Nike Basketball Reintroduces Flight, Force and Uptempo, a New Foundation for the Modern Game

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Nike Basketball Reintroduces Flight, Force and Uptempo, a New Foundation for the Modern Game

• November 05, 2026
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What's happening?
Nike Basketball is reimagining Flight, Force and Uptempo as three distinct performance builds shaped around how athletes move, play, and want their footwear to look and feel.

How are the three builds different?
Flight supports explosive lift and impact absorption upon landing. Force is engineered for dynamic power through stability and containment. Uptempo delivers the court feel and responsiveness required for reactive speed. These builds give hoopers clearer footwear choices based on their style of play, preferred underfoot feel and expression.

What are the pinnacle expressions of each build?
G.T. Flight, G.T. Force and G.T. Uptempo are the pinnacle expressions of each build, combining athlete insight, performance innovation and the best of Nike design to deliver distinct on-court experiences.

How do signature styles fit within the builds?
Nike signature footwear is informed by the same Flight, Force and Uptempo builds, then tuned to the unique insights, movements and identities of each signature athlete.

When will the new G.T. Series footwear be available?
The new G.T. Series featuring G.T. Flight, Force and Uptempo will be available February 11 in North America at nike.com and select retail locations. A global launch will follow.

Power through contact. Rise in an instant. See the play before it develops, then create separation in a step.

Today's game asks players to move in different ways from one possession to the next, often without regard for the position beside their name.

Nike Basketball is meeting that evolution with a new foundation for footwear creation and design, centered around three distinct performance builds: Flight, Force and Uptempo. Rather than beginning with where an athlete is positioned on the court, the approach starts with how they move, play and want their footwear to look and feel.

Rooted in five decades of Nike Basketball design and innovation, Flight, Force and Uptempo carry forward three names with a legacy across both branded basketball and signature footwear. As the game continues to evolve, Nike Basketball is reimagining that legacy for the next generation, giving each build new performance meaning and a modern design language informed by today's athletes and game.

That foundation comes to life through the G.T. Series, Nike Basketball's pinnacle performance footwear offering, featuring G.T. Flight, G.T. Force and G.T. Uptempo.

The new foundation is built on insights from elite youth hoopers around the globe and validated by the world's greats, resulting in a footwear foundation that's more relevant, responsive and specific to the way the game is played today.

Each build combines athlete insight, Nike design and performance innovation to deliver a distinct on-court experience that gives hoopers clearer choices based on their style of play and preferred underfoot feel.

The G.T. Series also reflects a global basketball culture where performance and personal style are inseparable, delivering builds that are simple, progressive, confident and unmistakably Nike Basketball. Designed for a generation less interested in fitting the mold, the G.T. Series captures the soul of today's game while pointing toward what comes next.

"Basketball is the soul of Nike," says Ross Klein, VP/Creative Director, Nike Basketball. "It's always pushed us to think differently, experiment and imagine what's possible. This new foundation lets us bring the best of Nike Basketball performance and design to athletes in a way that's more intuitive, more personal and built to evolve with the game."

Flight: The Build for Explosive Lift

Explosive lift is more than just jumping. It's all forms of propulsive moment: rising for rebounds, attacking the rim and hustling through passing lanes on defense.

The G.T. Flight considers each of these movements, delivering a combination of Nike innovations that players need to jump, bound and run from first tip to final buzzer. A full-length Zoom Strobel and Cushlon 3.0 foam form the foundation of the shoe's cushioning system. A textile bootie, TPU cage and sock liner provide support and comfort, while a rubber traction outsole helps athletes translate explosive movement to the court and a bold design expression captures the feeling of flight.

Force: The Build for Dynamic Power

Nike Basketball's Force build is for players known for their power and athleticism on both sides of the ball, supporting sustained effort, forceful movement and rapid transitions as they move between positions throughout the game.

The G.T. Force, available in high- and low-top models, is engineered to help sustain that power through a combination of responsive cushioning, stability and containment. ZoomX 3.0 foam provides energy management and comfort, while a synthetic armor upper helps contain the foot. A TPU window and shank join a rubber cup sole to complete a build that pairs dynamic performance with a bold design expression.

Uptempo: The Build for Reactive Speed

Reactive speed is the ability to see the game, process it in an instant, and turn that information into an advantage on either end of the floor.

Built for players whose game depends on rhythm, instinct and precision, the G.T. Uptempo feels like an extension of the foot. Its lightweight, low-to-the-ground construction enhances court feel, helping hoopers create separation through rapid acceleration and deceleration. ZoomX 3.0 foam, an Air Zoom Strobel and a heel Air Zoom unit deliver responsive cushioning, while an engineered mesh upper, Cushlon carrier, TPU window and shank, and rubber outsole complete a build that both looks and feels fast.

A Clearer Choice for Every Kind of Game

The Flight, Force and Uptempo builds are the foundation for all Nike Basketball footwear, including signature models tuned to the unique movements and identities of each signature athlete.

LeBron James and Ja Morant take Flight, for example, while A'ja Wilson and Giannis Antetokounmpo lean into Force and Devin Booker, Caitlin Clark, Kevin Durant and Sabrina Ionescu push the pace with Uptempo. Those alignments can evolve as athletes and their games change over time.

Together, the three builds give players clearer direction in choosing footwear for their game today, as well as the flexibility to make new choices as their play develops. The G.T. Series represents the pinnacle expression of that approach, bringing together Nike athlete insight, design and performance innovation across G.T. Flight, Force and Uptempo.

For Nike Basketball, the new foundation connects five decades of design heritage with the needs of today's game. Through Flight, Force and Uptempo, Nike is creating clearer, more specific performance choices and continuing to push basketball footwear forward with and for athletes.

The Nike G.T. Flight, Force and Uptempo will be available February 11 in North America at nike.com and select retail locations. A global launch will follow.