ADIDAS IS ON FIRE
After adidas’s 2016 DOMINATION of extremely successful basketball shoe releases, we got the final gift to play in. Some people have already said this is the best shoe in a long time. Well, after playing in them a whole bunch of time, here’s my adidas Harden Vol 1 review.
I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, performance, comfort, materials and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the adidas Harden Vol 1 review!
THE TECH
BOOST – once again we got that awesome full-length BOOST midsole with a cage in around the heel area for stability purposes. This looks to be the tightest (a.k.a firmest) setup from adidas’s 2016 lineup. Find out how it feels a bit later.
PERFORMANCE
FIT/COMFORT
So the begin with, man, this shoe is CRAZY comfortable. Without a doubt one of the most comfortable and confident experiences I’ve ever had playing in a shoe.
A proper true to size fit, a fairly wide construction (an option for wide footers) and an independent leather toe cap. Combine all this and you get something that’s properly balanced, comfy and just an awesome experience to play in for a guard.
CUSHION
BOOST is quite firm here, meaning that this is catered more towards lighter, low to the ground guards. It still does provide great impact protection both in the forefoot and heel areas anyway. That’s the whole beauty of BOOST.
I’d say this is probably even a bit firmer than the Rose 7 regarding the forefoot. The heel is pretty plush, as it should be. Not my type of setup since I like more plush setups (like the Rose 6 or Crazy Explosive) but this isn’t made for that in mind.
TRACTION
Superb traction, no questions asked. The pattern looked questionable at first but they grip the floor really really well. I didn’t experience any slippage or anything like that. Still, you’ll need to wipe from time to time to maintain that solid grip since the pattern is a bit dense.
The rubber compound does give in quite a lot and it sadly doesn’t feel durable at all. This may be one of the few issues of the shoe, if you can call that an issue.
SUPPORT
For a low top, this is as much as you get. A TPU heel counter, a torsional plate, a wide base, killer overall fit and materials that aren’t restrictive but still provide that guard-like support.
This obviously isn’t an option for a big guy but the shoe wasn’t made for them in the first place. Any lighter guard will find these super supportive.
MATERIALS
The upper is knitted mesh with nylon for durability and that white forefoot area is an independent toe cap made from synthetic leather.
Amazing setup. You don’t even need Primeknit when you have something like this. Durable, comfortable, pretty light and breathable. Still, a $160 Primeknit version is coming out soon so stay tuned for that if you’re a Primeknit fan.
FINAL VERDICT
So the Harden Vol. 1 turned out to be a BEAST. I honestly did not expect that, even after all those awesome adidas releases.
Crazy comfortable, a great low to the ground cushion setup, killer traction, superb support and an upper more shoes should use.
Any lighter, less explosive-orientated guard will absolutely LOVE these. Even heavier players that don’t rely on athleticism will definitely appreciate what the Harden Vol. 1 offers.
PROS
+ Crazy comfortable and a joy to play in
+ Superb traction no matter the court condition
+ Killer support for a low top
+ A well-balanced upper that offers all that possibly can
CONS
– The rubber compound isn’t suitable for outdoor play
Okay, that’s it for the review! I hope you found it useful!