While the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to resume basketball play, COVID-19 issues be damned, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been getting the second version of his signature shoe, the Nike Freak Zoom 2, ready for primetime. ESPN reporter Eric Woodyard has provided the first official look at Giannis’s signature sneaker:
Official look at Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2nd signature sneaker, the Nike Zoom Freak 2. Once again, it draws inspiration from Giannis and all his brothers (Kostas, Francis, Alex, Thanasis) with all their names listed on the bottom. It also lists his parents, Charles and Veronica. pic.twitter.com/2kppCr8Urw
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) July 7, 2020
Woodyard also mentioned that Giannis will wear these shoes in Orlando* (*writer’s note: There is no reason for the NBA to try this bubble in Orlando, which has been a petri dish for COVID-19 and seen fellow sports league like the MLS fail at containing spread, ultimately resulting in a team completely withdrawing...) but there is this rumor the shoe’s release will be August 1 and 7.
Now let’s talk about the shoe; while drawing inspiration from Kobe’s shoe line, my first reaction is...this isn’t a great look. The Nike swoosh is very large, but unlike the Zoom Freak 1s, which was on the heel, this one is right on the center of the outside foot. After looking at it more and more, I don’t mind the shoe, but the Freak 1s are still vastly superior. The biggest issue is the black leather which has his number 34; that is a dreadful look and if you removed that, this shoe looks spectacular.
Overall, the Zoom Freak 2s do not appear to look better than the 1s. Weirdly enough, this shoe might benefit with the reveal of versions with more subtle colors and patterns unlike with the Freak 1s, when the black and white shoes were underwhelming but the colorways made them a must buy. The Freak 2s look like another solid basketball shoe to wear for pickup games, with a higher ankle cut and likely still being lightweight. For the rest of us that will wear it primarily for fashion, it’s going to be a bit tougher finding an outfit that can highlight the shoe in spite of the leather. Overall first reaction for the Zoom Freak 2 is a 6/10 and a disappointing follow up to a successful debut shoe; obviously if someone wants to gift me these shoes, I will not say no.
Comment below on your thoughts; will you buy these shoes and do you think it is a better look than the Zoom Freak 1s?