Nike GT Cut Cross: The Outdoor Nike GT Cut Academy

The Nike GT Cut Academy was the take-down version of the Nike GT Cut 3, the first Nike basketball shoe to feature it’s popular ZoomX foam cushioning. The GT Cut Academy was a weird budget model. Usually, take-down models share performance features with the flagship shoe they are associated with, allowing the brand to reuse tech, save on production costs, and offer a less expensive product, reaching a different segment of consumers. All that being said, that was not the case for the GT Cut Academy.

It was a completely different shoe with little more than looks in common with the GT Cut 3. It featured a completely different midsole and cushioning setup, a completely different outsole, and the upper was built with different materials as well.

Now we have the Nike GT Cut Cross, which, oddly enough is very similar to the Nike GT Cut Academy. Here, Nike has taken a more traditional approach to create this shoe and has re-used many of the elements of the Academy, tweaking a couple of things here and there to make it a more outdoor-orientated basketball shoe. Let’s find out exactly what has changed, and how the shoe performed on court.

Thanks to Bouncewear for sending us this pair for testing.

Nike GT Cut Cross Review

Nike GT Cut Cross Specs

Nike GT Cut Cross Traction

Traction is exactly the same as on the Nike GT Cut Academy, except for one key difference. The shoe is equipped with a solid rubber outsole with an aggressive full-length herringbone traction pattern. The GT Academy featured relatively durable solid rubber, but the GT Cut Cross features XDR Rubber. XDR is Nike’s proprietary extra-durable rubber, meant for outdoor use. This is the key difference between the two shoes.

The GT Cut Academy was already a decent outdoor option in terms of durability, and the GT Cut Cross is just that much better thanks to the XDR Rubber.

As far as the all-around on-court performance, everything is the same. Herringbone offers great multidirectional coverage on court, and the rubber bites the court well. The wider gaps between the lines of the traction pattern help the shoe to not accumulate dust and debris on dirtier indoor surfaces, which is important when the rubber of the sole is as sticky as it is on this shoe, and in general, the GT Cut Cross offers great traction and grip no matter where you play.

Nike GT Cut Cross Cushion

The Nike GT Cut Cross features the exact same cushioning setup as the Nike GT Cut Academy. What we have in this shoe is a traditional Zoom Air unit in the forefoot of the shoe, but the implementation is, as it is in the Academy, odd. It is a rectangular Zoom unit, but instead of spanning the width of the shoe, it runs length-wise. This doesn’t make much sense but it’s still comfortable and works well on court, so, no complaints on my end.

This Zoom Air unit is housed within a dual-density foam midsole, but Nike does not specify the two foams they used. Our best guess is that it’s a lightweight Phylon carrier that houses a Lunarlon-style foam within. What this translates to on court is a reactive, slightly bouncy, and low-profile ride on court.

This setup is comfy and works great indoors, but, since this is supposed to be an outdoor-specific shoe, it would have been nice to see an increase in the level of impact protection in this version. When you are playing on concrete, you want a substantial amount of cushioning underfoot, and this shoe is definitely more on the reactive side of things. But, I did enjoy the level of cushioning overall.

Nike GT Cut Cross Materials

Here we see another significant change in regards to the Academy, and, personally, I think that this setup is significantly better. The GT Cut Cross features a much more robust synthetic upper which is built with several different panels and materials. On the medial side of the shoe, we have a pale purple vinyl portion.

On the lateral side, we have a hefty layer of fuse in the forefoot and a layer of crosshatched Flywire in the midfoot. In the forefoot, we also have the same rubber portions as in the Academy that wrap up on either side of the shoe. This build does a great job of keeping your foot contained on hard stops and changes of direction on court, while keeping the weight of the shoe low. Shoes with a fully textile upper rarely offer me the amount of containment I’m looking for in a basketball shoe, but I had no issues with the GT Cut Cross.

Ventilation may have taken a slight hit from the Academy, but I’ll take containment over ventilation any day of the week.

Nike GT Cut Cross Support

Support in the Nike GT Cut Cross is the same as in the Academy, that is to say, minimal in terms of features but solid in terms of performance. There is no shank plate, containment as I’ve mentioned has been improved, and there’s a very run-of-the-mill heel counter in the rear. It would have been nice if Nike had added some sort of midfoot plate when they went to retool this shoe, but no such luck.

On court, I didn’t have any issues as far as support and stability go. The shoe plays low to the ground, the forefoot is very wide and features a substantial outrigger. The midsole remains very stable as you move on court. Nothing really to complain about, but also nothing really to write home about. Its a stable and secure feeling shoe, but that’s about it.

Nike GT Cut Cross Fit

The Nike GT Cut Cross fits true to size so I would suggest going with whatever size you usually use with Nike. The forefoot does feel slightly snug, especially after a first try-on, but not to the point where I would recommend going up half a size. Getting a nice one-to-one fit will also enhance lockdown, so, again, go true to size.

Nike GT Cut Cross Overall

The Nike GT Cut Cross is a very solid budget and outdoor option. The traction was great and held up very well on outdoor surfaces, the cushioning was just enough for me and my playing style, and I feel like the modified upper offers better lockdown and durability. That being said, this is still a very basic performance model that excels thanks to a couple of key design choices and not because of any groundbreaking tech or the implementation of any premium features.

Admittedly, you can’t expect much from Nike these days at this price point ($105), and as far as budget options go, the GT Cut Cross should be at the top of the list.

One last minor gripe I have with this model is regarding the price. The GT Cut Cross retails for $10 more than the GT Cut Academy. While I think that the Cross is a better shoe all around, and the addition of XDR rubber is great, I don’t think there is anything in the shoe that would warrant the price increase. Nothing was added to the shoe: no shank plate, no extra cushioning, no premium materials…nothing. So, why did they add $10 to the price tag? Doesn’t make much sense to me.