Nike Zoom Freak 3 Reviews

 

Before Giannis Antetokounmpo captured his very first NBA title with Milwaukee, the two-time Most Valuable Player achieved another career milestone elsewhere: the release of his third signature shoe, the Nike Zoom Freak 3, last July 1 — 20 days before the Bucks finished off the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of this year’s Finals.

The Zoom Freak 3 also dropped four years after Antetokounmpo signed his very first sneaker deal with Nike back in 2017. During the contract’s first year, Giannis earned roughly $35 million before his earnings skyrocketed to $43 million by June 2019.

This massive increase in endorsement revenue continued to solidify the growing relationship between the Greek Freak and the Swoosh Team, which has now produced three signature sneakers under the Zoom Freak line, along with a recently-introduced budget sneaker line known as the ‘Giannis Immortality’.

Unfortunately, the main signature line has yet to release a top-tier sneaker.

For context, both the Zoom Freak 1 and the Zoom Freak 2 were only considered as midrange performers. While there were noteworthy bright spots, both pairs are still not worthy of any comparison with the other more established signature pairs.

But with the release of the Zoom Freak 3, could Giannis’ main shoe line finally cause an uproar in the hoops world? To provide you an answer, Dribble Media is here to present an in-depth performance review of the 2021 Finals MVP’s third signature pair.

MATERIALS

This is already the third iteration, but the main shoe line has yet to receive a premium material from Nike.

Just like its predecessors, the Zoom Freak 3 is infused with textile materials for its uppers, which is very common among basketball pairs.  The upper is also reinforced with mesh materials on the heel portion for additional durability and lockdown.

But despite utilizing only cheap textile uppers, the Zoom Freak 3 conforms to the feet very well. Its flimsy mesh on the toe part nicely compliments the Greek Freak’s playing style, which is predicated on bulldozing and overpowering defenders on his way to the hoop, and euro-stepping to evade collapsing defenses.

The pair’s mesh forefoot is designed to be flexible enough to support Giannis’ signature moves. This allows the wearer to freely execute side steps without much strain. The sneaker’s forefoot is also reinforced with fuse materials so it won’t break easily.

While the forefoot provides maximum comfort with added durability, the mesh material infused on the heel is designed to strengthen the uppers and provide more breathability. Considering that the forefoot will be exposed to excessive breaks, the durable mesh heel should be able to absorb any impact.

TRACTION

At first glance, Nike Lebron 19 traction pattern — which is identical to the top-tier Kobe 9’s outsole — looks almost the same case with the Zoom Freak 3. Unfortunately, the similarity stops there.

If you are hoping that the Zoom Freak 3’s traction can at least perform on par with the PG 5, you better look elsewhere. The shoe’s aggressiveness is far from the excellent grip of the PG 5, let alone the Kobe 9.

In comparison to its predecessor, the rubber outsole’s aggressiveness of the Zoom Freak 3 could not even outdo the traction of the Zoom Freak 2 despite its omnidirectional attribute. In addition, the outsole’s rubber compound is soft and pliable, so there might be issues with its durability, especially when played outdoors.

But fret not, as it still provides an ample bite when played indoors despite the slides and delays during stops.

Each time a new sneaker is released, the bars are often set higher. It’s a shame that the Zoom Freak 3’s traction did not achieve that feat. But hopefully, breaking in the shoes can somehow give it justice.

CUSHION AND SUPPORT

On paper, the Nike Zoom Freak 3’s cushion system has the potential to be one of the best from the list of 2021 releases. This is because the pair is infused with cutting-edge technology such as the Zoom Pod, Zoom Air, the ortholite insole and the ever-responsive phylon midsole.

However, it seemed as if air jordan 1 used the right technology in the wrong places.

First, the Zoom Freak 3 is infused with two giant Zoom Pods on the forefoot. The idea was good considering Antetokounmpo’s playing style, but it would have been more effective if there was just one giant Zoom pod for maximum cushion experience.

Also, despite adding a bigger Zoom unit, there is a padding between the feet and the unit itself. This is also known as “bottom-loaded”. If the cushion is bottom-loaded, the wearer can’t really feel that there is a responsive Zoom unit on the footbed.

Another downside of the cushion is the Strobel board inside that reinforces the insoles. Due to this board, instead of experiencing the softness of the insole and Zoom unit, it just causes an unstable footbed.

Fortunately, the pair has a good amount of padding on the ankle area and tongue, which is reinforced with a TPU on the heel counter that provides good lockdown and support.

Talking about lockdown and support, the pair’s base is low and wide, so the lateral containment is almost not an issue. But what bothers is the plastic-like caging on the lateral portion of the pair. Given that the pair is infused with a phylon midsole, the caging is almost a non-factor. The pair’s lateral containment is already secure even without it.

Lastly, let’s look at the most noticeable attribute of the pair — the midfoot strap. The strap adds flavor and aesthetics to the pair, making the Zoom Freak 3 more appealing. But honestly, the strap does not really have an actual use and is nothing but a design to the pair. Supposedly, it provides better lockdown. Unfortunately, it does not serve its purpose.

SIZE AND FITTING

The Zoom Freak 3 runs true to size. However, ballers might experience some instabilities and inconsistencies on the forefoot caused by the Zoom pods. So for the best option, it would be the safest choice to fit a pair first before copping.

OVERALL RATING

This should be one pair that a lot of people may be looking forward to. Unlike other signature pairs that can still complement the style of other players, Nike made the Zoom Freak 3 personal for Antetokounmpo.

The aesthetics are good and it is arguably the best-looking sneaker from the Zoom Freak line. However, the feeling of misplaced technologies somehow ruined the potential of the pair.

The strong points were there: the uppers and the padding. But a good upper must come with a competitive traction. The adequate amount of padding is supposedly just to support the cushion.

Overall, the Zoom Freak 3 is not as amazing as it should be. Arguably, the Zoom Freak 2 is still the better choice. This might be a strong case for argument, but in a nutshell, the budget sneaker Giannis Immortality might be better both in terms of appearance and performance.

THE NIKE ZOOM FREAK 3 NETS AN OVERALL RATING OF 4 OUT OF 5.

Nike could have done better with the implementation of each technology, and they could have strengthened the traction. The upper materials are cheap, and yet it turned out to be the best feature of the sneaker. Just from that standpoint alone, there is a serious dilemma.