago. And after some time to do the performance testing, here is my review of the Nike Freak 7.

The upper is mainly textile with some fuse panels and there is also a foam wrapping the side. It is as though the midsole extends more as it makes its way to the upper. And while it has a function which is to help with stability especially during quick stops and curls, it adds a bit of weight. So having that textile upper somewhat lessens the weight and making it less bulky. The material is okay with a its design being a play on Giannis' logo. What I didn't like was the extra bulging of the material particularly on the toe area when you bend the shoe. So I suggest that you tighten your shoelaces from the throat all the way up to get a more contained fit inside the shoe. But overall, it gets the job done.

Cushlon 3.0 can be seen on the midsole of the Giannis Freak 7. This is also the first time that Nike changed the name of the shoe because of the key component that was removed from this model which was Zoom Air. So it is just Nike Freak 7, and even the current model the Freak 8, it doesn't have Zoom Air as part of its cushioning. With that move, they were able to minimize the pricepoint a bit because it featured less tech basically. For me, it offers great underfoot cushion and impact protection with just enough bounce. Cushlon 3.0 has already been used as foam carriers for various Nike shoes even signature shoes so it is safe to say that it also has its performance benefits and I don't mind that this only have Cushlon 3.0 because it somewhat widens the whole signature line of Nike basketball through different price ranges giving more options to consumers. As I said earlier, the foam extends all the way up to the upper and I think it is also Cushlon 3.0.  

For the rubber ousole, depending on the colorway, it would be solid rubber for the most part (sometimes mixed with translucent rubber outsole. This particular colorway (launch colorway), it is made of pure solid rubber. Underneath has a story-telling traction pattern with Giannis' surname spelled out in a not too noticeable pattern but if you can look closely, you can see it spelled out. For me, the outsole is not too superb but enough to offer good traction. Dust might get caught on the tight spaces so depending on the court condition, wiping could be either kept to a minimum or bothersome. As for the durability of the rubber, this could do well on hardwood and cement courts as long as the court surface is not too rough. If you play outdoors where the court surface is asphalt or a similar surface where it is rough, then the rubber might not last long.

For support, you have Flywire like cables as laces which I am not a fan because as I said earlier, you have to tighten them real good because of the bunching of the upper and the laces might get ripped especially when you yank the laces abruptly. While I think that it ain't that flimsy, I just prefer them to just have a traditional eyelet. The fuse panel goes can also be seen on the lacing area so if the lace holes won't rip because of the TPU material. Also, the foam that extends to the side acts as a cage for lateral movements. The base is wide which would benefit for players who preferred to be stable most of the time. So if you are that player who are ready to square up to your shot or just want to be stable with your moves, then you will enjoy this shoe.

I got this for under retail, less than Php 4,000 if I am not mistaken and during that time, Nike doesn't even announced the Freak 8s yet. It might be because that this is a launch colorway for the Freak 7 and since the 8s are already here, you can also see other colorways especially the latest ones to be in the sale racks as well. If you are in the Philippines, you can check out Toby's Sports which are mostly in malls. So with its performance benefits and of course, its current price, I would say that this is truly a bang for your buck sneaker. I don't think that removing the Zoom Air is a deal breaker. As I said earlier, it could also be good in the long run since Nike can position themselves more better in the sneaker race since they have a signature shoe that isn't too expensive but still offers good tech.