I haven’t yet completed the adidas adiPower Howard review but I was able to grab a pair of the adiPower Howard 2’s which look and feels as if it’ll be a better overall performance model.
Hit the jump for more…
Traction – I’m a little confused as to what exactly ‘Cilia’ traction is at this point as every model I’ve seen with this type of traction there is always a different look to it. Not sure if the recessed circles with the rubber knobs are the Cilia or if it’s a type of rubber… if someone knows the answer feel free to fill me in.
Either way, the traction looks as if it’ll perform decently depending on court conditions. Not sure if this particular pattern can keep up with a Guard but I will find out soon enough.
Cushion – This is one area that has been upgraded from the previous adiPower Howard in certain areas. The heel cushion is amazing and feels great while the forefoot is lacking cushion and your foot sits closer to the ground.
The insole is foam, much like the adiPower Howard, and I would have preferred to have a PU insole but I won’t complain about it as I have plenty of PU insoles from other adidas models that I can easily replace these ones with if needed.
Material & Fit – They fit true to size and the midfoot region is a little on the narrow side so these are yet another shoe you will want to try on prior to purchasing.
The materials are all synthetics which is said to reduce weight. These aren’t a ‘lightweight’ shoe but they are much lighter than the first model and lighter than some current models from every brand. I think the synthetics will hold up well as they feel durable enough yet remain flexible which is nice.
Ventilation – This area seems to be a slight downgrade compared to the first Howard. While the First model isn’t extremely breathable, these only have ventilation down the tongue and that’s pretty much it. There is plenty of room along the upper side panels for perforations so I’m not sure as to why they only implemented air flow on the tongue.
Support – This is why they fit slightly narrow around the midfoot. They don’t have a full on SprintFrame but it is very similar in the midfoot section of the shoe.
My favorite part – both aesthetically and performance wise – is the use of the giant three stripes which are attached to the support frame. Once fully laced, you can instantly feel your foot being hugged by the TPU.
Since these pieces are not attached to the shoe itself you can tighten as needed for your desired fit.
Overall; I’m a bit confuse by the Cilia traction but the cushion, fit & support are all enhancements when directly comparing them to the previous model. The materials are flexible so they shouldn’t be very restrictive and the ventilation could have been implemented a bit better. These look awesome and they should perform very well at the same time. At $100… you can’t really go wrong.
I think cilia means its two layers so when one rubs away the next still supplies traction. If you see the rose 1, 1.5 and howard 1 which all have the same traction about half or less of the cylinders are raised lower than others.
Thanks for clearing that up for me!
Hey when r u putting up teasers for howard 1 and hyperenforcers?
Soon as possible.
Would u say it’s worth 50 dollars more buying the Howard 2 vs 1? The are clearing out Howard 1 at lot places.
It depends. The howard 2 def have better cushion in the heel but also have a more narrow fit at the midfoot. The howard 1s are good shoes so it all depends on what exactly you want out of the shoe.
Thanks for answering…I know you’re lot busier these days…
I do my best bro
Besides the terrible ventilation, I think the ADPH2 is an exceptional shoe for a power guard/slashing guard.
Havent brought them out yet but from what i can tell they are a more well rounded shoe.
As I understand it, the “cilia” traction on Adidas products is indicative of its name, it describes a type of traction pattern that is seen on pure-motion pods (a smoothed-out herringbone, if you will). I don’t think these shoes have what is known as “cilia” traction, as the traction pattern is meant to mimic that of shattered glass. But the recessed points throughout the shoe is what is known as the “alive” cushioning set up (as seen on the two previous Howard signatures). These points are suppose to engage independently depending on the movement of your feet
Thats a diff answer than the person above so now im confused again lol. The Howard 1 have the same recessed holes but use EVA cushion so i dont know.
When are you going to do a new update on the nike hyperenforcer? Will you do a comparrison with the nike hyperfuse?
Patience my friend
the three stripes are used on a running shoe; the adidas climacool chill. they are thinner, and are attached to the mesh but it feels great when laced up.
I love the feeling. Its a very cool idea.
This is off topic, but what do yiu think of the $300 price point of the Lebron 10+?
What shoe is that?
The tenth NIKE Lebron James signature shoe that features the new NIKE+ for basketball. It hasn’t relesed yet but $300 is what it is probably going to cost when it releases.
Read the title and it tell you…
I havent heard that at all but if its true LeBron better have a ring before they release.
I’m guessing the next shoe is the Lunar Hyper Dunk 2012 that has Nike+Basketball technology in it, with all the sensors and do dad’s in them, exposed flywire adding a hyperfuse at the front of the shoe, mixing it all up for more money, but as we’ve seen on the Wade 2’s the lunarlon is awesome but still a retail price of 250 that’s not the price of the foams or the Lux force 1’s. Nike’s probably robbing us.
I will most likely wear those but that retail price is a killer.
Lucky you man, can’t wait to see your review on that one
Those holes at the bottom, like someone mentioned, is the ALIVE technology. Cilia traction, from what I gather (if it has anything to do with the real biological meaning), is the rough texturized feeling. Cilia in the real sense is hairlike protrusions used to move along particles inside the human body so on the outsole it might be the rough texture you are feeling. I guess if you look carefully, they’ll look like miniature rods.
Excerpt from Eastbay’s interview with Robbie Fuller:
“ZD: This shoe uses the Alive cushioning system again. Could you explain how that works?
Robbie: The way that works is basically like a piston. We’ve cored out the EVA that’s behind the rubber so it can kind of go up in that void area. Imagine a trampoline that’s only two inches off the ground. It’s going to suck. But one that’s three feet off the ground, you can go down and back up. That’s what is so cool about this. It’s these separate pistons that basically engage depending on how you run. If you are on the outside, you are going to engage the outside. If you are running straight, you are going to engage pretty much all of them. “
Interesting, thanks for sharing!
how many shoe is still nt fully done yet???what shoe???
Four or five plus the jordan project… Im doing what i can but keep getting injured with different injuries which sets me back a few days or a week. Im working on them though.
what shoe is nt done? hope u recover soon!
There are a few, ill get them all done though,
Great teaser! Quick question – like you I’m a natural size 9, with the Rose 2.5 it felt more comfortable (due to the extremely wide forefoot) to go down half a size. Would you recommend doing that with the Howard 2’s?
No, the howard 2s are true to size.