ANTA GH 1 Performance Review

A fun surprise for 2020. Gordon Hayward’s ANTA GH 1 is a really solid shoe on-court. The ANTA GH 1 is still available for purchase in 2022 and they actually made our list of the top Anta hoop shoes in 2022.

Traction

I was fortunate enough to have tried out two different pairs of the ANTA GH 1, one with solid rubber and the other featuring translucent rubber, and while I usually assume solid rubber performs better than anything else… that wasn’t the case with the GH 1.

This time around the translucent rubber version was the one I preferred as they gripped every court I took them on. Minimal wiping was required when on a filthy court as the rubber compound was able to cut through almost anything to keep you covered on the hardwood. The pattern itself had a bit to do with the outsoles solid performance as the forefoot’s radial sections covered me for any step in any direction.

I did take them outdoors as well and they excelled there too.

Early looks at the ANTA GH 1 showed that all colorways would feature a solid rubber outsole, but it looks like that has changed for the retail pairs. Only a couple have solid rubber, so if I had to choose I’d opt for the translucent outsoles.

Cushion

ANTA’s A-FlashFoam was used for cushioning, similar to ANTA’s other current signature basketball offerings, but this rendition didn’t feel quite like the styles I’ve used in the past.

This version of A-FlashFoam was a bit firmer, but still had a little bit of rebound to it. If I could compare it to anything that you may have tried before then adidas’ Bounce is the first thing that comes to mind. Just the right amount of court feel and bounce under-foot for a subtle, but comfortable, ride.

Stability was solid with the forefoot TPU wrap and outrigger while the thicker heel was subdued a bit with the external TPU heel counter.

I’ve been more than satisfied with the A-FlashFoam in the GH 1 both indoors and outdoors. In fact, I might feel that this is my favorite implementation thus far.

Materials

The materials are nicer than I had initially expected.

The toe features a nice synthetic leather (some colorways may differ) while the rest of the build uses textiles and neoprene. Both materials have been fairly durable thus far, other than getting dirty, but neither have shown signs of wear other than that.

Fit

I went true to size and most will be able to do the same — wide footers as well.

However, like most Asian-based models, the fit feels like it was catered for wider feet. The forefoot my only real complaint as the way the synthetic leather fits is a bit bubbly. I love it when materials rest nicely against my foot, especially leather, so that once its been broken-in the materials move and support the foot as naturally as possible. I was unable to achieve the type of fit I love, but length-wise I was fine. I would love to try another pair 1/2 size down to see if there is a huge difference, but we can only afford so many pairs to review so that will have to wait.

The textiles at the midfoot do a decent job of moving with the foot while retaining some support, but the heel area wasn’t as secure as I’d like. Luckily there is a huge TPU heel counter in place so that caught any sloppiness with the fit for certain movements. But a bit more snugness would have been my preferred fit.

Support

Everything you’ve come to want and expect in terms of support is in the shoe. Heel counter, midfoot torsional shank, lateral TPU wrap and outrigger. All of this did a great job supporting the foot during gameplay, but if the fit was a bit more to my liking then I think these areas would have been even better than they were. However, even with the sloppiness, the support features did really well so that is a credit to those aspects.

Overall

I’ve had a great time playing in the ANTA GH 1 thus far. I’ve been testing the shoe for almost two months and even after testing was complete, they’ve been in my gym bag [and on my feet] when other shoes haven’t worked as well for one reason or another. Traction has been my favorite aspect. They’ve been dependable on every floor I’ve taken them on and have remained reliable from day one of testing.

The fit is the one area that I wish was more to my liking, but the shoes released in the Asian market were built for wide footers more than they were made for my personal foot shape.

If you were looking for a shoe that was outside of the typical big brands that performs really well in nearly every area then the ANTA GH 1 may be an option for you.

You can find them available now at FamujiSneaker.com [use promo code WEARTESTERS for a small discount] while other colorways can be found at AnktShop.com.