D Rose 5 REVIEW | Not the D Rose 6, Still Damn Good

This sick looking basketball shoe is getting some SERIOUS drops in their price. With the D Rose 6 dominating adidas’s shoe sales, aren’t you curious how the older model performs? We’ll take a look in the sneaker’s appearance, technology, performance, comfort and price aspects.


 APPEARANCE

So you can see that Derrick Rose stayed true to the similar looking design. They have some visual changes, of course, like the strap lacing system on the 6, the logos and other minor bits.

The 5th model has a slightly higher ankle collar, but that doesn’t give it a big performance advantage. At least not in this case.

The Rose 5 is bigger and more bulky looking, which really isn’t a drawback… Surprisingly, the 5th model weighs less than the newest one. Strange.

There’s not a lot more to be said about the appearance, both shoes look really really awesome, in my opinion. Derrick Rose’s signatures seem to always bring something new to the table.

THE TECH

Right off the bat, adidas did stuff quite a bit of tech into these shoes. There are occasions where it could be a bad thing. In this case though, I really think everything that’s offered here does its job well.

Firstly, you got boost™. Guess how it is? Awesome. Not much else to be said. Show me an adidas shoe with boost that performs badly in terms of cushioning. For the people that don’t know, boost is the cushioning setup for the shoe. It’s basically foam that deforms and turns back to shape on movements granting you that extra power.

SprintWeb is basically the stiching for the upper. It makes the shoe lighter and helps blend in with feet. This type of stiching also makes the upper really durable.

ShockWeb is part of the upper material. It is made to enhance the durability and sturdiness of the shoe. It also provides some ventilation. Adidas really seemed to make this thing as long lasting as possible.

Fit-Frame is something to be seen very rarely, at least for me. It is a system for support that is on both sides of the shoe’s sole. That’s made for support and foot containment. It does its job properly.

Lastly, you already know what the NON-MARKING ousole does. Hence the name. Jesus Christ.

PERFORMANCE & COMFORT

A lot of tech and a lot of marketing. But how does it actually perform on the court? Let’s find out.

Starting off with cushioning, boost is, simply put, unique. It is a revoliutionary system for adidas, which actually made their brand this reputable.

If the Rose 6 hadn’t existed now, I would say the cushioning in these is awesome. But now that the shoe DOES exist, it can’t quite keep up with its newest addition. Don’t get me wrong though, I love the cushioning in the 5’s, but the 6th model just overpowers it. It’s way more responsive and soft.

Traction is great, just like pretty much all adidas’s shoes. It has a reliable “wavebone” pattern which is both traction-friedly and doesn’t make you wipe every two seconds. Playing on dusty floors won’t be a problem, which is unusual for adidas. Also, just like the D Rose 6, don’t be afraid to take these outdoors.

Support is probably the highlight of the shoe. I say probably, because all the performance aspects are solid (not too awesome, not too bad).

So, the Rose 5 is definitely made for support. It has a great and snug fit, a TPU heel counter, Fit-Frame for side support, ShockWeb to make the upper nice and contained. What else do you want? I’m not saying anything more. Just simply put, the support and stability of the shoe is definitely great and just how it should be. It’s a guard’s shoe after all.

Now for the materials. Once again, adidas is being weird with its material variations. Just like the Rose 6, three different material choices are available depending on the colorway. It is the exact same thing, so if you want to know more about this, go check out my D Rose 6 Review, then come back here (although when you’ll take a look at the Rose 6 review, you won’t want to come back here).

Finally, comfort isn’t too awesome, I got to admit. I personally noticed that with Rose’s shoes. I still have a pair of Rose 773 III’s too and they are hard as rocks! This is not the same, but it’s still a bit too tight and hard. But that’s just my opinion. Some people reported that they have some dead space in the forefoot. All in all, it isn’t terrible or anything, I just personally think that the consturction of this shoe is kind of hard and plasticy.

D Rose 5 Review: FINAL VERDICT

For the year of 2015, I think the shoe lives up to most people’s expectations. Right now, it’s not as good as the D Rose 6, but just like the title says, it’s still pretty damn good.

The Rose 5 Boost offers a serious amount of useful tech, great traction, cushioning, support and awesome durability. I don’t think it’s a comfortable shoe though, it’s simply too hard/tight. The weird material difference between colorways is also a bit annoying, at least for me.

All in all, if you’re looking for a cheap, trusty guard shoe, this could be one of the options. Keep it in mind.

PROS

  • Great boost cushioning

  • Confident support and stability

  • Very durable, viable for outdoors

  • Traction is great, doesn’t require much wiping

CONS

  • Fit is too hard and edgy

  • Can be a bit frustrating to put on

That’s it for this review, I hope you found it informative! Go ahead and share this post if you did!