Not bad for his first model.
Traction – One of the best looking story telling patterns I’ve ever seen, and I had high hopes for them too. While they perform decent, they weren’t ‘the best’ when you consider what else is available within the same – or very close to it – price range. Dusty courts will require you to wipe at every dead ball while clean courts still had some minor issues. Outdoors was a complete letdown as I was sliding all over the place. They aren’t horrible, linear movements and stops are a breeze, but lateral maneuvers left a bit to be desired.
Cushion – adiPrene+ is supposedly running full length, but it felt more like it was only present in the heel. The heel felt like it had more bounce and rebound to it while the rest of the midsole felt firm in comparison. If you play regulated games then you’ll be just fine, but if you run pick-up all night… grab a cushioned insole to go with the shoes.
Materials – I love the materials… and I wish something like this was on the Rose 5. While the mesh upper wont prove to be the most resilient material, it will take care of you without creating any awkward flexing, pinching or hot spots. They are game-ready fresh out the box. Fuse is wrapped around the toe and eyestay as well, so those areas will help protect the material a bit. Each colorway will also feature a slightly different woven upper, so some versions may be slightly more durable and less breathable and vice versa.
Fit – They fit true to size, but Eastbay (I just noticed this today( recommends going down 1/2 size. Mine fit me perfectly, so I don’t think I’d be able to pull off going down at all, but I’m sure each person will have a different experience. Lockdown in the shoe is surprisingly good. For having such a minimalistic upper, they keep you pretty secure from heel to toe. The lockdown wings strap the midfoot down while the top eyelets keep the heel drawn into the back of the shoe. For something that retails at $115, you’d expect something more basic… but these feel like they’re ready for anyone to lace up and take for a spin.
Ventilation – This particular colorway is very well ventilated. Like I mentioned above, some versions have different woven uppers. With that you’ll receive more or less ventilation. If you go with the pairs that are similar to the one I played in then you’ll be happy with the ventilation for sure. If you don’t care either way, then just pick the best looking colorway and have fun.
Support – Most of the support comes from the shoes fit and lockdown. Both were solid and in turn you get a really supportive ride while remaining minimal. The FitFrame does a great job as well, as it replaces adidas’ usual SprintFrame, and I feel this is the best way to go as there was plenty of support, but none of the pain that can be associated with the SprintFrame.
Overall – I like them some days, and other days I could go for something different. Mostly because some days I play for and hour and a half (which is when I like them), and other days I play for a few hours and that’s when I wish I had brought something with better cushion along. The traction issue is something I can look past when I play on clean courts, but dusty courts were a huge letdown. For their price, I feel you can just add $10 and get the ClutchFit Drive and get much more for the money. If these were available for $90 or less then they’d be a great on-court option for those looking to save some cash.
Hey nightwing! Great review. Which shoes would you say are the best for outdoor wear?
Since you mentioned it…I really wish there was some information/performance review on the Nike Air Raid or the D rose englewood 3. Either way, you might want to check them out.
P.s. great review as always nightwing, I’ve been eyeing the walls for a while…Salute frome Greece!
Air Raids suck they have no cushioning or traction
yeah,I’ve heard so…either way,considering that you ca grab them for under retail and if other aspects make it a decent performer,a cushioned isnole should do the trick(i imagine)
how about lunar raid?
Aesthetically exceptional. I might have to pick a pair up for casual wear. Not convinced I want to ball in them because good traction can make a shoe and bad traction can ruin it.
I was waiting to pick up the Woven Paisley pair, glad I stuck around for the review too. Nice work. Disappointed to hear about the traction, but ventilation is pretty big for me, so I might still go with these over the ClutchFit Drive.
I think the Clutchfit Drive is the best performance shoe you can get right now in the $100-$140 range. The only drawback is the ventilation. Ventilation isn’t a must for me, but I do prefer it if possible. I’m still going to buy at least one pair and see if I can handle the lack of ventilation, will probably get another pair if the lack of ventilation isn’t much of an issue for me.
UA released a great shoe at a great price point IMO, which makes it hard to beat. I thought the Rose 5 might have overtaken it, but it turned out to be a bit of a letdown. Maybe a different upper material will make it better? I’m keen to see what people think of the Sharp Grey/Dark Onix/Black version that just came out is like with the different upper.
As for the Wall’s, I really like the looks of them, but they perform about as I expected. Actually, I expected the cushioning to be a little better, so that ended up being below my expectations. I kind of feel bad for Wall in regards to cushion. I don’t think this guy has ever had a shoe with decent cushioning since he’s been in the NBA, has he?
hehehe…adiprene is decent, still better than that rock hard zigtech
If you’re asking about the Chicago ice cw, the upper feels great. It’s supportive enough and flexible. Nothing like the cheap L train cw.
Great Review NW… does anybody know when adidas’ major sale happens? I remember every hoop shoe was 50% off last year. I need to save for that sale.
we had it a week ago. all tagged 30% off will be buy 1 take 1 with price higher being needed to pay. so it’s paying only 70% of the higher priced shoe and get 1 free. lots of this year’s blue black rose 773 and rocket boosts, cq2’s, cq2 lows and older models. boost running shoes sold out. bought a adidas/bedvin chukka 70% off. next will be the whole december to january.
I was literally half dead waiting for these reviews man.. Thanks so much T.T
Nice and very informative review!! Personally I will wait for other colourways!
Hey Nightwing!
Thanks 4 a great review – as always!
Would you pls consider revewing Jordan 14,5?
Many people asked that many times, and so do I.
Much respect for your work! Keep it up!
Great Review,
So, this shoe needs FULL Forefoot adiPrene + and/or encapsulated BOOST front and back. FULL LENGTH HERRINGBONE Traxion, Add CARBON FIBER on the three stripes for additional support. Stronger UPPER. Priced at $90. For $100 dollars add premium adidas socks. Do various uppers including premium leather, maybe add strap for playoffs. ALL IN? adiMack
i tried these on, they definitely feel like a “players’ shoe = they inspire to go hoopin. I do want a pair- need to wait for them to go on a fire sale because sadly these will sit on the shelf and they need some additional colorways, what’s out now is too conservative.
Have you confirmed that the woven grey paisley pair is playable on court? I know you mentioned you thought you saw wall playing in them.
i have a size 9.5 hyperrev and i am wide footed, what size should i get for this shoe? My feet are around 25 cm long, my mid foot is 7 cm wide and my forefoot is 9.5 cm wide. Also, does the crazy quick 2 stretch? Do they adapt to your feet?
Sorry this is not relevant to this post but someone please respond to me!
You were shooting like john wall out there.
I got these mainly because I thought they looked cool but figured I’d try them out anyway.
I do think the AdiPrene is full length, probably just a thicker insert or portion of the insert in the heel, which isn’t uncommon. That said, I thought these *begged* for the Boost foam. Why not a Boost foam (either full length or two separate units, a la Hyperdunk 2012/2013/2014) and some sort of AdiPrene inside or under the insole? The Boost for straight cushioning, the AdiPrene for that responsive feel.
I got the Black History Month colorway and you might expect, they don’t breath well at all because of the materials used. I did like the fit though the the BHM D Rose 5 had a better fit and all-around feel for me personally (nice leather on the black portions, felt great).
I also found the traction to be lacking moving side to side, though it wasn’t as drastic of an issue for me. Lateral support is just decent.
I like the shoe overall but it could have been so much better with a superior cushioning setup and a little more attention to detail.
yo nightwing what happened to the new grading system?
Btw – I feel that the new one was too oversimplified and that this one is best.
and nightwing, one question, adiprene or phylon?
The new grading system is still in place. All the info you need is here http://weartesters.com/upcoming-changes-performance-reviews/
If the system is too oversimplified then go find something that’s more difficult to understand lol.
what would be cool, but possibly a major headache, is a “top performance picks” for each major brand. UA,Nike, Adidas, Jordan. Something like top 5 performers from each brand. Just a thought.
I don’t want people to just stick to one brand. People need to understand that other brands other than Nike make really great performance models.
+1.
I thought that the traction was good. Maybe cause I have only used it indoors. It works well on a dusty wooden court and a synthetic court as well. One is the all star pair too so maybe a different rubber compound.
I personally didn’t like my pair. Poor ttaction and cushioning. Sending mine back to Adidas asap. Hopefully the J Wall 2s and whatever J Walls next shoe is better overall. Just my 2 cents!