KICKZ Performance Review: Nike Air Zoom G.T. Run

Welcome to Nike‘s Greater Than Series! In a trilogy of performance sneakers, the sports giant from Oregon takes on three key principles of the game of basketball: „cutting quicker, running longer and jumping higher“. Each of the models is designed to specifically support one of those essentials and as the name suggests, the Nike Air Zoom G.T. Run dedicates itself to “running longer” or actually running more comfortably. Let’s have a look.

Design

What really caught my eye from the beginning was that thick midsole. It may not look super pretty but it definitely looks exceptionally loaded and immediately got me wondering what kind of technology was hidden in it. I’ll get to that later. Apart from that, the shoe doesn’t really offer any other screaming elements in my opinion. It just looks pretty clean and decent, without any flashy or exaggerated characteristics. Colorwise, there are a couple of variations out there and you should be able to find an option that suits you. Weightwise, I was quite surprised that the shoe only weighs 368 g. I was convinced that a shoe with such a big chunk of rubber would bring some extra grams with it, but I am glad it didn’t.

Materials

The first thing that I noticed was how rigid the upper felt. This is a plus in terms of longevity, but it had a downside too, as I noticed how stiff the materials felt in certain areas. The G.T. Run definitely needed some break-in time until I felt comfortable overall. The sturdy yet lightweight material undoubtedly has its perks, but given the premium pricing, I would have liked to see that reflected in the selection of the materials as well. All in all not necessarily the nicest touch, but from a performance standpoint it surely works. Just make sure to take your time to break the upper in properly.

Traction

These perform best when used indoors. On clean hardwood, the G.T. Run offers great bite and has you covered on any stops, gos, slides and what not. However, if the court gets dirtier, these would simply not perform quite as nicely but still within the range of being playable. I would not recommend them for outdoor use for the mentioned reasons (dust and dirt) but also because I don’t see the outsole pattern resisting the wear and tear of the blacktop for too long. Under relatively clean circumstances, these will work well and a wipe here and there will definitely help with maintaining the desired grip. Allow some time for the outsole to lose the first rubber layers to ultimately unfold its full potential.

Cushion

This is definitely the best part of this shoe and would easily be the reason why you would pick the G.T. Run over other options. “The unique system includes a full-length Nike React sockliner, double-stacked Zoom Air in the forefoot and a full-length Nike React midsole.” as Nike explains. It seems like the total package, right? And in terms of cushioning it quite is. Impact protection is excellent, maybe even the best on the market right now. Additionally, you will feel a good amount of bounce with every step, which gave me a very good impression of the whole setup. However, what you gain with extraordinary cushioning, you lose in terms of court feel, which is not necessarily the best. This is the tradeoff you will have to put up with when you consider playing in the G.T. Run. But if you want to get as much cushioning as possible, these have to be on top of your list.

Fit

Initially, these were quite snug and I actually had some difficulties getting my foot in. Once the upper was broken in, this was however not an issue anymore and true to size worked out well for me in the end. Nevertheless, I would suggest going up half a size, if you have a wider foot. Overall, I felt locked in at all times and I was not experiencing any unwanted movements like heel slippages or the like within the shoe.

Support

Nothing too special, just the necessities in my opinion. As mentioned above, lockdown was being taken care of by the upper and the rigid materials. On top of that, the raised midsole added some additional support with lateral containment and kept my feet in position. Stability was also not an issue as the shoe offers a wide base to stand and operate on. Personally, I also liked the collar that provided some feedback around the ankle area. Solid.

Bottom Line

The Nike Air Zoom G.T. Run was fun to play in and definitely gets my recommendation for all players that look for ultimate cushioning and impact protection. At a price of EUR 180,- this is the main criteria that Nike tries to convince you with and quite honestly, that part just delivers. Yes, the price is relatively steep but you will receive a good amount of technology with this shoe. Sure, I would have liked to get a more premium touch in terms of materials and I wished the traction was a little bit better. However, the whole setup works and Nike built a very solid shoe overall. In the end, it will really come down to personal taste. But as mentioned above, if you value cushioning, this is the way to go.

Feedback

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