Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Latest Nike Zoom Freak 1 Nods To Greece

Ross Dwyer October 10th, 2019 (updated)

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Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s Nike Zoom Freak 1 is a shoe of many stories, mining different parts of the MVP’s past for inspiration and innovation. It’s touched on everything from his bond with his brothers to his beloved late father and his favorite movie, Coming To America, so for its next act it’s looking to his home country of Greece for inspiration with this new “Photo Blue” colorway. Presenting a blue base and gold accents on the giant backwards midfoot Swoosh, the tongue badges, and the lacing system’s bottom eyestay, it’s clear to see that the palette used here draws from the Greek flag and its trim. However, if you squint your eyes, you’ll notice that the influence goes further, both literally and figuratively. Under the top mesh overlay, there’s a repeating meander pattern — a continuous line that’s shaped into a repeated motif and also known as a Greek fret/key design. The athletic forward’s #34 is embroidered on the heel in white, while a two-tone white and blue outsole with a special traction pattern and double-stacked Zoom Air unit ensures that these Nike shoes play just as good as they look. Giannis himself announced that he’d debut this colorway during the upcoming FIBA World Cup, and a release is set for September 27th in both men’s and grade school sizes.