Jordan Luka .77 review

Our lab tests confirmed that the Jordan Luka .77 is a real catch for beginner and recreational players who:

• primarily hoop outdoors and need a highly durable shoe
• have a tight shoe budget and need the best value for money
• prefer court feel and lightness over impact protection
• want great ankle support

Bigs, centers, or players with joint conditions and past injuries who need solid shock absorption to avoid excess stress. The Nike G.T. Cut Academy and the Nike A'Once are both affordable shoes that offer much better cushioning. The latter also feels responsive thanks to its excellent energy return.

And if you don't mind stretching your shoe budget to include more advanced alternatives, Nike and other brands have some solid outdoor offerings.

Even though the Luka .77's product description mentions a dual-density foam, it is the primary Phylon EVA foam that's responsible for the shoe's underfoot experience and impact protection. Phylon takes up the entire length of the shoe's midsole, while the secondary foam forms an external carrier around it.

Measuring the shoe's shock absorption, we got a modest measurement of 69 SA in the forefoot and another below-average 91 SA in the heel. The latter is one of the lowest readings we've recorded among basketball shoes, which means that it can feel a bit jarring on the blacktop. It's not the best option for players with joint issues, but gladly, they have better cushioned alternatives to consider.

Even though we didn't expect much from a budget shoe like the Luka .77, we ought to debunk the claim of a 'snappy Air Zoom cushioning.'

Measuring the shoe's energy return in the forefoot (where Air Zoom is placed), we recorded a pretty low reading of 53.0%. The heel rebound also proved to be below the average at 47.8%. While the shoe is not completely dull, its responsiveness is a far cry from the flagship Luka 4.

But at least it offers good court feel and control in return.

The shoe's below-average stack height is yet another reason not to expect much underfoot buffer from the Jordan Luka .77.

Just like the Luka 4, it sits pretty low to the court with a heel stack of 26.6 mm.

The lower forefoot stack of 20.3 mm is another nod to Luka Doncic's agile playing style, allowing for precise footwork control and proprioception.

The shoe's mild heel-to-toe offset of 6.3 mm also contributes to a planted experience as it doesn't elevate the heel too high off the ground or pitch the foot too far forward.

But it's not too low to put stress on the player's Achilles or calves either.

Even though the shoe's description mentions a 'soft foam over a firmer outer layer,' our own experience and measurements show that the Phylon is the opposite of soft.

Pressing a durometer against it returned a pretty high reading of 31.0 HA, putting the Jordan Luka .77's cushioning into the firm range of basketball shoes.

While its step-in feel isn't exceptionally plush or comfy, the shoe offers a rather stable platform in return.

Having filled the Luka .77's forefoot with custom liquid, we waited until it solidified in the fridge to retrieve a one-to-one gel mold of its interiors. This allowed us to measure the shoe's dimensions precisely with a digital caliper.

The widest part of the mold clocked in at a standard 92.5 mm, proving to be on par with the average and true to the medium-width fit (for a men's US size 9).

Meanwhile, the narrower part of the shoe's toebox turned out to be surprisingly spacious considering how tapered the Luka .77 looks visually.

Measuring its width in the big toe area, our caliper recorded an above-average reading of 73.3 mm. The widest in our roster by far!

But don't worry about having too much wiggle room in the toe area because the vertical space is quite limited here.

The toebox height came in at a very low 20.3 mm, much like in the Luka 4. While this helps the shoe feel and move more in one with the foot, players with toe injuries or deformities can feel constricted.

Although this is an outdoor-oriented model, we tested the Jordan Luka .77's outsole traction on hardwood because that's our standardised testing setup for basketball shoes. But we did perform our wear test on an outdoor court.

The friction that this shoe's outsole generates on hardwood is phenomenal! We recorded a whopping 0.83 coefficient in the forefoot area, which is amazingly sticky for a shoe at this price point.

Quick cuts, hard stops, and Luka's signature stepbacks all feel reliably supported in this Jordan shoe.

The Luka .77's outsole design immediately stands out from the vast majority of indoor basketball shoes.

Its flat, recessed tread pattern, with thick treadlines that don't wrap around the court as much as hardwood-ready lugs, helps the shoe withstand the high-wear friction of blacktop.

Even though both the Luka 4 and the Luka .77 feature stiff TPU IsoPlates, their designs are entirely different.

Where the Luka 4's shank is limited to the exterior, the Luka .77's plate embraces the midfoot from the bottom and also stretches to the forefoot to form a large lateral flange there.

This limits the shoe's forefoot flexibility, and our stiffness test confirms it. The .77 requires more force to bend by 30 degrees (25.9N) compared to an average hoop shoe. This is more than the Luka 4 takes too (17.4N).

We are happy to report that a durable outdoor court basketball shoe does not necessarily have to be heavy, and the Jordan Luka .77 is a shining example of that.

Not only is it on the lighter end of the streetball shoe catalog, but it is also lighter than the basketball shoe average in general!

Jordan promises to 'keep your feet feeling fresh for however long you're on the court' in the Luka .77, and it delivers!

Our smoke-pumping test revealed that the shoe's mesh tongue, toebox perforations, and webbed textile side panels work together to maintain the airflow.

You can see how transparent the shoe's tongue is in our LED test and get a glimpse of its small ventilation windows in midfoot area.

We were also surprised by how effective the shoe's toebox perforations were at dispersing the heat!

We rarely see decent breathability in basketball shoes, and that's particularly important for outdoor court shoes. So the Luka .77's solid breathability score of 3/5 makes it a great option for hooping in summer heat.

The Jordan Luka .77 packs an impressive amount of lateral support and stability for its lightweight setup. And we were glad to find that it does so without adding any unwanted bulk underfoot.

The shoe never let our feet buckle as we carved out space in a stepback or shuffled side-to-side. Small directional bursts and quick recoveries also felt well supported in this budget-friendly shoe.

The Luka .77's IsoPlate, firm Phylon midsole, and an even firmer carrier with raised edges all form a highly rigid build that contains the midfoot on torque-heavy moves.

Not being able to twist this Jordan shoe in our manual test, we readily gave it a maximum torsional rigidity score of 5/5.

Another important stability component is the shoe's sculpted and well-padded heel counter.

Assessing its stiffness with a high score of 4/5, we found that it locks the rearfoot down securely during the most dynamic multi-directional movements.

Flipping the Jordan Luka .77 upside down, we couldn't help but notice its C-shaped design.

This lightly curved platform contributed to the shoe's side-to-side stability without the need for an ultra-wide base. So, even with its below-average forefoot width of 112.3 mm, the shoe still has a pretty large outrigger to lean on.

Measuring the widest area of its heel, we also got a slimmer reading of 83.7 mm. But it's still a few millimeters away from feeling too narrow and tippy.

Of course, durability will be high up your priority list when making a shoe for outdoor courts!

Despite the Luka .77's lower price point, we found that its synthetic leather and high-abrasion mesh are ready for the rigors of asphalt and concrete.

The shoe's toebox material passed our Dremel test with flying colors, earning a high durability score of 4/5. It is sure ready for some foot dragging!

The brand didn't skimp on the quality of the shoe's inner lining either, as the latter stood up against the sandpaper beautifully. Unscathed, it scored the maximum 5/5 score for heel padding durability.

But the outsole durability of this Jordan shoe is clearly the star of the show.

Not letting the Dremel get anywhere deeper than 0.4 mm, the rubber showed some of the best abrasion resistance we ever recorded in a basketball shoe!

Even the fact that its outsole is a smidge thinner than average (at 3.2 mm) didn't make us hesitate for a second that the Jordan Luka .77 has got the durability it takes to 'dominate on rugged outdoor courts.'

With a thickness of 3.9 mm in the heel area, the shoe's insole creates a pleasant buffer between the foot and the shoe's firm Phylon midsole.

You also have the option to take out the shoe's stock insole if you prefer a custom orthotic. But be mindful of the Luka. .77's very low toebox height, as it may not allow for a thicker insert.

Most of the shoe's tongue is lightly padded to keep the ventilation going, but it is double-padded in the topmost area to protect the instep from lace bites.

The latter showed 10.5 mm of thickness on our caliper.

The shoe's collar padding is also sufficiently thick without being overkill.

A fully integrated tongue is always great news, as that means little to no unwanted shifting inside the shoe.

As one of the cheapest Jordan hoop shoes on the market right now, the Luka .77 offers an imposing value for money! Particularly in the durability department, as it is specifically marketed for the blacktop.

The shoe features no finger loops or pull tabs.