The Nike Zoom GT Cut 2 is a much-anticipated basketball shoe because of the first edition’s awesomeness. We think it will do well as a successor.
Colorway: Summit White/Metallic Summit White/White
Release Date: 2022
Price: $150
The Nike GT Cut was a hit for everyone as far as performance went and made our Best Basketball Shoes list. It was so much of a hit that people started to hoard the shoe, and resell prices skyrocketed. Some pairs now go upwards of $1000. Its successor, the Nike Zoom GT Cut 2, keeps many features people loved about the previous iteration and upgrades others. Stay tuned for the upcoming performance review.
Traction
Stan: The Nike Zoom GT Cut 2 is an upgrade over its predecessor. That ‘Smear’ traction wrapped around the forefoot area really grips the ground well along with the heel and toe nubs. However, don’t expect it to last long on outdoor courts because it’ll wear down quickly.
Cushion
Stan: Full-length React midsole cushion with a small embedded hex heel zoom air pod and full-length Zoom strobel – what a combo. Slightly different from the 1st gen model, but the amount of impact protection the shoe provided allows me to ball for a good period of time without the knee pain after. Solid implementation and upgrade even while the React felt a little firmer. I felt low to the ground, had control of my movements, and never had really to second guess my movements, minus one caveat I’ll get to later.
Materials
Stan: Um.. wish I could skip this, but I wouldn’t mind that if Nike added more neoprene padded material to the upper along the tongue and toe box again. Because of the change to a more breathable textile mesh, you want to subtract the weight. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I’d expect better materials for the Nike Zoom GT Cut 2’s high price point.
Fit
Stan: I went true to size with the Nike Zoom GT Cut 2, and lengthwise it fits great. I do prefer a thumbs length worth of room, and that’s what I got. I’d say the fit would be great, minus the lack of wrap-around material on the tongue. The lack of material allowed my foot around the ankle area to shift too much, not providing ample lockdown until I wore ankle braces to fill in the dead space. Not only was it dangerous on the initial play, but it also made me second-guess my lateral movements and foot pressure on pivots while being afraid of a potential ankle sprain. If the tongue material were wrapped around more like the original GT Cut, the problem would be solved.
Support
Stan: The support comes mainly from the fit, which, again, if you’ve read above, the lack of material /dead space really threw me off my game until I wore braces to fill in the space. The traction and the cushion of the Nike Zoom GT Cut 2 were all fantastic, so there are no questions or doubts about those parts.
Nike Zoom GT Cut 2 Overall
Stan: Is the Nike Zoom GT Cut 2 a possible successor? I’d say yes with a huge asterisk. Again, the issue I have may not affect everyone, however, when I start to second guess my moves, it’s a red flag for sure. And for those suggesting double socks, that would affect the length of the shoe with additional material as well as adding more heat retention.
Nike had a good thing going for them, if they only stuck with that wider tongue wrap-around from the first version to fill in the gap around the ankle, I’d say we’d have an absolute top 2 or 3 performance shoe of the year. It takes a lot for me to give such high praise for a shoe (I mean, take a look at the 6 pairs of the Nike GT Cut 1 that I own, that says something). Here’s to hoping Swoosh pays attention to those little details that make a world of a difference. I’m anxious to see the next iteration of the GT Cut (with proper modifications) don’t make me wait too long… I’m ready.
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