Our verdict
The Nike Giannis Immortality 2 is a pleasant surprise for players who are fast and quite shifty on the basketball court. Many say that the whole design of the shoe is all about speed and control. It's good that many are going to experience the goodness that this signature shoe offers because of its fairly affordable price.
Pros
- Really good traction
- Quick-feeling cushioning setup
- Smooth heel-to-toe transitions
- Very lightweight structure
- True-to-size fit
- Upper offers next-to-skin comfort
- Good for outdoor use
- Affordable
Cons
- Not enough impact protection
- Dust-prone outsole
- A bit unstable
Who should buy the Nike Giannis Immortality 2
This cheap signature shoe from Nike Basketball serves the following best:
- players who are looking for signature models that do not break the bank
- athletes who play on both indoor and outdoor courts
- wearers who want performance shoes that can double as everyday sneakers
- guards or players who are nimble and do a lot of fine footwork
Who should NOT buy this shoe from Nike
The Nike Giannis Immortality 2 is not for bigger players who need a lot of support, stability, and impact protection. The Nike LeBron 19 and the other LeBron kicks are better picks for them.
While this shoe's traction is good, it is still not on the same level as the Nike PG 6 or even the first Nike Giannis Immortality. Those players who are looking for top-tier traction should just directly go for these shoes.
Comfortable upper materials
The upper is made largely of what an expert calls a "very open mesh", which ensures ventilation.
Using a smoke-pumping machine, we assessed the shoe's breathability by the amount of smoke passing through it. The Giannis Immortality 2 gets a solid 3 out of 5 (where 5 is the most breathable). This is airier than the majority of basketball shoes.
Nike Giannis Immortality 2 (left) vs. Nike Lebron 20, the suede variant (right)
The transparency check below confirms our findings from the smoke test.
In addition to being breathable, the shoe's upper material is also quite soft, and according to one reviewer, it feels comfortable on the skin. It also conforms to the shape of the foot quite well.
We also dived deeper and had a look at the upper material through a microscope.
There are multiple layers to the fabric with prominent ventilation holes. This design balances out breathability with support and wear resistance.
Has a solid bite once broken in
There is no doubt that this quite affordable signature shoe from Nike has the kind of traction that you can depend on. In fact, two experts describe the traction as "pretty good" and "very solid."
However, two reviewers also point out that the bite is still not top-tier. This shoe is simply not up there with the likes of the Nike PG 6 or even the original Nike Giannis Immortality. An avid reviewer also points out that the solid rubber outsole still has to be broken in before it works optimally.
The Giannis Immortality 2 is sensitive to dust
As said, the traction is OK. However, problems start to arise when the game is played on quite dusty surfaces. Two experts report that the shoe's outsole picks up dust, so wiping is really needed. One of them even goes further, saying that the wipes are not going to be easy. He says that he needs to wipe at least twice to get the dust off.
Has a for-guards cushioning system
An expert says that while the shoe's cushioning system is already "pretty nice for an $85 shoe", it still has its serious limitations. The court feel's really good and the whole setup is quite responsive, but impact protection is not that reliable. He says that your feet are "definitely gonna hurt" upon hard impact.
Such an observation is seconded by another expert. He says that the cushioning system is great if responsiveness and court feel are preferred. But if you are looking for a shoe with great impact protection, this shoe is just not it.
This is curious because the amount of cushioning in the Immortality 2 actually exceeds the average. Using a pair of calipers, we measured the heel stack at 29 mm, which is a little thicker than the average 28.2 mm.
In the forefoot, the calipers show 23.8 mm of stack height. This is 2.8 mm thicker than the average.
Disclaimer: In our lab, stack height is measured with the insole included. In the Giannis Immortality 2 it is 3.6 mm thick in the heel area.
Provided that the Giannis Immortality 2 has an ample amount of cushioning for a standard basketball shoe, the problem with impact protection must be coming from the nature of its foam.
Using a durometer, we found that this Nike shoe is far from being the brand's softest hoop shoe. It turns out to be 13% firmer than the average of basketball shoes we've tested.
Disclaimer: To find out the shoe's foam softness, we repeat the durometer measurement four times and calculate the average. The photo above shows one of the measurements.
If you want a moderately-priced shoe with much softer cushioning and better impact protection, have a look at the Jordan Luka 1.
Light as a feather
One of the experts is so impressed with the weight of the Nike Giannis Immortality 2 that he gives it a perfect 10. It's not difficult to see why.
At only 10.4 ounces or 295 grams, this shoe is well below the 12.4 oz (352 grams) average that we have on record. For sure, this shoe feels pretty minimal on foot.
Smooth steps, anyone?
According to one expert, the heel-to-toe transition "feels pretty damn smooth." He explains that this is because the heel and the tip of the forefoot have a "crazy curve shape", allowing each step to just glide smoothly. There is also a lot of forefoot flex, further smoothening out the strides.
Another avid reviewer agrees. He says that this shoe is not clunky at all, and this is going to help you to be even quicker on your feet.
Indeed, the Giannis Immortality 2 is much bendier than the rest of the basketball shoes in our lab. Measuring the shoe's resistance as we bend it to a 90-degree angle, we found that it is 27% more flexible than the average.
Disclaimer: We repeat the gauge measurement four times and calculate the average. The video shows one of the takes we made.
The shoe's flexibility also becomes apparent in a manual assessment. Twisting and bending the shoe, we rated both its longitudinal and torsional flexibility as 4 out of 5 (where 5 is the stiffest). For basketball shoes, this is still considered flexible because the respective averages are 3.9 and 4.4.
The Nike Giannis Immortality 2 fits as expected
Two experts report that this Nike shoe fits true to size. One of them even says that it "fits like a glove." Therefore, there is no need for size adjustments when you get this one.
There appears to be a generous toe space in the shoe's forefoot. In the widest part of the toebox, this Nike shoe is 103.3 mm wide (4.5 mm wider than average). And near the toes, we measured it at 78.1 mm (0.6 mm wider). So, even for a wide-footed player, the fit is going to be just right.
A fully-gusseted tongue is such a nice surprise in a low-budget shoe. It contributes to a safe and sound foot lockdown.
No heel slippage has been reported either. The heel and ankle are safeguarded by a stiff heel counter. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the stiffest, we assessed it as 4 out of 5.
Support and stability experience drawbacks
According to one avid reviewer, the soft and comfortable upper has a significant tradeoff: it lessens the amount of support that the shoe can deliver. Specifically, he mentions that the soft material stretches quite fast. Because of this, the shoe gets roomier with every wear. As a result, the shoe starts to feel a bit unstable.
Another expert agrees with this observation. He says that "there could be a little bit of work" when it comes to stability.
But what saves the day for the shoe's stability is its wider-than-average platform.
We measured the widest part of the forefoot to be 5 mm wider than average, while in the heel it is a shopping 7.6 mm wider!
The Giannis Immortality 2 can be used outdoors
One of the experts reports that the rubber outsole of this shoe is "super hard." Hence, the Giannis Immortality 2 is suitable for use on rough outdoor courts.
True! Based on our durometer measurements, the rubber used for the shoe's outsole is among the hardest you will find. It is 6% firmer than the average.
It is also a little harder than the rubber found on the Nike Cosmic Unity 2 and the Jordan Zion 2 (both recommended for outdoor use).
The outsole thickness is also solid on this Nike shoe. We measured it at 3.8 mm which is the average number for basketball shoe outsoles.
The only concern about using this Nike shoe outdoors is the durability of its upper fabric. Having gone through our Dremel wear and tear, the mesh upper on the toebox didn't perform all that well.
You want to be careful when toe dragging in the Nike Giannis Immortality 2. It is a budget shoe after all.
