Nike Giannis Freak 7 review

With Nike's strategy shift for the Giannis Freak series, the new shoe's target audience will also change. The Freak 7 now caters to:

• beginner and occasional players who want an affordable hoop shoe that offers great value for money
• forwards, big, centers, and power players in general who need good cushioning, stability, and a sturdy, planted base

Guards and wings with nimble, crafty footwork who expect lightness, flexibility, and high energy return underfoot are likely to be disappointed with this Nike shoe.

These folks should consider the Nike Sabrina 3 or Jordan Luka 4 instead.

As the signature Freak line moved toward the budget-friendly segment, the 7th iteration lost the forefoot Air Zoom unit in favor of a full-length Cushlon 3.0 foam.

While it may seem like a significant downgrade, our lab tests showed no loss of shock absorption! The Freak 7 still hit solid measurements in both the heel (101 SA) and the forefoot (71 SA), proving to be in par with the category average.

That way, the shoe still provides sufficient impact protection to keep larger players comfortable.

We were equally pleased to see that the Freak 7's energy return was not affected by the absence of an air unit!

Its responsive Cushlon foam showed a 58.8% rebound in the forefoot, which is precisely the same as the Freak 6's Air-Zoom-powered ride. A stiff top-loaded midfoot shank also plays its part in the energy return by equalizing the pressure from the footstrike for maximum bounce. Meanwhile, we also saw a 5% improvement in the Freak 7's heel responsiveness (56.1%)!

But at the same time, we should also emphasize that this Nike shoe's energy return is merely on par with the average. It's not a propulsive shoe by any means.

The platform thickness of this Nike shoe is standard, showing a moderate heel stack of 27.2 mm on our caliper.

Its forefoot stack is also within the average range, with a caliper reading of 21.9 mm. The court feel is not particularly pronounced in this Giannis shoe.

This Nike shoe offers a rather planted underfoot experience thanks to its below-average heel-to-toe drop of 5.3 mm.

This means the player's heel is more level with the toes, resulting in a more even, centered pressure distribution that is excellent for quicker reaction and control on cuts, shuffles, and stepbacks.

The Freak 7's Cushlon 3.0 midsole turned out to be on the softer end of the basketball shoe spectrum. Its squish is quite pronounced in the video below, especially in the heel.

The softness is also reflected in our relatively low durometer reading of 17.0 HA, which is significantly softer compared to the Freak 6. That makes the Freak 7's step-in feel pretty comfy.

The Nike Giannis Freak 7 feels quite snug and close-fitting for a medium-width foot. But let's form a one-to-one gel mold of the shoe's interiors to check whether it indeed falls within the narrow range of basketball shoes.

Measuring the widest area of the solidified mold with a digital caliper, we got a below-average reading of 91.2 mm. This confirms that the Freak 7 indeed comes close to the narrow-fitting bunch.

Thus, we wouldn't recommend this Nike shoe for players with wider feet.

The toebox, on the other hand, is not particularly tight or tapered. Our caliper measurements confirmed that it is right on par with the average, showing a standard width of 69.0 mm in the big toe area.

Vertical space is not limited in the Freak 7 either, providing enough clearance to prevent pressure on the toes and toenails.

We recorded the shoe's toebox height at a regular 24.2 mm.

Looks like 'freaky traction' is not an empty promise in the case of the Giannis Freak 7!

Measuring the friction generated by this Nike shoe's outsole on a professional hardwood court, our machine recorded a high coefficient of 0.77.

Despite its affordable price point, the Freak 7 provides a reliable grip on quick accelerations, hard stops, and all sorts of lateral moves, including Giannis' signature eurosteps.

The shoe features an unconventional outsole pattern with zigzaggy treadlines and an engraved 'ANTETOKOUNMPO' writing as a nod to the Greek Freak.

Its internal TPU shank and tall midsole topline make the Giannis Freak 7 one of the stiffest basketball shoes in our catalog.

Requiring up to 25.2N of force to bend by 30 degrees, this hoop shoe is a better option for forwards and centers with a power-based playing style, rather than nimble guards. The added stiffness improves energy transfer through the midfoot and forefoot and helps ensure more stable landings during lateral moves and jump shots.

But on the downside, this rigid structure limits maneuverability and agility significantly.

We've come to associate Giannis Antetokounpo's shoe series with lightweight designs, but the Freak 7 changed things up and gained some weight to match the category average.

However, given the shoe's price drop, it came as an expected and, to some extent, inevitable change. We can't complain that the added ounce made the shoe feel like a drag, though.

Changes to its upper materials reduced the Freak 7's ventilation capacity, as our breathability tests confirmed.

Neither the shoe's toebox nor its side panels were effective at allowing smoke to pass through.

Hovering its half-cut upper over the LED light showed no trace of transparency, perforations, or ventilation pores.

After a closer look at the upper fabric of this Nike shoe under our microscope, we had no further doubt about its heat-trapping nature.

Given the absence of substantial airflow channels, we lowered the Freak 7's breathability score to only 2/5.

Now it's time to focus on the Giannis Freak 7's key strengths: lateral stability and ankle support.

Its sturdy, sculpted construction locks the foot firmly on the sides and back, preventing unwanted wobble during forceful side steps, stepbacks, and other directional moves.

A stiff midfoot shank, paired with its large external panels, creates an ultra-rigid platform in the Freak 7 that prevents the foot from buckling even during high-torque moves.

Assessing the shoe's torsional rigidity in our manual test, we didn't think twice about giving it a maximum score of 5/5.

The rearfoot portion of this Nike shoe also turned out to be exceptionally sturdy and immune to all sorts of folding or bending.

Easily earning the highest 5/5 stiffness score in our manual test, the Freak 7's heel counter keeps the heel and ankle centered and contained for power players like Giannis himself.

We never felt a lack of surface area in this Nike shoe, as our caliper showed a solid reading of 114.4 mm at the widest point of its forefoot. On par with most other basketball shoes, it offers a reliable outrigger for dynamic side-to-side movement.

The shoe's heel is just a smidge slimmer than average, showing 86.1 mm between the most extended points. But it doesn't feel narrow thanks to the slightly curved C shape of the platform.

Despite its less premium-looking materials, we didn't see a drop in the Giannis Freak 7's durability. In fact, the wear resistance of some of its parts even outperformed the v6!

The textile material covering the shoe's toebox, vamp, and quarters resisted the Dremel pretty well. Assessing the moderate damage it sustained, we rated the Freak 7's toebox durability as 3/5.

The shoe's inner textile lining surprised us even more as it looked completely untouched after the drilling session. That's a clear winner, with a maximum heel padding durability score of 5/5.

Last but not least, the Freak 7's outsole durability outperformed some of the more expensive basketball shoes in our lab!

With a dent shallower than a millimeter (0.8 mm), this budget shoe from Nike promises lasting perofrmance for the price.

The thickness of its rubber outsole (4.1 mm) further backed our confidence in the Giannis Freak 7's outsole longevity.

The shoe's insole thickness came in slightly narrower than average at 3.9 mm. We never felt like we were lacking underfoot padding, however, thanks to the Freak 7's soft midsole foam.

Easily removable, the shoe's insole can be replaced with a custom orthotic if needed.

The Freak 7 is moderately padded in the collar and tongue.

The tongue in particular showed a middle-range thickness of 8.1 mm.

A fully gusseted tongue helps with containment and doesn't shift around as the game picks up pace.

The Nike Giannis Freak 7 confused the fans of the series with a sudden shift in its retail price. The price drop from $140 in the Freak 6 to $115 in the Freak 7 is significant and confusing, with no apparent rationale.

No finger loops or pull tabs are attached to the Freak 7.