Jordan Luka 4 review

We believe that guards, forwards, wings, and perimeter players are likely to enjoy the Jordan Luka 4 if they look for the following shoe features:

• a lightweight hoop shoe with pronounced court feel
• a solid ankle support for forceful and dynamic footwork
• a highly durable outsole with moderate, pivot-friendly grip

If you want a hoop shoe in the same price and weight range as the Luka 4 but with higher energy return, the Nike Sabrina 3 is the way to go.

If it's tackier traction that you're after, try the Jordan Luka .77 or the Nike Book 1 instead. And if you could use better shock absorption and don't mind an extra ounce of weight, the PUMA All Pro Nitro 2 offers excellent impact protection.

Court feel and control are paramount for a shifty guard like Luka Doncic. That's why you won't find a ton of impact protection in the Luka 4 or any other version of the series.

The shoe features a moderate slab of the brand's standard Cushlon 3.0 foam, which makes sense for this price range. Measuring its shock absorption in the heel returned a slightly below-average reading of 99 SA. This is just perfect for a lighter, nimbler player, but likely not for a bigger person or someone with a history of injuries.

A medium-sized Air Zoom unit in the ball-of-the-foot area couldn't raise the shoe's forefoot shock absorption above the average either. Our machine recorded only 68 SA here, reflecting the Luka 4's grounded profile.

Expecting a 'snappy and responsive Air Zoom unit,' as promised in the shoe's product description, we were underwhelmed by the Luka 4's actual energy return measurements.

Buried underneath the Cushlon foam and the plastic IsoPlate, the bottom-loaded Air Zoom unit generated only 57.8% of rebound, falling behind the Nike Sabrina 3 (70.9%) with a similar Cushlon 3.0 + Air Zoom combo. It's not a dead ride by any means, but the responsiveness feels toned down compared to what the description suggests. And there is no significant change over the previous Luka 3.

The heel of this Jordan shoe also showed a merely average energy return of 57.3%. It's not the most propulsive shoe for explosive first steps, jumpers, or drives to the basket, but it surely helps you stay planted and in control of the footwork when applying perimeter pressure.

The Luka 4's moderate shock absorption goes hand in hand with its below-average stack height.

Measuring the shoe's platform thickness at the heel, we got only 26.6 mm (insole and outsole included), which is indeed on the lower end of the basketball shoe spectrum.

The same can be said about this Jordan shoe's forefoot stack, which measured only 19.0 mm. It is one of the lowest hoop shoes in our lab, along with the brand's Zion 4 (18.7 mm) and Tatum 4 (17.0 mm).

This grounded setup perfectly accommodates the precise footwork, pivots, and cuts of a nimble guard.

The heel-to-toe drop of the Luka 4, therefore, comes in at 7.6 mm, falling squarely into the category average.

With a minor heel elevation, this offset provides more rearfoot cushioning, takes pressure off the Achilles, and pitches the foot slightly forward for quicker, easier push-offs.

The EVA-based Cushlon 3.0 in the Jordan Luka 4 is not as plush as Nike's premium ZoomX foam, but its moderate softness certainly contributes to the shoe's pleasant step-in feel without feeling mushy.

To put a number on it, we pressed a durometer against the foam and recorded a fairly average reading of 22.5 HA. Interestingly, it's not as soft as the same Cushlon 3.0 compound we measured in the Tatum 4 (14.4 HA).

Jordan nailed the fit and sizing of this Luka shoe iteration, and we've got a one-to-one gel mold of its interiors to confirm it.

Checking the widest part of the mold with a digital caliper (the ball of the foot area), we got a perfectly medium width of 93.6 mm. This is on point with the regular width of a basketball shoe in a men's US size 9.

The Luka 4's toebox shape didn't leave us any reason to be concerned either.

Even in its narrower area, the shoe's toebox dimensions didn't fall below average, with a solid medium width of 70.6 mm.

However, some players may find the Luka 4's vertical space a bit snug or even restrictive.

Its relatively low toebox height of 20.8 mm can put pressure on those with black toenails, hammertoes, and similar toe conditions.

Luka Doncic's dynamic playing style involves sudden directional bursts and manipulative steps, calling for a strong yet pivot-friendly grip, such as we experienced in the Jordan Luka 4.

Measuring the friction its outsole generates on a slab of polished hardwood, we recorded a moderate coefficient of 0.64. Although it is lower than the average, it is high enough to allow most players to enjoy solid traction with a good balance of grip and give.

But if you are in search of the stickiest bite to help you stop on a dime, you may be more pleased by the Jordan Luka .77 and its high friction coefficient of 0.83.

Translucent rubber becomes dominant in the Luka 4's outsole compared to the Luka 3's setup. It features a radial herringbone tread pattern and a wavy flex groove in the forefoot.

A pivot point in the shoe's midfoot is shaped like a compass, nodding to Luka's playing style and personality. Instead of the traditional 'N, E, S, W' letters, it features 'L, U, K, A.'

Its plastic IsoPlate doesn't get in the way of the Luka 4's flexibility as much. Our stiffness test revealed that the shoe required even less force than average (17.4N) to bend by 30 degrees.

Its moderate pliability made this Jordan shoe feel well-rounded, allowing smooth transitions without overflexing or feeling sloppy.

Going back to the Luka 1 roots, the 4th Luka edition sheds some weight, returning to the lightweight range of basketball shoes.

Tipping the scale at 12.9 oz (366g) in a men's US size 9, this Jordan shoe is now about an ounce lighter than the category average. Guards, wings, and lighter players in general will surely appreciate the absence of heft on their feet.

Even though its upper is entirely made of textile, the Luka 4 is not a highly breathable hoop shoe.

Our smoke-pumping test revealed just how limited its upper permeability is, with very few thin billows emerging from the shoe.

Hovering its half-cut upper over the LED light didn't show any additional ventilation channels either.

A closer look at the shoe's upper under our microscope further confirmed how densely woven its fabric is.

All things considered, we couldn't rate the Luka 4's breathability any higher than 2 out of 5. While it's not the toastiest shoe out there, it is prone to building up some heat and sweat.

Promising 'firm support' on paper, we were delighted to find out that the Jordan Luka 4 also provides it on the court.

The shoe delivered solid footing and secure side-to-side containment for jab steps, backdoor cuts, crossovers, stepbacks, among other offense moves Luka Doncic himself relies on.

The only caveat is the Luka 4's pronounced inversion angle, which is particularly evident from the back of the shoe when it's not loaded. While it helps to minimize the chance of the foot and ankle rolling over the lateral side of the shoe, it may not sit well with players who have flat feet, overpronation, or joint concerns.

In contrast to the large TPU sidewalls of its predecessors, the Luka 4 uses a more subtle IsoPlate to provide torsional support. It also goes back to the Flightwire (not to be confused with Flywire) cables throughout the shoe's upper. They may look like cosmetic embroidery, but they play a role in structuring the shoe.

It cooperates with the shoe's raised midsole topline and sculpted upper to provide sufficient rigidity and prevent the shoe from twisting during forceful cuts and direction changes. In our manual test, we readily assigned it the highest score of 5/5.

A stiff and well-padded heel counter also contributes to the Jordan Luka 4's lateral support and stability.

Earning a high stiffness score of 4/5 in our manual test, it minimizes the chance of ankle rolling as you move side-to-side, land from a jumper, or decelerate from a sprint.

Its rigid construction, supportive upper, and grounded platform make the Luka 4 a fairly supportive shoe without relying on wide midsole dimensions.

But we can't describe it as a slim shoe either. In the broadest part of the forefoot, our caliper recorded a slightly below-average reading of 112.4 mm. And that's enough to form some reliable outriggers on the sides of the shoe.

As for the widest area of the heel, it turned out to be on par with the average at 89.8 mm. This is just right for a nimble guard who values maneuverability for fine footwork.

Opting for an all-textile upper, the Luka 4 slightly backpedaled in the durability department.

Testing its wear resistance with a 12-second Dremel test, we found that the shoe's toebox material is slightly more prone to abrasion than that of an average basketball shoe. This lowered our durability score to 3 out of 5 in this area.

But the good news is that the most high-wear zones are covered with thicker textile and denser stitching.

The shoe's smooth inner lining was a pleasant surprise in terms of durability, though. The fabric bravely resisted the abrasion from sandpaper, earning a high score of 4/5.

But it was the shoe's tremendously hard-wearing outsole that impressed us the most! The Jordan Luka 4 is living proof that durability doesn't always correlate with price.

After as much as 18 seconds of drilling, the shoe's rubber remained practically unscathed with a minuscule dent of 0.3 mm! That's some of the best durability we've ever recorded in a basketball shoe!

Thanks to its sturdy rubber blend, the Luka 4 can afford to shave a millimeter or two off the outsole to keep the weight down. Measuring its outsole thickness in the heel area, we got a slightly below-average reading of 3.1 mm.

But do we recommend this Jordan shoe for regular outdoor use? No. While its rubber is indeed tough enough to handle the blacktop, its exposed foam and textile upper are too likely to develop wear and tear quickly, especially when toe drags are involved.

The Luka 4 features a moderately padded insole, showing a caliper reading of 3.9 mm in the heel area. Thick enough to provide comfort yet not too plush to mess with the court feel.

Because it is not glued to the strobel, you can easily take out the shoe's stock insole if you want to use a custom orthotic.

Unlike the shoe's insole, its tongue and collar proved to be luxuriously padded. The thickest area of the tongue, in particular, showed an above-average reading of 13.6 mm. Lace bites are not an issue in this Luka shoe.

Partial gussets at the base of the shoe's tongue help to keep it in place and eliminate shifting.

Like all Nike/Jordan shoes these days, the Luka 4 sustained just a minor $5 increase over the Luka 3. It remains a moderately priced hoop shoe with excellent value for money.

There is no pull tab or finger loop at the back of the shoe, but this colorway features a bear-paw logo that reflects Doncic's love for nature and the outdoors.