Wade Flash: The Best Basketball Shoe for Under $100?

The Way of Wade Wade Flash is the brand’s latest budget basketball shoe. This model retails for just $100 and packs a lot of interesting performance features. This has a lot of sneakerheads out there thinking this might be one of the best budget basketball shoes on the market.

It’s also, somewhat of a hybrid model. Similar to the Nike Book 1, the Wade Flash is supposed to be used both on court and off court indifferently. Some colorways of the shoe are better suited for this purpose in my opinion, but to each his or her own.

In any case, here at WearTesters, we’re most interested in on-court performance, so let’s jump into the breakdown and see how these will handle the hardwood.

Wade Flash Tech Breakdown

Wade Flash Traction

Every colorway of the Wade Flash is equipped with a solid rubber outsole with a full-length lightning bolt traction pattern, that’s very reminiscent of what we saw last year in the Way of Wade Son of Flash, and a wavebone-style traction pod in the forefoot. The rubber the sole is constructed with is Way of Wade’s Tuff RB rubber which is super thick and durable.

This setup offers excellent multidirectional coverage and will perform well both indoors and outdoors. But, where this shoe will shine brightest is out on the blacktop. That aggressive traction pattern and that extra durable rubber are perfect for playing outdoors, so if you primarily play outside, in terms of traction, the Way of Wade Son of Flash will be an excellent option.

In terms of cushioning, the Wade Flash features a full-length slab of Cloud Plus Foam midsole. Cloud Plus is not Way of Wade’s most plush cushioning system but it offers tons of court feel and is relatively bouncy because of its implementation. In the forefoot and heel, two sections are built with hexagonal columns.

Materials on the Wade Flash are nothing special. Way of Wade in general doesn’t stand out in regards to the material quality of their shoes. The Wade Flash features a synthetic upper constructed in 3 main layers: an internal textile mesh, a second more tightly woven synthetic textile shell, and TPU and fuse overlays. This is not a premium setup, but it should be very functional on court.

Support on the Wade Flash is on point. The shoe features a substantial, top-loaded TPU torsion plate, a robust heel counter, and a very wide base which is also equipped with a heavy outrigger to boot. On top of that, on the lateral side of the shoe, the TPU lightning bolt logo provides added structure and lateral containment. Lastly, the cushioning system is very stable and well-contained.

Fit is the trickiest aspect of the Wade Flash. Right off the bat, this is not a wide-foot-friendly model. Normally you can rely on Way of Wade to be a good option for wide-footers, but not in this case. The shoe fits narrowly and snugly, but length-wise it fits fine. So, in general, we suggest going true to size. If you think you might need to go up half a size due to past experience, you shouldn’t have issues doing so here.

The Wade Flash should be a solid on-court performer. This model doesn’t feature anything groundbreaking, or particularly exciting, but everything it does feature will work well on court, especially for smaller and more nimble hoopers. There’s also the very reasonable price tag of $99. At that price point this model becomes all the more attractive and offers a good amount of bang for your buck.