Time to get crazy…
Traction – It’s a hit or miss. On really dirty courts, you’re not gonna dig them. Clean courts, you’ll love them. The one thing that I noticed is that the rubber is really soft so outdoor use is out the window right off the bat. However, indoors I’ve worn down the traction quite a bit and that’s with just a solid week’s worth of play. Will they last you the entire season, practices and all? I don’t have the answer. Just know that when you’re on a clean surface you’ll be covered. Dirty surface you’ll need to keep the grooves free of debris.
Cushion – Let me just get this out of the way now. The heel’s cushion is amazing, simple as that. The forefoot on the other hand, you’ll need to work with it. It’s stated that adiPrene+ is used within an EVA surround. That means the majority of the midsole is EVA while the center, where your forefoot places most of its pressure, will have a targeted adiPrene+ section. It takes time to break-in before feeling good…you’ll need at least 4-6 hours before you’re enjoying the feeling. However, the insoles they used are garbage and really thin. I replaced mine with a PU insole that used to be standard on previous adidas Hoops shoes. Once I put the PU insole in place…man, do I love playing in these. They give me just the right amount of everything. Yes, I’d still prefer Boost to be in the forefoot, but until that happens – I’m looking at you D Rose 6 – this’ll do just fine.
Materials – PrimeKnit, baby! No, this isn’t the same as FlyKnit…at least not on Basketball products. When it comes to hoop shoes, PrimeKnit is what FlyKnit should’ve been. If adidas could figure out how to make a knitted upper work without the use of glue all over the place then Nike should’ve been able to as well. Suffice to say, if you love woven/ knitted uppers on Basketball footwear then this is going to be heaven for your feet. Yes, like any woven or knitted upper, durability could eventually become an issue. But, like I’ve said many times before, if you want your shoes to last long then get something made with tougher materials. Otherwise, enjoy the feeling of PrimeKnit on your feet because it’s amazing.
Something that I think is interesting with adidas’ take on the knitted upper is that they’ve incorporated ventilation pretty heavily. This is the most well ventilated shoe I’ve worn with a woven/knitted upper. Second would be the J Crossover II, but these surpass those quite a bit in the ventilation department. Even with all the ventilation, you still have great support and lockdown from the material itself. It’s a really great feature, and while it might not be for everyone, if you like woven/ knitted kicks then you’ll love these.
Fit – Like the cushion, the fit needed some tweaking too. Luckily, the solution came from the same place; the insole swap I used to help give me a little extra cushion also filled up any dead space I was experiencing. As mentioned before, the insoles these come with are really thin and cheap. So if you want your size 9’s to fit like a size 9, throw in an insole that’s of normal thickness and you’ll achieve your goal.
As for lockdown, like most woven uppers, it gets better with age. The more you wear them the more they will conform to your foot shape. I think that’s my favorite part about woven/knitted uppers. They’re so light and malleable on-foot, but somehow lock your foot into the shoe just as good as any other material. The lacing structure is similar to Nike’s Dynamic Fit so when you’re lacing them up you’ll feel them strap you in like seat belts.
Support – adidas usually comes strong in the support section, sometimes overdoing it a bit, but these are just right. There is an external heel counter to keep your ankles secure and StableFrame to ensure the base or platform isn’t going to be unstable. The tooling is nice and flat which helps your own sense of balance and stability. There is also a small torsional TPU bar in the arch. All of which works and works extremely well.
If you prefer something a little higher on the ankle then be patient as a strapped version will come out soon, but I prefer low tops so these are my sh*t.
Overall – This is my favorite Hoop shoe adidas has ever made. Each time you wear them they’ll fit better. Change the insole and they’ll feel better as well. If they’ve made this drastic of a change between last year’s CrazyLight and this year’s then I’m really excited to see what they have in store for the D Rose 6. The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about was their traction, and it’s mostly from a durability standpoint. Otherwise I thought they were really solid on all fronts.
Just for your own peace of mind, I’ve included two score cards with these. One with the insole swap and one without.
I’ve been waiting for this review to come out and found this very informative but I am still in a pit of a situation to pick my net hoop shoe. I am trying to decide between these, the Kobe X and the Jordan XX9. What would be the best fit in your opinion for a 6’2 guard? ( I get new shoes around once a year)
Dude, if you followed Nightwings reviews, you’ll know not to get the Kobe X. You’d be far better of getting the Kobe 9.
There much cheaper and overall better. The only thing influencing your choice is how much you want to spend.
If I were you, I’d go with the 29’s. You can find a pair on sale online.
Thinking of getting some new shoes soon. I had the Kobe 9s and I loved them, but I think they’re bad for my feet. Any suggestions? I play 1-3.
Holy sheet people don’t you understand your hieght, weight, and position doesn’t determine what shoe you should get, it’s your playing style, I’m 5’8″ 155lb and I play like a shooting guard yet I rock Lebron 10 which is made for a 6’8 240+lb power/small forward
Playing style maybe, but mostly what you want/ need out of the shoe. Height and weight will have an affect on certain aspects, like 360 full length Zoom, but for the most part it comes down to a persons personal preferences and needs.
I’m LeBron sized(I’m 6’06.5″ and 250 lbs, and athletic), and I can tell you, the LeBron shoes LOOK big, they’re not build all that solid though, the last great BIG-friendly LeBron was the LeBron 5.
you’re 6’0″ and 250 pounds?! damn you must be built like a tank!
(i’m 6’0″ and 175 with 9-10% body fat)
It says he is six foot six and a half inches tall
im 6’2 (withought shoes), 155 pounds, and 15 years old. I hope I still have that Stephen curry late growth spurt though.
You prefer these over the d rose 2.5 even? I remember you sayin that was one of your favorite hoop shoes.
Can you put drose 5 insole in these?
isn’t the rose 5 insole comparably crappy?
damn, 6th man for traction pretty much crosses this off my list
Traction was beastly for me. Up there with the Kobe 9. I play on 2 different indoor courts, neither of them exactly what you’d call clean, but not filthy either.
Mine started that way but the more I wore mine the more the rubber wore down. Then when I went to dusty courts again it was more of a problem.
Okay I’ll get this when I nice colorway goes out. Thank you! Adidas is also getting creative with the primeknit as well. The Flyknit and Primeknit are very different
I’ve heard there will be a crazyquick with similiar adi prene, a tougher version of the traction think D rose 4 after the CQ n 773-2, both would not last. Great traction but mainly more durable should be coming. Alright about the review, the cushioning rose 5.0 all over again. Boost is great keep the same insole from every other Adidas shoe, toughen up traction, this sounds like the rose 2.0 and theyr talking a mid season fox, sounds amazing for NBA point guards who can have new traction. I’m stoked they got prime knit done right. Primeknit on a rose full length would vr wonderful, how does ot compare e the valentine woven Brenda’s.
Hit it on the head with the fresh pair every game. If I could have a fresh outsole on a broken in version of this shoe it’d be hard to play in anything else. But, this isn’t a perfect world.
I haven’t worn the Rose 5’s with their woven uppers, but those to me felt more like a stretch fabric like their TechFit stuff, just woven. This was straight woven feeling… hard to explain, but if you’ve felt the j tired materials from brands and thought, hmmm… this feels like my grandmothers knitting project. That’s the difference to me. I guess the Rose 5, based on feeling alone, is a little more luxurious, but the knitted feels more rugged and thick.
Should I wait for the d rose 6 or purchase the 29s or wait for the curry 2?
Great review you perfectly highlighted my big problem of-late with adidas, they stop short.
Every shoe has good, to great potential, but every shoe has too much wrong with it, to really let them be great.
Appreciate it
I think this (lacing system) is how nike flywire technology be used. How can tiny, thin cables lock our feet? I always afraid the flywire cables would get detached/teared/break if I laced them too tight. How do you guys think? (FYI: i’m not a fanboy of any brands, and sorry if my english is still bad)
Actually those ‘cables’ are a very traditional setup, it’s why adidas adopted the 3-stripes in the early 1950s, and almost all brands had stripes, or bands(or a combination of bands, and stripes) back then.
So you don’t have to worry, as long as it’s implemented correctly(basically protected by the skin of the shoe, so nobody can step on the ‘cables’) you should be fine(not that they’ll never break of course, but the risk of breaking is very low).
thanks for the information Nene33
These are nylon bands vs thin cables so they’re a bit stronger. Same concept though so that part is accurate. They’re like bridge cables, one or two won’t do much, but strategically placed to map an area and you’ll have some great coverage. Yes, they can break, but that only shows you that they work. It takes a lot of pressure in a certain area to snap a line like that so imagine the load they’re taking before they can’t take anymore.
I saw one or two flywire cables got detached on my friend’s hyperdunk 2013, so I was worrying my hyperrev 2015 would be the same since the first 2 lace tips is only flywire. Thanks for replying Nightwing.
Reminds me of good old “hidden eyestay lacing’
Great review NW! I was curious to know your opinion on the transition aspect of the CLB as you run up and down the court. Do you notice a big difference between the adiprene and the boost cushioning (whether with or without the Rose insole)? Thanks!
Transition was solid once broken-in. They feel a little slappy at first.
Hey NW, would a standard Ortho-lite insole be a decent enough replacement for the insole that came with these?
Ortholite tends to be fluffy, so step in comfort will be there, but an actual cushioned insole would be best.
is there a reason why adidas keeps using their premium, top of the line cushion in the heel rather than the forefoot, when these shoes are obviously for players who play on their toes? not that i mind adiprene+ in the least, but it does boggle the mind
Perhaps it is unstable? Or they just havent found a way yet and are still testing the proper formula for boost in the forefoot. Maybe they will just wait for the evolution of the line ex. Og cl boost: boost in the heel, almost nothing in the forefoot, cl boost 2015: more boost in the heel thicker midsole, next cl boost boost in the forefoot with even more boost in the heel, etc. You dont want to much bounce in the forefoot, you will be unstable.
They have to leave the full length boost setup for their No 1 signature line, the d rose.
full length isn’t necessary, if they put boost in the forefoot and an adiprene+ crash pad in the heel, i don’t think anybody would complain…
and ec12902, point noted, but it’s not like that stopped jordan brand from using massive unlocked zoom units in the forefoot (i personally am not the biggest fan of that system, but others swear by it), here’s hoping they figure something out soon, though they’ve had the space of two crazylight releases to have done so now…
So you are right but adidas has not found a way to stabilize boost like jordan brand. If they use sprintframe again well that will hurt wide footers like me, unlike jb’s flightplate which don’t hurt at all. You may have forgotten that jb uses a flightplate to stabilize the Zoom, adidas doesn’t have that type of system. Maybe sprintframe but that hurts guys like me. The x bar they have been using doesn’t flex right imo. What i would do personally is put puremotion 2.0 like the rose 4’s but with adiprene/adiprene+ as the foam with a hoost heel
Soooo glad I waited for the review before buying these. I’m always playing on dusty courts or outside, and the traction won’t cut it there. Just waiting for the superfly.4 review now. Nightwing, your reviews are much better than anybody else that I’ve seen. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate it
Hey nightwing, what’s your favorite basketball insole to use when you want to get rid of some dead space in the shoe a la jordan 6/which did you use for this shoe? Great review as always, by the way
Depends on the shoe. The 6’s I used an aftermarket insole from spenco – I think that’s the brand.
i saw two kinds of these in manila. the other one is high cut. the ankle collar is techfit fastened by velcro straps. am I right NW? are there really two kinds of these? or is the techfit ankle collar sold separately? the techfit ankle collar seems attached when i looked at these.
The techfit collar is connected with the shoe. Btw, these are overpriced in Manila. The low cut costs around $180! 🙁
Hi NW2303, Whats would be the best an actual cushioned insole brands for this shoes? Awesome reviews BTW tho… Thanks!
Just depends on what you want. Read their specs then make your choice based on that.
Why no hall of fame for materials????
Another great and very informative performance review from the best!!!
Kd 8 or crazylight boost 2015? Which one is better for a 6.2 PG? Please help.
It’s a good start, I haven’t played in mine as they are a bit too light for me, nice to hear of the fit adaptation during wear, but I need a bit more support and then will wait for the mids to come out before I play in them.
Nightwing do you know what models the PU insoles are in or if there is any where I could purchase them? It would be great to know where. Thanks.
I grabbed mine out of the D Rose 3. I think they used them all the way until the 4’s. Don’t know where you can buy them though.
I’m torn between the lows and the mids with the ankle strap. HAve you had chance to try both? How good is the support in the lows?
Great review Chris. Cant wait for the next reviews; specially the new hyperdunks and superflys.
Hey Nightwing. I wanted to ask, out of the 3 “truly” woven performers, the Jordan xx9, crazy light boost 2015, and BrandBlack JC2, which one do you like the best. Just curious.
I really like them all. But if I had to choose the XX9 and JC2 would be tied and the CL Boost would be right after.
Hows the traction a few note weeks down the line? I’ve been looking at the 773 4 traction patterns in comparison. You’ve almost got to assume these being indoor only with traction wearing down that quickly Adidas will add outdoor models, with the boost lasting so long is s huge reason I enjoy the cushioning. Highly considering grabbing these with the current sale, in also wondering if the 773 or Englewood doesn’t release before October starts, as I recall rose 5 was out during preseason play and season topped 10-30. My mind keeps thinking crazyquick- rose 4 same pattern indoor only vd any condition wvrubber change. I never felt like you lost any grip or anything n still love that traction set up.
Just got the Andrew wiggins pe in today from the 30% off adidas sale. Spot on review. This upper is amazing. Blows the kobe IX and X away. Tried to swap the insole with the anatomix spawn 2 but didn’t like it. Will have to keep trying.
Would you go for the j. Crossover 2 or the crazylight 2015? need new shoes for the season asap and no shop to try them on near me.
please let me know your opinion
Am I wrong for having a problem with needing to replace the insole on a new pair of $130 shoes? I fell in love with the look of them but after I tried them on doing some cutting amd jumping I was extremely underwhelmed. If I got them from an outlet id be pleased, but to replace a cheaply made insole seems like a slap in the face for a top flight basketball shoe.
Nope. I just happen to have spare PU insoles lying around so I swapped. But if I had to buy an insole just to help the shoe out then I wouldn’t have. Which is why there are two score cards.
Great review man!
Which one would you recommend for a quick on their feet guard? Crazylight boost 2015, or Kobe venomenom 5?
I’m thinking about getting a pair but i am not sure about sizing. I wear a US12 normally, but on my Ultra Boost running shoes i went up .5 in size.
Would you recommend doing the same for the Crazylight Boosts?
2 questions for you Nightwing. I am a stretch 4/5 who has to cover posts, but plays primarily on the outside on offense, would these shoes work well for me. Also my feet measure at roughly a 14.5, but obviosly cant get those 14 on kobe 8 is better fit but 15 on the lebron line works better, what size would you reccomend.
Hey Nightwing I always read your reviews before purchasing my balling kicks thanks for all you do. Just got these on discount, love the way they feel. I love boost in the heel but my only problem with this shoe would be in the front of the shoe there is a lot of dead space and to much foot movement. Can you please recommend what kind of insole and where I can purchase. Thanks in advance!!
Hey NW would you recommend the traction on these, or the traction on the lillards?
my main concern about this type of material the “primeknit” is that it’s a dirt magnet…..if someone steps on your shoes dust will stick to the material. just my opinion
okay, i’ve been playing in these for a week indoors now, and i gotta say, after putting my rose 4 insoles in here…..these are a PHENOMENAL pair of basketball shoes, pretty much the closest thing to having a cushioned pair of socks on your feet…the knitted upper is MILES ahead of the jordan xx9, i think, the whole package just works, and works brilliantly, definitely at the very top of my rotation now, and it’s hard for me to imagine that the rose 6 could possibly be better than this…
and yes, you DO have to replace the insole in these, it makes a massive difference