Nike Giannis Immortality 2 Performance Review

The Giannis Immortality 2 is a very decent budget model. No denying that. But, if you are a sneakerhead and familiar with the Giannis Immortality 1, it feels completely redundant. The Nike Giannis Immortality and the Giannis Immortality 2 are, as Mike Goldberg would say, “virtually identical”.

But the few changes Nike made on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s second signature budget model are for the better so there is that, and the fact of the matter is (spoilers) that the Giannis Immortality was one of the best budget basketball shoes last year, so you can trust that the Giannis Immortality 2 is going to be an above-average performance model. This shoe is also featured in the Best Nike Basketball Shoes and Best for Point Guards lists. Let’s get into it.

Traction

The traction pattern is identical to that of Giannis Immortality 1, which featured herringbone everywhere. There are 3 distinct sections to the traction pattern that you can see clearly as they are highlighted in two different colors: blue and volt yellow. The pink portions you can see peeking out in between the traction is the foam midsole.  

The traction is very solid. It does need wiping in very dusty conditions, but on clean courts, I had zero issues. There are several sections of the traction that wrap up the midsole that help you on more extreme changes of direction and cuts. The shape of the shoe, the traction, and the cushion setup give the model a distinct “guard shoe” feel. And speaking of the cushion…

Cushion

The cushion on the Giannis Immortality 2 is a feature that some will love and others will hate. The cushion is great if you like responsiveness and court feel. If you are a bigger player and you want something with great impact protection, you might want to look elsewhere.

The setup is again, the same as on the Giannis Immortality 1: a slab of Phylon. Nothing else. Portions of which are caged by the outsole. The Phylon does take some time to break-in, but once it does, you get a nice responsive ride. Shifty, lighter players will enjoy this setup.

If you want a bit more cushion from the get-go you can pick up a pair of Move insoles in order to boost the shoe’s cushion from the jump.

Materials

The materials on the shoe are where you will see most of the changes from the previous model. On the Giannis Immortality 2, we have a very lightweight mesh upper with fuse overlays on high-wear areas. The tongue and heel of the shoe have some of the most synthetic leather portions you will ever see on a shoe. Similar to the Immortality 1 there’s a back section that feels like neoprene with a mesh wrap.

The materials are as cheap as they can get, but they are functional. The shoe is very lightweight and there is no break-in time whatsoever, and there are no containment issues. So we can’t really complain too much when we are talking about an $85 shoe.

Fit

The fit is another high point of the Giannis Immortality 2. The shoe fits true to size and fits like a glove. It might seem slightly snug at first but within a couple of minutes of play, the shoe conforms to your foot perfectly.

The 1-to-1 fit also contributes to the shoe’s all-around lockdown and helps you to feel secure on moves with more torque.

Support

Support is basic but effective. As I have mentioned, the upper keeps your foot safely locked down on the footbed. The shoe’s forefoot provides a wide base and features a substantial outrigger to keep you centered while spotting up for a shot, or changing directions.

The heel of the shoe is wide and rounded which creates a stable base. The beefed-up materials in the heel also help lock down the back section of the shoe.

Overall

The Giannis Immortality 2 is an above-average performance basketball shoe and a very good budget model. It’s a shoe that smaller, faster players will appreciate the most. The blend of performance features included on the Giannis Immortality 2 makes it a great option for guards.

On the downside, Nike displayed very little creativity when designing this shoe. If you already own the Giannis Immortality 1, there is no need to pick this model up. Also, even though I understand that this is one of the cheaper budget models from Nike, I still expect better material quality for $85, even as functional as the Giannis Immortality 2’s materials are.

Spanish review of the Giannis Immortality 2

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