The adidas adiPower Howard 2 is a very well rounded performer at a great price. They are perfect for any position on the floor from a PG to a C.
Traction – While it doesn’t look like it would offer much for a speedy Guard or even a powerful Forward, the traction is great for what it is and has had no problems even on dusty courts. You may wonder why I won’t rate traction higher than a 9.5… as I have said before; there is always room for improvement.
Cushion – When trying them on there is a noticeable difference right away when comparing them with the adiPower Howard 1. Even comparing them with other adidas models, these feel far superior in the cushion department.
The heel provides the most cushion while the forefoot is closer to ground. It’s pretty much set up perfectly for any type of player which is rare to have in a ‘big man’ shoe.
Material – The materials are all synthetics. This can be both good and bad. It’s great for weight reduction and flexibility. It also retains its shape a bit better than a leather upper would, especially since these aren’t the most ventilated shoe on the market.
Fit – I loved the fit, go true to size, and the support frames enhanced the fit perfectly. If the support frame wasn’t in place they would still hold the foot in place nicely but since they are available all it will do is increase the lockdown while adding additional support in the areas that tend to get overworked. The forefoot remains flexible for increased mobility which coincides with the lower profile cushion in that area.
Ventilation – This is the one thing that holds the adiPower Howard 2 back. While some don’t mind a shoe with little ventilation, nowadays the ventilation seems to be a key component to the shoes overall performance. Strangely enough, the lack of ventilation did not hinder the performance at all even though it offered your foot a noticeably moister ride. The only thing I don’t understand is why there aren’t more perforation holes along the side panels when there is clearly more than enough room for them to be implemented.
Support – As stated above, the support frame and cage around the midfoot work great. The support is noticeable and great to have. Being that the support is TPU, it’s lightweight and doesn’t restrict movement. This is key for a Guard and will benefit larger players.
Overall – These are one heck of a performer especially given its price. You can grab these for $100 now or you can grab the All-Star & Black/ Grey colorway for a discounted rate at Eastbay. These will also easily translate off the court if that is something that you are interested in… personally, I will be grabbing the Home and Away colorways for casual use as they look great.
Traction – 9.5/10
Cushion – 9.5/10
Material – 9/10
Fit – 9/10
Ventilation – 2/10
Support – 10/10
Overall – 8/10
now if only the price were as great back here in the PI haha! it’s about $130 retail here so i’m looking forward to the time when these hit outlets.
A $30 increase isnt too bad. Still way cheaper than nike or jordan.
nice review as always! would you prefer this over the 2.5s?
Thanks! I state my feeling on the howard 2 within the first minute of the video.
Man I am very dissapointed that I got the adipower howard 1 now. Also that these perform better than the 2.5s (well thats what you said). Prob gonna sell the howard 1 and buy them.
For anyone who wants these not sure about any other sites but footaction for 4 days will have 20% off discount so they will equal about 70$! Gonna cop the away colorway!
Great review as always. I always have to watch your reviews before I buy anything haha. I was wondering, considering that these are your favorites of the year. Do you get another pair of the shoes you really like? or do you already have too many shoes that need to be reviewed so you don’t. thanks again
Well if i like a shoe enough, i will buy multiple pairs just in case. The kobe IV was the last shoe i purchased more than one pair… I think i have 4.
awesome review! how’s your ankle feeling? i noticed you said these are your favorite shoes to ball in this year so far. that’s a bold statement and it definitely has me interested in them now. but how would you stack this shoe up against your favorite shoe of last year, the fly wade 2?
My ankle feels great, tonight was my first night without a brace and it felt awesome.
I think i like them both equally right now at a personal level. If i were to make a recommendation id say the howard offers a more accommodating fit for most foot shapes where the wade was pretty narrow for most ppl.
Thanks for the review. Looks like Basketball shoe market between other companies is going to be competitive again.
Its getting very competitive.
I hope air-knight.com will carry the Lei Feng edition of this shoes. I’ll try fit this shoes one of this days. If it feels good, I’ll take it.
I dont think they will but you can get them from eastbay and possibly adidas if they still have sizes avail.
HI nightwing.
Melo M8 or howard 2 for a point guard?both indoor & outdoor.
Theyre both very good shoes but i personally enjoyed the howard 2 more.
Yah Eastbay is the way to go. I just prefer Air-Knight.com as they are based in HK (as far as I know) and it is closer here in Singapore plus the shipping fee is cheaper hahaha!
I will be just getting the all star edition color as the the Lei Feng is way above my budget. This will be my second shoe purchase after the 2011 Q Flight and I just based my decision on your reviews.
Keep it up man!
Yeah theyre in HK so its def closer.
Hope you enjoy them!
Great review man, keep up the fantastic work!
You have no idea how happy I am to hear all of this: I’m a small PG and my favorite player is Dwight Howard lol! So finally a DH shoe I can play in! But I’m still sort of undecided, as I was considering a pair of Adizero Rose 2.5’s before watching this. So apart from ventilation, are there any aspects of the Rose that you would say are better or more suited for a guard than the Howard? Also, are they a heavy shoe? Could you compare the weight to a recent shoe, say the KDIV or LeBron 9?
The rose is slightly better suited for a Guard but the howards are a great versatile shoe for many positions.
They are pretty light for a big man shoe and play nicely. I dont know the weight but theyre def lighter than the lebrons.
The lei fing edition is on Footaction, and it’s 20% off!
ahhh! its confusing! now this?! wade2s, rose 2.5 and howard 2! gotta be the best one for my feet! nice job bro…
hey nightwing, ever tried other adidas shoes like Supernatural Series like TS Creators and Beast Commander? I heard they performed really well on court both indoors and outdoors.. its kinda old but, wish you review them if you can still get them, and the rose 1.5s hope you could compare it to the new ones right now…
I havent tried them but i have also heard good things. Hopefully one of these days i can get around to those.
How is the speedwraps for like those little ankle folds like when you step on peoples feet upon landing now that its bad but does it prevent it?
I never ended up rolling my ankle in them that way. I would mostly notice support when stopping or during hard cuts with excessive force. Im sure it could help but may not fully prevent a full roll over if you land on someones foot.
Hey. I’m kinda new here but I watched a lot of your videos already and it was nice. But it’s not the shoe I’m concerned about. Can I ask how many shoes do you have??? 😀
I dont know the exact number but its just over 100.
You’re awesome!!!
Thanks lol
yoooo man, I found your review really helpful! I have extremely wide feet, and most shoe’s sting my feet after a hard training session, would you say the Howard 2’s would be good for my wide feet? cheers bro
If you go up 1/2 size they should be good. If you go with your true size you may have some added pressure from the midfoot support frame.
Hi Nighwing!
This Black/Grey version from Eastbay has some mesh over that shattered glass thing in the mid foot… May it be that ventilation is better on them?
Its possible but i havent seen them in person so i dont know what is behind the mesh.
my feet hurt a lot after practice and i need a shoe with arch support, preferably low arch, and cushioning, which has better cushion the lebron 9 low, fly wade 2, or adi power howard?
They all have good cushion. If you are used to Air based cushion you may want to try the LeBron 9 or LeBron 9 Low. As for your arch, you may want to look into purchasing an insole which will help more than a pair of shoes.
Better then Jordan 2012? You said these are your favorite so that probably means yes, but want to be sure….because if this shoe is $80 and 2012’s are $220 I might want to reconsider my recent purchase.
Thanks,
Evan
The 2012s are a great shoe, when i say theyre my top pick so far that is a personal opinion.
OK, thanks, might go with the Howards and save some $$ for my next sneaker 🙂
Once again, good job on all the reviews!
Awesome, thanks!
great review. Does anyone know where you can get the all star colorway online?
Eastbay has them for $79.99
Footlocker $65 with coupon.
I notice how you said that these were your favorite “of the year.” So comparing ratings, am I correct when I say that you preferred the Fly Wade 2 V1’s more than the Howard’s?
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into doing these reviews!
Yes, i personally prefer the wade 2 over the Howard 2 but the Howard 2 are a part of my favs for this yr.
Is this better than the air jordan 8.0
Two totally different shoes. Both are great performers.
I am a power forward may i know which shoe are suitable for me the jordan 8.0 or adipower howard 2
I go over everything in the reviews.
hey nightwing ive been doing some research on basketball sneakers, and i really need your help im stuck in deciding if i should get the adidas adipower howard 2
or the Adidas adizero rose 2.5. i really like the design of the Dwight howards 2 but do they lose their form and shape and how long does the sneaker last because i play in indoor and outdoor courts. i heard the D rose 2.5 wouldn’t last that long and they also are patent leather in the front so doesnt that mean they crease very easily compared to the Dwight howards 2. I play mostly PG position or SG. im not that fast but now how to power through.
Which sneaker is better for me?
Your questions can be answered by reading and watching the reviews.
r these good for playing on concrete
What would recommend for a 12 year old 120 lb 5’7 fast versatile forward: the Howard 2, the 2012 hyper dunks,the melo m8,the cl2 or the Lebron v2?
Awesome shoes. Found them for 50EUR and gave them a try. Both outdoors and indoors the traction is really good. I am not the type of very athletic guy but rather a kinda heavy PF. Ankle support is the best on anything i tried up to now. Cushion is really good but the feel is different from the 360 Max Air i was used with, i can see the improved responsiveness with these on. Fit is really good it feels like the shoe is one with your feet.
As most people mention ventilation is kind of a problem but no one is perfect :).
I would really recommend this shoes, and now that you can find them on sale it is a great purchase.
I really wonder why these are not so popular among big guys. Most people stick with Nike’s (including me). I was aware that this is a great shoe, since all performance reviews give it high rates, but waiting for the right moment. Compared to my last pair of Jordan Big ups, the howard 2 provides better ankle support, better flexibility and they feel lighter and more responsive.
I don’t know how PG/SG would feel with such a shoe, but i think that for SF/PF and even C are great shoes.
Thanks for your great reviews, i always read them but usually don’t comment ( i know shame on me) but i always point to your website when people need to buy good performers in the game.
Cheers from Sweden.
Appreciate the support, glad you like the shoes!
R these for power forward? Isit light? Is it good in outdoor courts?
Are you going to review the Howard 3 ?
Does anyone else feel that the shoe is really heavy and makes jumping really tough or is it just me?
I have these in black blue and white