New traction patterns grace the outsole, and the name of Giannis’s beloved parents - mother Veronica and late father Charles - are embossed between the outsole’s two pieces. Giannis’s signature logo is stamped towards the lateral heel, while two different “Freak” hits are present on the tongue and rearmost part of the midsole. “For the Freak 2, we shifted our attention to more planes of movement because Giannis can command every spot on the floor.” Finally, uppers are built of a synthetic mesh, with a “boundary zone” on the lateral forefoot ensuring that the wearer’s foot won’t slide off the footbed mid maneuver.įrom a looks standpoint, the Zoom Freak 2’s signature detail is provided by giant Swooshes that reach from the midfoot all the way to a collar, and even work their way into one of the bottom eyestays. “In the Freak 1 we focused on how frequently Giannis gets vertical for rebounds, blocks and dunks” said Klein. This works with the split outsole design, providing a mix of explosion up front and impact protection at the end. Midsoles switch up the cushioning system: where the Zoom Freak 1 used double-stacked Zoom Air in the heel and soft foam in the forefoot, the Zoom Freak 2 moves its Zoom Air to the forefoot and relegates the foam to the heel. High-wear areas are bolstered for extra support as well.

This enables each piece to flex independently during these lightning-quick movements. Therefore, the Zoom Freak 2’s outsole is decoupled, with the heel and forefoot connected by a supportive midfoot shank.

This means that his shoes need to be supportive enough to contain his explosive athleticism, but quick enough to enable his elusive set of moves like the Eurostep.

Although Giannis stands at a towering 6’11 with a 7’3 wingspan he moves and plays like a guard, hence his “Greek Freak” nickname.

Zoom freak 2