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adidas FutureStar Boost Performance Review – Duke4005

 

With the introduction of basketball Boost foam in the Crazy Light Boost last fall, adidas finally seemed to have their proprietary cushioning in place for years. But that shoe, to me at least, was a disappointment in the performance department. The Rose 5 seemed to finally realize the potential to some degree, but there were still holes in the armor. Now we get the FutureStar Boost. Could Boost finally be right? Only one way to know…


futureboost 4

MATERIALS – I usually try to start with materials because it is the first thing I see, so… synthetics and leather. The upper is mostly a synthetic leather with a snakescale pattern embossed on it. Very subtle, though – it is the same color as the upper, so unless someone is just staring at your feet it will go unnoticed. There is leather around the lace area and up into the ankle collar as well. However, the most intriguing area is the toebox. Looks like a shelltoe but is thins and pliable. Personally, I don’t mind this – I always wondered how you play in a shoe as hard as the shelltoes and T-Mac 1, so this is a good look for me. TechFit tongue and inner bootie, although it isn’t labeled, and all is good to go.


 

Futureboost 2

TRACTION – This looks familiar. The EXACT SAME outsole and midsole as the Crazy Light Boost. On clean courts this is not a problem. Outdoors, I was still good, grabbing on cuts and gripping on defense. However, a little dust, and I was drifting slipping, especially going from a stand-still or spot-up to taking a first step to drive. My feet slipped out two or three times each session on the semi-dirty court. Again, on the new floor at my other 24 Hour Fitness, it was flytrap. Couldn’t even slide if I tried, which I did, standing on the sidelines waiting on next (on the rare chance I lost). The pattern is shallow and the same soft rubber of the CLBoost, so I would NOT recommend for outdoors at any length. Every once in a while, yeah – driveway drills and shooting, cool. But if you go everyday at the park, look for another.


 

futureboost 5

FIT – And then we have fit. Looking at the picture above, you would assume ankle lockdown is great, and you would be correct. Ankle fit is freaking tight, in a good way, as the thick collar and elastic strap seen right ^^^ there wrap around and pull your foot back and into the heel. It is a little higher cut along the Achilles but I had no blisters or rubbing, even wearing no-shows. But then we go into the midfoot, and there is only one word – lazy. I had the same feeling with the heel of the Lillard – it just had an unfinished feel to it, much like this shoe. Laced as tight as absolutely possible, I still had some movement within the shoe, especially the forefoot around my toes. For me, that is instant re-boxing. One of the reasons is the metal grommet lace holes. I know, once upon a time they were a sign of top performers, but that was YEARS ago. Now, they just don’t hold the fit. As soon as I would let go after pulling tight, the laces slipped back out again, loosening my efforts. The FutureStar is also cut fairly wide, so my normal width foot was swimming inside. I felt like a kid wearing Dad’s kicks to go check the mail because the concrete wash hot and I didn’t have any shoes by the door. My foot slid and danced all over the footbed; an instant downgrade.


futureboost 6

CUSHIONING – Another less-than-stellar aspect of the shoe. The EXACT SAME outsole, midsole, and cushioning system as the Crazy Light Boost, and I did not enjoy that shoe much at all. The heel is fine, but I rarely land on or take off from my heel. It is cushioned, responsive, and dynamic. The forefoot is the problem – segmented EVA just does not do the job. For low court feel, the system is perfect. However, on any landings and jumps the impact was felt straight up my legs. Not good in any realm. The midsole did play quick but the impact was just too much to deal with for the most part.

This is my 7th Boost shoe, and I love the foam, but this is too little for the purpose. If adidas only gives us targeted Boost, at least give it to us in toe forefoot where the response is felt and needed. My  main problem is this – the shoe is $125, not exactly cheap. For the same money you can get full-length Micro G in the Curry 1 (Charged), CF Drive, or Micro G Pro. You could buy the Lillard 1, which doesn’t have Boost but feels more responsive and cushioned. You could get the Nike HyperRev 2015 for $5 more and get heel and forefoot Zoom. See my point? Even adidas running gave us the Response Boost with heel and forefoot for $100. It can be done and should be.


Futureboost 1

SUPPORT – One aspect of the shoe that was good was support. The heel is locked in due to the thick foam and elastic strap. Not sure if the strap actually did anything or if it just looks like it, but I had no worries about ankle stability at all from the fit. The midfoot is bridged by the StableFrame running from the heel to the balls of the forefoot, keeping those arches up and transition smooth. There is a very small outrigger on the lateral forefoot but the shoe rides so low in front that it is overkill. The heel wrap is also a direct carry-over from the Crazy Light Boost and works as well here. If the shoe had just fit better the stability would have been Wells Fargo solid.


OVERALL – Sorry, three stripes, another swing and miss with the Futurestar Boost. An adiprene+ insert in the forefoot, or even a thicker insole, would have solved the fit problem and the cushioning problem. I know not every person will have the same issues, but I am a pretty standard guy as far as the public is concerned. If you just need a shoe for the weekend family game or to drill in, you will be good here. If you are looking for close fit, great response, and killer cushioning, keep looking.

I have been accused of being an adidas apologist in the past because I have loved their basketball line since the Supernatural Creator, but the last year has seen some issues, all easily solved and would make the line killer. More Boost, first of all. Don’t tell me about the cost – it is all over the running segment. I understand signature athletes wanting what they want, but for a Team shoe, give it to us. The Crazy Light Boost wasn’t that good to begin with – why give us a re-hash of that for the Playoffs? adidas, you are better than this. Time to blow our minds.

adidas Future Star Boost Performance Review Score

 

19 comments
  1. I really don’t like that they are throwing all their eggs in for boost. Too me it seems lazy since either a shoe will have Eva (standard foam), adiprene (outdated- may be tweaked recently) and boost which seems to be something that will be overused in premium models. That kinda makes everything bland and monotonous. Great review though

    1. They’re not, that’s the problem. Boost comes in every way/shape/form in running(heel, fore-foot, full-length, caged, uncaged, ultra, normal, and every other combo you can think of), in Basketball there’s 2 versions.

      This one, a small heel-cube, and the Full-Length.

      And this one, has made a Pro Model which this is(an $89 shoe, $125) do you see the problem?

      Boost is adidas’ version of Zoom, and if Nike put Zoom in all it’s shoes, nobody complains(for the longest time Nike did exactly that, and everybody old enough longs for those days, just see the replies to having Zoom back in the Hyperdunks), nobody will complain if adidas actually puts Boost in all their shoes, in different incarnations(heel, forefoot, heel/forefoot, caged, uncaged, and so on).

      To be sustainable, adidas should actually work on pairing it so much, that it becomes ‘adidasBoost’ 1 word. And not try to keep it ‘exclusive’ while snail-pacing on introducing it, because people are already ‘checking out’ because it’s taking forever to get Boost repressented properly.

      ….rant over.

  2. I don’t understand Adidas. Some people may not like what I say, but from a business standard Adidas is stupid. They are NO WHERE close to NIKE/Jordan in sales ( And that does not include what Nike gets from Converse or Hurley either). But they put Boost in a shoe and then charge 120+ as if they are on the same level. In terms of sales its Nike and then everyone else, which is why Nike charges so much and gets away with it. But the still have the KB Mentality (full length lunar), Hyperquikness lunar (Full length lunar) for UNDER 100. UA is even better with the Curry 1, Clutch fit drive, and the atomic spawn being under 130, which is why the outsold adidas last year. And that is who Adidas competion is, UA not Nike, as the swoosh is on another planet business wise. IMO Nike,UA,BRANDBLACK, PEAK >>>>>>>>>>>> Adidas.

    1. I’ll have to disagree on the Boost part – it is on the same level as ANY cushioning out there in the running market. It just has still not been used to full potential in basketball, and I don’t know why – stability, cost, function, who knows. But I do agree, if this is your future, you better figure it out quick.

      1. Sorry I was in a rush and not clear. It is my fav foam, but from a business they would do better if they sold something like the Energy Boost for 120-130 like the flyknit lunar, which is its main competition. You see if someone in track was serious about running and wanted what is best for his feet, he/she would look on line see the flyknit lunar has won best runner two years in a row and get that.

        1. Also when I listed those other brands I meant marketing wise in basket ball. When was the last time Adidas had a incredibly succsesfull shoe in B ball. (I mean Kobe ix, Jordan xx9/xx8, or clutch fit drive

  3. The damned things look like a budget shoe. They, Adidas, didn’t add any sex to them. Give the things a half shell, suede tongue, yeah. I’ve seen the joints in the other colors, sex sells, and it seems as if the Stripes has given up in that department over the past few years. Gone are the days of the TMac V and VI. Gone are the days of the Supernatural Creator, A3 Ultra, the 1.1. It’s like Adidas simply said, “fuck it”, after all the buzz they’ve generated beginning ten years ago. I don’t get it, they know what works, and just like not signing Jordan when he wanted to sign, Adidas has dropped the ball, again.

  4. Duke, your putting yourself through some Torture to get that review done. That shoe is Crap. They are making some seriously bad decisions at Adidas and I’m not sure if they are getting that feedback or they are all just getting Krunk on the job and taking a cab home. I hear you on making after market upgrades like an insole swap and even when you can find a decent replacement – its like it still never meant to be because the Lasts can be very Specific, foot depth changes – everything. the shoe is supposed to bring that feel to you the consumer. Well thanks for taking a few months off your Knees for the sake of us all – joke.

  5. If you and NW could do summary on Tech, Pro, Con like in your “top performance pick”, It would be good summary on each shoe.

  6. adidas better speed up the experimentation with Boost(put it on every shoe) because at the pace their going now(you can already see it in the comments) people are checking out, before they will get it right.

    And man, you picked up on all my worries with this shoe, and why I keep feeling it’s an $89 type shoe, not a $125-130.

  7. These “Boost” shoes all need to be equip with AT LEAST heel and forefoot segmented boost if it’s not going to be full length. Attack it like Nike does with Zoom so to speak. If Adidas wants to limit full-length to signature models then it is what it is, but this heel only set up with next to nothing up front is ridiculous. I just can’t see why it can’t happen the way that I described. When you come out with a new tech, come out swinging your bat as hard as you can to make waves. These terrible implementations are doing exactly what other commenters are saying. I don’t even care to bother with these models at all and pretty soon will just be giving nike and UA my money along with the occasional Li-Ning and Peak pick-ups. Adidas is quickly easing their way out of people’s minds and therefore out of their consideration for hoop shoes. The runners on the other hand are Excellent but these hoop shoes are just sad.

    1. the rose 5s are pretty damned good, though, seriously, i’ve been playing in the brendas and they are very pleasing, besides the obvious comfort of the upper, the court feel is beautiful on those….i like them more the xx9s, that might sound like blasphemy to some, but the boost gives me the right amount of responsiveness, court feel and consistency, the fact that it’s full length makes the transition really nice, the xx9s for me are a luxury item that i indulge in every now and then, but to be honest they will probably never be a day-to-day go-to shoe, whereas the rose 5 in the brenda and chicago ice iterations has everything that i could want from an everyday basketball shoe…

      sorry for the long post, but adidas aren’t TOTALLY asleep at the wheel, the rose 5 is, for me at least, just as good as my clutchfit drive lows, if not better, and those are my go-to shoes at the moment…

      1. Unlike most, I agree on the Rose 5. Love that shoe, once I replaced the insole with a thicker one. My point is, build off of THAT, not the CLBoost.

        1. I actually asked the company around D rose 5 release about adding the previous model insert. D Rose is dropping inserts into his shoe lol. Now there’s a gripe from everyone. With a line where the rose 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 were beast in their own ways, going with light breathable simplicity to a still light more natural material feel, appearance, and weight. If Rose had been healthy the 3 it’s the top shoe that year performance community’s top shoe. The Rose 5 after all the over hype is a fantastic shoe and is a top ten shoe this year. The future star is bs its just a poorly done cl done into a even less impressive high top. Adidas, not to excuse bs like this is focusing a lot more on north American shoe development and management. If they can keep a consistency, we’ve seen a non boost dame sell and Adidas is chasing the low top market as Kobe steps away. We’ve heard Adidas is going less team and more signature, that’s going to help with the designers in place, management structure, the summer line up forward I expect all shoes to be affordable, quality, and not different names for the same shoe. The rose 773 & 6 looks great, I’ve seen a blue print target boost type system similar to bron zoom in a pure motion set up. That’s exciting, rose 5 was my first boost and is w changes I should not of had to make is a top ten most consistent easy to maintain, indoor outdoor, amazing traction and lock down. What bothers me. It doesn’t need a strap for support unless the molding or cage is needed for lock down, a strap based rose 6 is not the major change I hope for but I have heard the insole needed will come with the top of the line shoe lol

          There are several forefoot and heel boost basketball models and 2 fukk

      2. I completely understand that but again, that’s a full length implementation on a signature shoe. If they don’t want to go with full length on “Team Models” then at least put a boost pad up front on those. Having them as they are now is just not good enough. That was the general idea behind my post. I apologize if that wasn’t clear. Adidas has a plan. I gave them that. My gripe is that they won’t execute better on ALL models. This is the time. They have these “Boost” hoop shoes releasing that are just pathetic In My Opinion. Go big or go home. Now is the time to go big. They still have the NBA uni so pair that with a whole suite of great, all around shoes that athletes or casual hoopers can get excited about.

  8. depressingly enough this is exactly what you would have expected just looking at them….and the crazylight boosts have a REALLY nice upper, too, so these are inferior even to those

  9. Hey brian sorry to ask it here but what is your thought about hd14 ?cushioning wise.i read your comment about hd13 before,about how the lunar drop so low you have to return your pair,im asking because there are some major discount on them in my area
    Btw ,i follow your recommendation On hf14,and they fit nicely,accomodating upper for wide footer,solid cushioning,a bit low to the ground for my taste,but they still perform admirably,too bad a sharp stone puncture one of the zoom in the heel so i stop play in them

  10. It’s just a crazylight with a higher upper or is the fit actually different? I’ve read these were made for Wiggins this year because he wanted more than low top, but I have no idea if that’s legit. Wiggins is a future star, at least the shoe isn’t called currently the best 😉

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