Nike G.T. Hustle 2 review

We believe that the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 must be on your radar if:

• you are a light basketball player in search of a minimal shoe for sprinting up and down the court
• you seek lightness and flexibility in your next pair of hoop shoes
• you prefer a grounded, low-profile platform

In our opinion, there are a few reasons why the G.T. Hustle 2 may not meet your needs on the court.

First of all, if you're a heavier player, you will need more impact protection and support. We recommend looking into the Nike LeBron NXXT GEN as an alternative. It also offers the benefit of better traction and is more outdoor-ready.

If you are not ready to pay $170 for a minimal shoe that doesn't even have a shank, consider the Nike Ja 1 or the Nike Giannis Freak 5.

With its minimal upper, mesh panels, and ventilation pores on the tongue, the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 offers pretty decent breathability.

Look how swiftly the smoke escaped through the shoe's upper in the tongue area!

We are not surprised that this is the shoe's most ventilated area given the many airflow channels the tongue.

We were hoping that the toebox mesh would enhance the shoe's breathability but the lens of our microscope shows how super densely woven it is. Not much hope for the airflow here.

Assessing the G.T. Hustle 2's overall breathability, we gave it a lower-than-average score of 2.

Compared to a typical basketball shoe, the G.T. Hustle 2 has a very minimal upper design with practically no reinforcements.

The shoe features a large mesh panel on top of the toebox which feels pretty frail to the touch. And as our Dremel test shows, it is very much prone to wear and tear.

The fabric threads tore within seconds of touching them with our Dremel's sandpaper tip. And the damage we saw was notably greater than what we usually see in the lab.

Thus, we rated the shoe's toebox durability with a lower-than-average score of 3 out of 5.

Gladly, the textile used for the shoe's inner lining proved to be much more resilient.

Its smooth nature stood up to the sandpaper looking almost as good as new after the 4-second test. Thus, we readily rated its durability with a high score of 4.

Despite looking like gummy bears, the rubber pimples on the shoe's outsole are actually pretty hard.

Our Shore C durometer returned a higher-than-average reading of 87.5 HC as we pressed it against one of the knobs. This is a very promising start.

We went on to test the abrasion resistance of these pimples with a high Dremel speed of 10K RPM.

But after 22 seconds of exposure, the rubber didn't give in more than 0.5 mm! That's even shallower than average!

So if you've never dealt with translucent rubber before, we hope this test assures you of its hard-wearing characteristics.

Last but not least, the shoe also uses a sufficiently thick rubber layer for the outsole. Measuring its thickness with a caliper retrieved a solid reading of 4.4 mm.

So, with all that said, does the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 make a great option for outdoor basketball courts? Unfortunately, we don't think so.

We are concerned about the protruding rubber knobs as their shape makes them more prone to wearing out on hard outdoor surfaces.

An occasional game most likely won't do a great deal of damage but we can't recommend this Nike shoe for regular outdoor use.

Positioned as a super nimble shoe for sprinting up and down the court, the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 lives up to the marketing 100%! We are happy to report that it proved to be some of the lightest basketball shoes in our lab.

Clocking in at 12.0 oz (340g) in a men's US size 9, it is two ounces lighter than the average hoop shoe.

Its weightlessness, minimal cushioning, and streamlined upper made us feel at full speed during the playtest.

The G.T. Hustle 2 also stands out as the least cushioned shoe in our basketball roster. Measuring its stack height in the heel, we were amazed to see as little as 23.6 mm on our caliper!

It is by far the lowest hoop shoe in our lab along with the Nike Sabrina 1 (23.7 mm).

As you can probably guess, this Nike shoe offers very little impact protection, especially if you are a big guy! But in return, the G.T. Hustle 2 offers the most speedy setup for light and nimble players who sprint from baseline to baseline.

Just like we expected, the forefoot stack of the Hustle 2 is some of the lowest in the industry, showing only 18.2 mm on the caliper.

If you enjoy a more intimate court feel, there is nothing more grounded than the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 (as of today).

A lower-than-average drop was also expected in this Nike basketball shoe.

The height difference between the shoe's heel and forefoot stacks comes in at only 5.4 mm which is a bit lower than the average.

This setup encourages a flatter and thus more natural foot position in which the heel sits only a few millimeters higher than the toes.

It feels less cushy and supportive than the higher drop but promotes a more planted experience in return.

Having sliced the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 in half, we discovered that its cushioning setup is very similar to that of the Air Jordan XXXVIII.

There is a full-length Zoom Air Strobel sitting on top of a full-length foam layer. We are almost 100% sure that the shoe uses Cushlon foam because the compound is on the soft side and feels quite responsive.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against it returned 21.0 HA which is 22% softer than the industry average.

However, you don't get to feel this plushness to the fullest because the foam is sandwiched between hard rubber and a firmer Zoom Air unit.

But overall, the G.T. Hustle 2 provides an immensely responsive ride that promotes speed above all else.

To make sure your foot has enough buffer from the thin midsole and the firm Zoom Air Strobel, the shoe adds a well-padded insole.

It has a slightly higher than-average thickness of 5.3 mm based on our caliper measurement.

Even though stability is not this Nike shoe's forte, we are happy to say that it doesn't lack inherent stability as a minimalist shoe.

Its low-to-the-ground profile creates enough steadiness to provide balance for quick movements on the court. It is not the best option for super forceful cuts but is nice enough for light players with agile footwork.

But even if the unfortunate ankle roll does occur, the shoe's platform is low enough to prevent the worst-case scenario.

The G.T. Hustle 2's midsole comes without a stabilizing shank but its full-length Zoom Air unit and high midsole topline generate enough stiffness to provide essential stability.

We rated the shoe's torsional rigidity with a pretty high score of 4 out of 5 in our manual test. Sure, it's a bit lower than the average of basketball shoes but we can't complain considering the intention behind its design.

Please do keep in mind that the Hustle 2 also has little to no ankle support and a pretty weak rearfoot hold. We don't mean heel slippage but the lack of a structured heel counter that would create a barricade-like effect around the ankle.

Assessing the shoe's heel counter stiffness in our manual test, we couldn't rate it any higher than 3 out of 5. It is notably more pliable than the average.

Another component that helps the G.T. Hustle 2 feel inherently stable is the lateral outrigger in the forefoot.

The widest part of the shoe's sole showed 116.5 mm on our caliper. That's even a couple of millimeters wider than average!

It's great that the shoe's forefoot stability helps to compensate for the lack of rearfoot support.

Looking at the width of the shoe's heel also confirmed that the G.T. Hustle 2 is best for players who mostly stay on their toes.

Our caliper measured 84.6 mm in the widest part of the heel which is almost 6 mm narrower than the average. Not the most stable landing area.

Very few basketball shoes can boast flexibility these days, which makes the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 a white crow in this department.

Packing no shank in the midsole, it took much less effort to bend the Hustle 2 to a 90-degree angle in our stiffness test. With a force gauge reading of only 28.9N, it is 40% more flexible than a typical hoop shoe.

This Nike shoe treated us to buttery smooth heel-to-toe transitions with its easy flex and consistent cushioning.

To be honest, the look of the shoe's outsole made us feel skeptical about its performance on the court...But that's why we are here to test it!

As it turns out, the shoe's gripping capacity is quite average, nothing to write home about. We are not sure if the brand went for this unusual design to save weight or just for fun.

Its traction was good enough for quick stops and accelerations but it did attract dust like most other hoop shoes. Occasional wiping is necessary to keep the grip solid.

Trying the Nike G.T. Hustle 2 in our regular men's US size 9, we were very happy with its one-to-one fit. There was no pinching or pressure on the sides of our feet.

Applying our caliper to the widest part of the shoe's toebox, we got 100.3 mm which is consistent with the other hoop shoes in the same size.

The shoe has a minor tapering towards the toes but it doesn't get narrower than the average. Our caliper showed a standard width of 76.3 mm around the big toe.

In case you're wondering, the shoe's mesh toebox has absolutely no give to it. Don't expect the material to stretch out after a break-in.

We experienced a nice and secure foot containment inside the Nike G.T. Hustle 2. This is in part thanks to the shoe's semi-integrated tongue.

Staying securely in place, it didn't shift around, bunch up, or cause any other trouble.

For the most part, we found it easy to deal with the shoe's flat laces. Our only concern is that you might want to double-knot them for longer games because they seem a little slippery.

In addition, the shoe offers two reinforced eyelets on the collar to give you the option of tying a runner's knot and getting the most out of the lockdown.

The shoe's tongue is moderately padded with foam, showing 7.0 mm of thickness at the topmost part (where the lace pressure is usually the greatest).

Even though it is a couple of millimeters thinner than average, it got the job done beautifully.

The Hustle 2 provides no finger loops or pull tabs to assist in  the on-and-off.

You can always replace the stick insole of this Nike basketball shoe with your own orthotics if that's what you prefer.