adidas Mad Bounce REVIEW: King of the Budget Lineup?

We’re getting sooooo many budget shoes from all kinds of brands these days, it almost seems like nothing can now surprise. Well, here’s a $100 adidas basketball shoe that looks to be a bit different from the pack. Let’s find out if this one is a great performer in my adidas Mad Bounce review!

I’ll talk about the shoe’s tech specs, the fit, performance, the upper and decide it it’s worth the price. Let’s start the adidas Mad Bounce review!

THE TECH

BOUNCE

We have the usual budget setup – a full-length BOUNCE midsole that is pretty much identical to the Harden B/E (to anyone who’s familiar with that one). A fantastic setup that we’ll talk about later.

FUSEDMESH

Remeber the Dame 3? Well, this is pretty much the same way the shoe’s upper is done. It’s really nothing crazy but does accomplish what it’s supposed to, just like the Dame 3.

FIT

$150 WORTHY

I couldn’t tell this is a cheap, $100 under the radar shoe once I put my foot in them. Everything from the upper, internal comfort, sizing and the fit itself is definitely REALLY f**king solid. I loved that it’s super easy to put them on, there’s pretty much no break-in or adjusting period, the soft tongue feels really nice, they feel light.

These do fit pretty damn sung so for a wide footer like myself, expect a slightly longer adjusting period since the materials aren’t that soft. If you’re a regular/narrow footer – you’ll be fine right away and I suggest going true to size. Wide footers would benefit by going up half a size, I think.

Overall, I was surprised with the Mad Bounce. Definitely a comfortable shoe that has no fit issues. At least nothing that I personally experienced.

PERFORMANCE

CUSHION

Just like most other BOUNCE setups, this one’s hardly different. The biggest thing about it is its balance – it doesn’t take away any aspect of the cushion to enhance another. It’s almost a perfect balance for pretty much any guard who isn’t looking for crazy bouncy or the opposite, super low to the ground cushion.

The heel has solid impact protection without being clunky, thus slowing you down. The forefoot is of course very responsive and low to the ground but I still felt that there was BOUNCE providing a tad bit of forefoot softness to not make it a concrete experience.

TRACTION

I was completely satisfied with the shoe’s traction. The pattern looks really aggressive, the rubber grooves are deep and relatively strong, at least it seemed that way. The Mad Bounce grips the floor very well, despite it being a bit sensitive to poor condition courts.

If you’re playing on a great/medium level court that isn’t too dirty, you’ll be fine. On very dusty courts with poor floors, wiping will become a thing.

I was very impressed how well the shoe stops, no matter how aggressively or heavily I slide my foot on the ground. Loved the overall traction of the shoe, props to adidas.

I think you’ll be fine playing outdoors. The rubber compound along with the aggressive pattern makes it seem like adidas thought about outdoor players too.

SUPPORT

This is where I wanted the shoe to be a bit stronger but I do understand the way this was made. For lighter guards that don’t intend on playing very physically and with a lot of force, this will do great.

For those who simply need a bit more protection because of more explosiveness and a different play style, I feel like this isn’t going to do the job that well. If you’re coming off a D Rose 7, Kyrie 3, LeBron Soldier 9 type of shoe, you’ll know what I mean.

This isn’t terrible or deal-breaking for any player but for those who need especially strong support and security, this wouldn’t be a perfect option.

UPPER

FUSEDMESH IS BASIC BUT EFFECTIVE

The upper is mesh reinforced and heated with TPU. It may not sound or look super premium but it does get the job done ir providing comfort, ventilation, moderate support and durability, all without weighing too much.

The back portion of the shoe is a soft knit, so the heel will sit very comfortably. The tongue is very nice and soft nylon to add to that comfortable experience.

The overall package definitely works well. It’s not the most comfortable or lightest shoe ever but this is good enough for me to call it a great shoe.

OVERALL

BEST FOR MOST GUARDS WHO DON’T SOLELY RELY ON SUPPORT

The adidas Mad Bounce is a killer basketball shoe. No doubt about that I liked playing in it. Traction, cushion, support, fit, materials are all nice, plus it sits at a competitive 100 bucks.

If you’re a guard and looking for a trustworthy shoe that caters to a lot of play styles, take this one. It’s not a lot to lose at that price.