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The adidas Harden Vol 2 Deconstructed

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Right on schedule, FastPass has provided us with a detailed look at the adidas Harden Vol 2 deconstructed.

Design and construction have become a science in basketball sneakers more than ever before, and that becomes obvious during these deconstructions.

Beginning with a cross section of the sneaker, we see a neoprene-like material bootie that rides high at the tongue area but still maintains a pretty low profile around the ankle. Thick padding is placed at the rear of the sneaker to provide comfort and protection around the achilles.

While the Boost is still a pretty thick 26.48mm towards the heel, it is a surprisingly thin 15.96mm at the forefoot (more on that below), which should offer sufficient court feel and a smoother ride.

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The cross-cut details reinforcements at the toe in the form of fuse on the bootie and strategically placed stitching on the mesh layer. Midfoot padding is also placed to maintain comfort when lacing this sneaker tight, which Nightwing2303 praised in his detailed look at the adidas Harden Vol 2.

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The wider base on the Harden Vol 2, compared to the Harden Vol 1, also caught our attention. Thanks to this deconstruction we get an answer on why that is; the Boost midsole is molded to wrap around the foot, serving as a cup that the wearer rides inside of. The midsole also answers why the Boost is actually thinner undefoot than it appears from the exterior.

 

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A shank plate is found between the midsole and outsole to increase torsional rigidity, and this time around it has been minimized — likely with the intent to provide more flexibility to fit the needs of many on-court. Furthermore, the outsole doubles as an external heel counter, which has received mixed reviews based on its aesthetics.

 

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Lastly, let’s compare the Harden Vol 1 (left or top of below images) and its successor (right or bottom of images). The most notable detail here is that underfoot the Boost is actually only about 2-3mm thicker overall in the Vol 2. That cupped Boost midsole would lead you to believe it was more of a difference, but that’s why we have to respect what FastPass does — although it may be hard for some to look at as perfectly good shoes get chopped up.

The Harden Vol 2 indeed features a wider base as shown below in measurements, which does result in a more bottom-heavy sneaker.

The adidas Harden Vol 2 will be available February 16 for $140 at Eastbay.com.

Did adidas make the right moves with the Harden Vol. 2? What are you thoughts on how the line seems to be evolving so far?

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Source: FastPass

7 comments
  1. Thanks for posting this. Love that Fastpass does this so we can see what is really going on inside the shoes. The slightly thicker and wider boost has me excited since that should help spread out the impact but give good flexibility and court feel. I am curious how dense the boost feels. We’ve seen adidas tweak the density to give a different feel between the CLB16s, Vol 1s, CE16s and CE17s, so I’m looking forward to see how these compare.

  2. Interesting how the more premium Vol.1’s are also the leaner, and quicker, sole setup. I think Harden should’ve kept the leather, and more premium PrimeKnit, it has much more ‘Signature’, than the Vol.2’s have.

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