Not bad… but not too good either…
Traction – We have herringbone, which is awesome… or is it? I have to say, I was really disappointed with how the traction performed. I’m not sure if its due to the rubber compound or the fact that the pattern is flat – possibly both – but these just didn’t give me any sort of confidence while making moves… any moves, even basic ones. If you happen to play on pristine floors then you may be just fine but if there is even the slightest amount of dust present then you’ll be skating around the court. However, they played fairly well outdoors. Strange but true. If you wanted to grab a pair for street ball then they’re not a bad option but indoor players that don’t get the luxury of playing on NBA/ NCAA caliber courts will want to stay pretty far away from these.
Cushion – adidas uses their standard EVA versus the originals which utilized adiPrene. Both are comfortable but the adiPrene is preferred. Not sure why they keep changing their setups when it comes to the Retro line but for whatever reason, they do. Either way, the cushion is low profile so court feel is great while impact protection is not. Not a bad thing in this particular model due to the Feet You Wear design. They aren’t clunky or heavy, offer fairly smooth transition and they get the job done overall. I personally find them to be comfortable but they definitely aren’t the most cushioned option available.
Materials – Synthetics are used throughout, just like the original. The only difference is that the synthetics used here are much cheaper than what they once were and its pretty noticeable – if you were to have both in hand. It didn’t have a negative affect on their performance, but its something to note. This is something that I forgot to mention in the video – probably a good reason to read and watch, I suppose – but the durability seems to be an issue. My midsole at the toe area on the medial side has already begun to separate from the upper… not exactly what you’d expect from a shoe that’s only a couple months old.
Fit – They fit true to size and they feel great on-foot. Lockdown is pretty solid, especially for the funky shape the upper has, and you feel contained more often than not. I loved how the heel portion of the shoe felt when fully laced and they didn’t pinch or bind at all.
Ventilation – There is mesh used along the mid section of the shoe and that allows some heat to escape but not much. Same goes for the mesh tongue. Usually, for a 90’s shoe, this means you’ll receive a sloppy fit or a blister or two but that wasn’t the case with these. While not the ‘best’ when you compare them to some of adidas’ more recent models, but definitely not the worst.
Support – The support was solid. Torsion ‘Y’ bar was in place for near perfect torsional support while providing a slight spring back into your step, and the anatomical midsole/ outsole design pretty much took care of the rest. They look bulky but they don’t feel bulky. They actually feel better than some modern models I’ve worn in recent years.
Overall – Not something I’d choose for indoor play after their lackluster traction, but outdoors was a much better experience. Comfortable and fairly lightweight/ smooth while transitioning… definitely not something that goes hand in hand with 90’s basketball. I liked them but not enough to want to play in them again. For those that wanted to grab them as a nostalgic purchase, its a good shoe to have. For those looking for premium performance… go with their newer stuff like the CQ2 or Rose 4.
this makes me sad. i was thinking about getting these
lol me too, that traction kills it :/
I had these back in the day and really liked them. Shame they changed the cushion and materials. I dont remember the traction being that bad but I did play 90% outdoors when I had them. This seems like a shoe destined to hit the $40-55 mark in a month or so. If they do I might pick them up for nostalgia purposes but I doubt it.
This is a weird comment but I like the hoop behind you. Appears solid and that the ball would look really good going through the net
lol, the hoop was pretty nice for an outdoor court and that rim forced you to shoot perfectly or else it would go in and out.
I don’t know why adidas keep making these retros with terrible material and basic setup
sounds like JB
In my experience shoes with horrible indoor traction almost always play well or better outside.
Most 90’s models were built with overall use in mind as there were far less 4million pair shoe geeks at the time and people needed their pairs to last.
Agreed
Damn, I am disappointed to hear this review. I remember having these when I was younger and I loved them. They were my go to shoe, even indoors. Maybe when they go on clearance I will grab a pair.
my initial concerns have been confirmed. you take away the Feet You Wear, change the Torsion system, change the cushioning setup. of course its going to suck in comparison. it was silly of adidas to release this take down model
i’ve never worn these, but i am a massive fan of the crazy 8, the top ten 2000, the eqt elevation, etcetera…too bad these look like a no-go, i don’t even think they look that good compared to the other three, all of which are among my favorite sneaker designs of all time
Man, these look nasty….and not in a good way
I’m disappointed in the quality of these. I won’t be picking them up based on this review, and I did want to get them before seeing this. Would have even considered them as an outdoor shoe if I saw them at a discount price, but the durability issues will probably stop me getting them even as an outdoor shoe if they’re showing signs of wear in just two months.
Did you wear them a lot on that 2 month span, Nightwing?
I thought that Adidas retros had better quality that most other brand retros? What happened here? Has their quality on the retros dropped or was I misinformed?
I am an adidas fan since 90s but their retro approach on this model is PATHETIC. Materials and craftmanship is mediocre not to say bad. No adiprere as you mention, almost complete change in tooling (no adiprene, not the original Y torsion system just a much shorter version of it (it can be seen in the pairs with translucent outsole.)
I wonder why it is so difficult for companies to do proper retros. I mean when it comes to these models everything is done, design, research, all they need for manufacturing them is there, there are no additional costs. They have one thing to do with them, make them as they used to be when originally released.