Month: February 2022

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Adidas Supernova Performance Review

No matter how times change, there are always people whose love for running remains the same. And talking about running, a good pair of running shoes may be the first thing that comes to mind for many people. For me, I haven’t run in a while for personal reasons, but my love for running spurred me to keep running. After my friends’ recommendation and my collecting information from all parties, I finally decided to choose this pair of Adidas Supernova that is tailored to runners who decide to resume running.

In terms of the shoes’ appearance, there come in a number of different colorways so as to satiate the demands of its fans. The one I’ve got here is the fluorescent pink, which has a brighter, more stylish look than the others.

The vamp is made of woven breathable mesh fabric with different densities in different areas. The fore vamp adopts larger breathable meshes that can effectively increase air permeability. Besides, the vamp is carefully woven so that the vamp support and comfort are both greatly enhanced.

The three symbolic bars of Adidas at the side form an obvious contrast to the pink vamp, increasing a sense of beauty without seeming monotonous. The bars, however, are made of plastic that improves the shoe’ support, but reduces its breathabilty as well.

There in the upper part of the tongue is a logo that is also made of plastic, which is likely to rub our ankles. Therefore, it requires us to be well equipped so as to avoid any possible discomfort and put our abilities to good use.

There is a marked upturn in the rear topline, which is to help us put on and take off the shoes more easily and smoothly, and to prevent rubbing our ankles.

From the inside of the shoes we can see several wisps of sunlight clearly, from which we can tell that the vamp is quite thin and breathable. As for the insoles, they are only mediocre with moderate softness and elasticity.

The midsole adopts the BOUNCE material that is endowed with good toughness and elasticity. Compared to a Boost of the same size, BOUNCE is lighter and provides plenty of rebound during every runner’s exercise.

The heel of the shoe is added with Boost that is relatively light and elastic, allowing us to feel a high rebound cushioning during running, effectively absorbing the impact of landing, and protecting our feet in motion.

Like many other running shoes, Supernova’s outsole is also made of anti-slip rubber that increases its durability. The grip patterns also perform nicely by offering a good grip performance regardless of the road conditions.

Judging from my experience, the vamp wraps my feet very well, though there is still some room in the fore part. Nevertheless, it is because of the extra room that blisters caused by friction between feet and shoes can be avoided. For its weight, it is in line with the standard of marathon training shoes. However, as some people observed that they want the shoes to be used for commuting, I want to tell you from my own experience that the shoes would not be that satisfactory if used this way because the soles are not so soft.

Overall:

Having enough flexibility, satisfactory comfortness, excellent wrapping and exactly right rebound, Adidas Supernova is overall good and saves much energy for runners. Although its tongues are a bit hard and may bring on blisters, it is still suitable for daily short distance running or daily training.

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Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Performance Review

Many of us were taken aback by Adidas Adizero Adios Pro whose performances has unexpectedly broken one record after another. This, according to some reviewer, may be the second running shoe to stun us after the NEXT%.

Coming out of nowhere, UltraBOOST made a great contribution to the sales volume of Adidas. Nevertheless, in spite of that, Adidas has still suffered several sales slumps before. It was because the fluorescent yellow Adios attracted quite a lot of attention in the match of 2008 in Berlin that there is now a better adios Pro which is more suitable for modern races and runners.

The technologies in Adizero Adios Pro are very strong. For example, its midsole material is by far Adidas’s most resilient material that is lighter and slicker than the classic BOOST. Thanks to the material, one will not feel much difference in the weight of the shoes in spite of the thickening of the midsole. At the height of seeking lightness, I think Adizero Adios Pro has done a very good job.

The internal structure of the carbon plate of adios Pro is different from those of other brands. The so-called EnergyRods consists of two parts: on the forefoot there are five carbon-fiber scaffolds that fits the bones of the foot and on the back there is a carbon plate for support. However, not being a professional researcher in this respect, I am not capable of saying how this carbon plate compares to others.

Some time after I bought the Adios Pro, I ran two 10kms in it. The first one was a contest, but in fact I still had little idea how the shoes were going to perform in the somewhat challenging match. Despite that, I was pleasantly surprised by the energy released by the midsole and carbon plate. It was rather cold that day, but the shoes’ cushioning and rebound were not in the least affected. What’s more, the Adidos Pro midsole could provide energy steadily on the hard road surface of the track, which, to me, was stunning.

Notwithstanding its excellence, I still can’t get the “particularly strong push”, as is called by many reviewers. Therefore, from my perspective, the detached EnergyRods carbon plate does not seem to be getting the best out of it.

Besides these, I am also impressed by the shoes’ overall stability which is much better than that of NEXT%. When I picked up my running speed, Adios Pro seemed to understand my mind and offered me its superior stability. With respect to its stability, I’ve inquired other runners around me who happened to own a pair of Adios Pro, and it turned out that we were all in agreement on its excellence.

However, there are also shortcomings of it. After running 5 km in the shoes, I suddenly felt numb on the soles of my front feet. Finally I found out that it had something to do with the thick midsole that is likely to give rise to overreaction to my soles after high intensity exercise. However, this is just for me. On the one hand, I am relatively heavy, weighing more than 150kg, and on the other hand, I am not capable of activating Adios Pro with both leg and foot strength.

The outsole, which was not considered good before, seems not so bad, either. By the end of my 20k run, the outsole didn’t wear that badly on the tarmac and didn’t have a slippery problem.

Overall:

As a running shoe with both reputation and outstanding appearance, the Adios Pro is definitely far from perfect, and it seems to require a lot more abilities from the runner than I had thought. Nevertheless, this does not mean that it is not good or unsuitable for us. Instead, every one of us, who has love for it and running, may still take a shot and try to enjoy it.

 

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Unboxing: Adidas DAME 8

Adidas recently launched the eighth signature shoe for NBA star Damian Lillard, the Adidas DAME 8. But surely, what is most compelling for most sneaker enthusiasts are the shoes’ setups. Adidas DAME 8 is powered by Bounce Pro midsole technology, with a brand new outsole setup and a still-affordable price proposition, attracting quite a few fans.

Unlike the shoebox designs of the previous two shoes, which reinforce the features of the DAME series, this Adidas DAME 8 shoebox incorporates more of Lillard’s personal story. With the bounty colors in its appearance, the shoebox puts on an air of liveliness.

There are two colorways of this Adidas DAME 8, both named 4th QTR K.O.. The black and gray one with its white midsole and outsole creates a sense of composedness and versatility for people. The other colorway of Dame 8 is the gold and purple one, symbolizing the moment of glory after winning. The eye-catching contrast also shows Lillard’s diversified development spanning sports, music to social care.

The fabric of the vamp is similar to that of the previous work, DAME 7, which is made of elastic mesh and strengthened for air permeability.

The fore area is quite spacious, causing no burden to the forefoot, and the shoes also seem to be a bit longer than those of the past.

Mixed material stitching has always been one of the features of DAME series. Suede and rubber finishes are specially sewn on the shoelace system and the outer area of the forefoot to provide both protection and stability.

There’s a huge DAME graffiti on the inner side of the shoe.

The shoelace system adopts the “4+1” shoelace hole setup that is relatively common in adidas basketball shoes.

The tongue is sewn with a nylon strap bearing the exclusive Damian Lillard logo and adidas three-line stripes to people put on the shoes.

The Bounce Pro, a tech latest developed by the brand, helps give players extra stability when they are sprinting on the court.

As for the nylon strap at the heel, it may be nothing more than a decoration since it is directly sewn on the vamp.

The shoes are designed middle-top, which, in my view, not only protects the ankle, but ensures certain flexibility.

 

The forefoot of the outsole is relatively long and the pattern is wave-like, providing consistent grip. Judging from the past DAME shoes, their grip performances are quite reliable.

Overall:

Adidas DAME series has come to the eighth version and Lillard has also grown from a rookie player into a top star in NBA.  As he “grew up”,  the shoes he grew up with are also constantly evolving and improving into top shoes.  If you’re interested in the shoes coming out at the end of 2021, or if you happen to be seeking a pair of cost-effective shoes, it is highly recommended to give them a try.

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Unboxing: Air Jordan 11 Cool Grey

As one of the most classic shoes of Air Jordan series, Air Jordan 11 has launched many colorways in the past. Among the various colorways, the Cool Grey is a classic representative of enduring freshness. It is safe to say that it embodies the memories of many people’s youth, if not, it is still an important part of their life.

Several months ago, in order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the birth of Cool Grey, Jordan announced to recreate the colorway and at the same time launched a new leopard colorway of Air Jordan 11 for female. Therefore, here is the article about the two Jordan hits that came out at the end of 2021.

Air Jordan 11 with different colorways are matched with the corresponding shoe box. As for this Cool Grey, it is matched with the traditional hard shoe box. The black and white leopard colorway is also matched with very simple shoe box with black cover and white “body”, reflecting the theme of the colorway.

The appearance of Air Jordan 11, definitely, is nothing new for its fans. The classic structure of the side is so stable like bridge cables that it provides a solid foundation for support of the shoes.

The streamlined shoe body is not only pleasing to the eye, but, on a personal note, can be called in the middle- and high-top basketball shoes as a symbolic one. The shoes, mainly with Medium Grey/White/Cool Grey on the “body”, is to pay tribute to the release of Cool Grey and with patent leather added below the vamp and the ice blue rubber outsole, becomes all the more inviting.

The classicism of Air Jordan 11 lies in its details. That is a balanced proportion of delicate designs and shoe type that together creates a sense of beauty. From the support straps connected with the shoelace system to the use of the upper material, the combination with the high-top body is both recognizable and aggressive in performances instead of being showy and not substantial.

The colorway below adopts the real fur of leopards.

The classic six shoelace holes, with a wide and elastic shoelace, is also one of the iconic features of Air Jordan 11. The words and flying man logo on the middle part of the shoe tongue are more eye-catching in physical vision than in photos.

Back when the Air Jordan 11 was released, it was the nylon shoelace that connected to the shoelace system that sparked the most discussion. However, the nylon shoelaces are directly sewn onto the vamp, forming a complete support system and play a crucial role in the stability of the forefoot. In the 90s when shoes were generally equipped with leather or artificial leather to provide stability, the design of Air Jordan 11 is undoubtedly on the cutting edge.

The tongue is also made of leather and embedded with foam to protect the instep and ensures flexibility of the ankle.

As for the wear resistance of outsole, as I used to own two pairs of Air Jordan 11 for both intense exercise and daily wearing, I think there is no need worrying about its durability.

In the midsole part, in addition to the foaming material covering the whole sole, lightweight Air-sole is also added in the heel as well as the cushioning system of the whole Zoom Air.

The super huge carbon fiber of the midsole is one of the most classic technologies of Air Jordan 11. The high-cost carbon fiber, which has a checkered appearance, is not only eye-catching, but also works well as one of the backbones of the shoe.

Overall:

Over the years, the Air Jordan 11 has become a collectible item for many shoe enthusiasts. Now for the new version, it has also sparkled another passion of fans. Now that this is a rare opportunity, you might as well have a try, or you may have to wait for another 20 years.

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Unboxing: Adidas ULTRABOOST 21

With a myriad of running shoes on the market, many people are likely to feel dazzled, not least when they are choosing one pair that is after their own heart. However, for many experienced runners, chances are that they have clear goals and won’t get lost facing the various choices. In my case, it is Adidas that always pops up in my mind the first moment when I am going to buy new shoes and ULTRABOOST will be my preferential choice for it is really impressive.

When the brand first launched its Adidas ULTRABOOST 21 in 2021, I failed to cop one pair myself. But later I bought a pair by chance, which has greatly changed my view toward this sport and done me a great help.

For the colorways, the number has run into 30 besides the initial white one, which, according to the official, helps empower runners.

When I look at the ULTRABOOST 21 as a whole, I just can’t help but marvel at how different the shoes look and how powerful the setups are. ULTRABOOST 21 is utterly different from its predecessors.

Compared with the traditional weaving process of PK fabric of the previous ULTRABOOST shoes, ULTRABOOST 21 adopts the PRIMEBLUE material and the vamp adopts a new weaving texture, which is not only more eye-pleasing, but also excellent in wrapping and stability. On top of that, the design is also in line with Adidas’s emphasis on environmental protection in recent years.

The TPU translucent design on the side of the shoes and the abrazine logo of “ULTRABOOST” visually refreshes the appearance of the shoes while also provides good stability for the runners.

The upturn of the heel and the thickened cushion inherits the comfort and softness exclusive to ULTRABOOST shoes.

Due to the nature of BOOST material, the shoe type of ULTRABOOST has, over the years, continued a similar design. However, in this the new ULTRABOOST 21 we can see that it has ushered in a new subversion in the midsole BOOST design.

The BOOST midsole material at the heel has been unprecedentedly thickened, which, as a result, looks a bit exaggerated while at the same time changes the usual reserved appearance of ULTRABOOST shoes.

Of course, there is more to it than that. In fact, the thickened midsole has a stronger cushioning and rebound performance and makes runners more assured.

If the thickened midsole has stunned you, then the brand new outsole design might completely overturn your expectations of it.

Compared to the previous Horse rubber outsole , this ULTRABOOST 21’s is comprised of three parts. The edge and core area of the forefoot still use the classic Horse rubber that still ensures stability and wear resistance whereas the heel outsole adopts transparent material that is quite wear-resistant and can helps prevent slipping.

Over and above that, the brand new anti-torsional system brings a new breakthrough to the performance of ULTRABOOST 21. With this upgrade, the shoes’ overall support is then guaranteed.

Overall:

In the words of Moritz Hollmuller, senior director of Adidas running shoes, ULTRABOOST 21 is undoubtedly the running shoe with the most comprehensive performances in Adidas as it is an integration of excellent lightness, cushioning and rich rebound. In my view, it is synonymous with excellence.