I was able to check out the adidas CrazyLlight Boost over the weekend and I loved what I saw. There were two versions, one was a production Sample while the other was final retail.
First things first, the shoe was awesome. Great mesh upper with synthetic overlays for support, but the overlays weren’t anything crazy like a Fuse. It was just a thin glue-like application, and it’ll be on the final retail version. They fit true to size but if you like a little wiggle room then go up 1/2 size.
You can see that the overall look between the Sample (left) and retail version (right) are pretty much identical. The real changes between the two are at the midsole and outsole. The Sample feature a fully exposed heel Boost pad… there isn’t an official name for targeted Boost so I’m going to call them pads. If you happen to see anyone else describing Boost in the same manner… they got it from me.
Both felt great but having the heel completely exposed could potentially create some instability issues over time so encapsulating it is the best option. It’ll allow the Boost’s lifespan to be greater and it would add support. With the final retail version, they went with an exposed Boost pad, but its not fully exposed. Just enough to showcase the tech much like a visible Air unit from Nike. Pretty smart and cool if you ask me.
The outsole is the real surprise as the Sample version looked more appealing to me from an on-court perspective. I have to assume that adidas tested the hell out of the final versions pattern in order for it to have been approved, but if you don’t play on pristine courts then I’m guessing it’ll cause a problem. Not that the same wouldn’t happen with the Sample pair’s pattern, but we all know that the multidirectional herringbone/ wave bone would perform best, based on previous experiences at least.
You can also see that the Sample doesn’t feature the X-bar support system. Having this on the shoe will add stability, torsional rigidity where needed and some slight spring back.
The CrazyLight Boost will be your introduction into something amazing. For those of you that have never tried Boost, or for those of you who swear off anything but Swooshes and Jumpmen… prepare to have your minds blown.
Boost coming to basketball this Fall… it’s about damn time.
Yeah, also kinda uncertain about the real one’s traction.
I mean, a bunch of lines aren’t gonna do anything, are they?
It should work great for lateral movements but unless the rubber is amazing I’m guessing forward and backward movements will suck.
Sample had slightly better traction for outdoor. Oh well, both outstanding results.
to my experience, the look of the traction pattern is almost never a perfect representation of how they actually perform on court. Some traction patterns look incredible and then they dont hold up, while other shoes look like trash traction end up being the best ones.
The Adidas Game Day Lightning from however many years ago i remember had amazing traction, and those just had a bunch of lines as well. Also I had a pair of those APL shoes, imo the traction doesnt look good but they were some of the best ive ever experienced
can’t wait to get my hands on these.. maybe i’ll grab their boost featured running shoes first today..
Can’t wait for the DRose 5 performance review with the full length boost..any idea or news if adidas will be releasing a low version with full length boost?
Is the outer layer similar to the kobe 7?
It was a good move for the slightly exposed boost bad a bad move with the traction
really excited to try these out; just hope the support will be good
Seems like having boost in only the heel won’t do much
Maybe not for a guard, but bigger players like a 4-5 could benefit from the tech if they heel strike or play on their heels a lot on defense (back pedaling, defensive positioning, etc.).
the sample verson looks like full length. I guess the sample version ran into some instability and durability issues. what I don’t understand however is the traction. athough it coud prove us wrong about the traction performance.
The rose 5’s heel has exposed boost, so does that mean there would be stability and support issues?
Same question I just asked below. Maybe the the Boost being full length in the Rose 5 makes a difference in stability and support?
Can’t wait for the DAME PE Crazylight boost
I’m waiting for the Rose. these are just too ugly to bother w/. all those thin lines look horrible
holy shit what is adidas thinking?
the traction looks shit in the retail version and we dont play nba standard floor everyday
wtf adidas
Why does the Rose 5 have fully exposed Boost on the heel if you think it might cause stability issues? If you think it might be a problem, why would they have it like that on their top model? or does that possible stability issue you mentioned not apply to the Rose 5 because of it being full length Boost?
Because the drose 5 is boost full lentgh and transition from heel to forefoot is smooth but since the crazylight 4 has heel boost it would feel weird and uncomfortable
Most shoes wouldn’t have really comfortable foam in the heel and a denser foam in the forefoot
I think they caged the heel boost to address some reliability issues. As you notice in the final retail they went to a segmented set up. And as we know the boost foam is only heel so basically if they don’t cage then only the boost foam would be holding the heel outsole and might rip off if subjected to excessive strain. Anyway just my opinion
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!
Somehow a sneaker store in Melbourne, Australia is selling the DAME PE and I bought a pair…don’t how the store got them so early or why they can sell them before the “release date”. Anyway the box has BOOST on it in yellow font just like the runners and the shoes look exactly the same as the photos so I assume they are authentic legit retail stock…Just a very quick review on my pair for everyone’s interest:
– The techfit upper feels good and really hug your feet well…pretty tight on the first try on and length-wise is true to size. Wide footers would definitely need to go up at least half a size otherwise the little toes will be trashed
– I think there is geo-fit in the collar and the top of the tongue…I maybe wrong here they don’t feel like normal stuffing so yea
– Boost is in the heel…the entire heel segment. Forefoot is the normal Adidas EVA I assume and it feels pretty good…not too firm and not too soft. Just right
– Insole is not a PU insole like you can find the Rose’s. Nothing fenzy here…
– Traction should be alright…I haven’t hoop in them yet but I definitely will try them out Friday night on a dusty court. The rubber is not super soft but I wouldn’t use them outdoor because the “lines” aren’t deep so yea
Hopefully my “assumed to be authentic retail pair” review will help you out a bit! Cheers!
for some reason, there are stores that do that or release them much earlier than the supposed release dates. I have seen the 2012 Hyperfuse, 2014 Fly 2 PO’s and etc… released much earlier. I also saw some special edition shoes that looked or constructed differently than the retail versions. the point is, just make sure that the store is a reputable and authorized seller and watch out for flaws.
just to make it clear, some store have the shoes in stock for atleast 2 weeks before release and put them in inventory.
Absolutely! The local footlockers have the copper flightposite already which I don’t think they have been released in the US…Anyway just a quick update on the CL boost – the traction actually worked but not superb on dusty court. I still have to wipe the outsole quite often to stop me from being an idiot on the court…Actually the dusty bought out some upper-like web patterns on the outsole which I can only see them with dusts on. Anyway I really like them and can’t wait to try on the Rose 5! Cheers!
How much did the Dame PEs cost?
AUD$200…They are now available on Adidas AU website
You’ve mentioned that encapsulated boost is a better option over the fully exposed due to “not so obvious” reasons, so I was wondering, why is the boost exposed on the D Rose 5?
If any player around the league could be affected by instability caused by that is Derrick Rose due to his quick changes of direction and stuff.