Adidas Barricade 3 Shoe Review
Since its inception, the Barricade line-up has been associated with several top ATP Tour players including Tim Henman, Marat Safin, Jan-Michael Gambill and the Bryan Brothers. This is the third generation of the Barricade shoe from Adidas. The Barricade 3 created a lot of buzz in the tennis community as fans of the previous Barricade models eagerly awaited its release.
When we tested the original Equipment Barricades in 2001, we were impressed with their performance, but there were a couple of details we would have liked altered. When we tested the Barricade IIs in 2002, we found Adidas had completely changed the shoe. In our Barricade II review we stated, "the Barricade IIs are 2 ounces heavier and slightly longer, provide a little more arch support, have leather uppers (as opposed to synthetic), and offer completely new cosmetics," the result was a shoe which corrected pretty much all the issues we had with the original Barricade.
If the Barricade II was a completely new shoe compared to the Equipment Barricade, the Barricade 3 could be considered more of an update in the Barricade lineage. Built around the same last, Adidas has attempted to up the impressive performance of the Barricade IIs, with the Barricade 3s. Did they succeed? We tested the Barricade 3s for a three-week period to find out.
Comfort
Although the Barricade 3s share the same last as the Barricade IIs, they offer a slightly different fit. A revised upper design, toe design, heel design and outsole design has created a shoe that fits a tad shorter, but still retains the contoured insole feel of the Barricade IIs. Mark was happy with the fit and feel of the Barricade 3s, saying, "I found the Barricade 3s to be very comfortable. There was plenty of cushioning on the bottom and the uppers held my feet without poking or pinching."
Josh agreed, saying, "this was a comfortable shoe to play in. The width of the shoe gave my toes plenty of room and I didn't experience any discomfort on or off the court. The cushioning was great in the heel and toe areas. I don't think I ever felt the pounding I usually feel playing on hard courts. I spent approximately 10 hours casually in the Barricade 3s one Saturday, and my feet felt great afterwards."
Comparing the Barricade 3s to the IIs, Granville said, "the padding seems to be the biggest enhancement to this shoe. Good padding, perhaps too padded. Feels very plush on my feet."
Also comparing their experiences with the Barricade 3s and IIs were Don and John. Don said, "at first, I found the Barricade 3s a little narrow for my feet, similar to the Barricade 2s. However, the Barricade 2s stretched out a little more easily and quickly, whereas the Barricade 3s took a bit longer. I switched from my normal thick, Thorlo socks to thinner Euro socks, and this helped quite a bit. I continue to wear the Euro socks and the fit is fine. Otherwise, I had no poking or pinching problems at all."
John did not require any break-in period with the Barricade 3s, saying, "like the Barricade IIs, the Barricade 3s were comfortable out of the box. I did find that the more I wore the shoes, the more they conformed to my foot shape - becoming even more comfortable. I found the 3s to have more cushioning than the IIs in the forefoot. From the first time on court until the present, I have not experienced any poking, pinching or rubbing." Danny found the cushioning to be consistent throughout the shoe. He said, "the outsole/insole is thick and very comfortable. I found the shoe to be very comfortable during a light practice. During intense practices, my foot would slightly slide around due to the shoe's wide design, which was a little discomforting." Like Don, Chris found the Barricade 3s required a slight break-in period. Chris said, "my foot size seems to border the 8.5 to 9 size gap, and my choice of shoe size varies between brands and models of shoe. With the Barricade 3s, a size 9 fit the length of my foot perfectly, with the Adidas a3s -my regular shoe - a size 8.5 was the best fit. The first few times I wore the Barricade 3s they felt a little stiff. However, after about 4 hours of casual wear, the shoes had broken-in and were ready for the courts. On court, the shoes offer good cushioning. As the playtest progressed, the uppers really started to mold to shape of my feet. I was really impressed with the quality of the finish to the inside of the uppers on these shoes, finding them extremely user friendly. From the tongue forward, the inside of the Barricade 3s are totally smooth with no stitching or seems inside any part of the toe box. I found the more I wore the Barricade 3s, the more I seemed to enjoy just wearing them around. At about the mid point of the playtest, I found my self wearing the Barricade 3s more and more casually. By the end of the test, I was wearing the Barricade 3s anytime I knew I'd be doing a lot of walking, or if I was going to be on my feet all day."
Arch Support
The majority of our team found the medium height arch support of the Barricade 3s to be an adequate fit for their foot types. John and Danny were our only playtesters to have an issue with the arch support. John said, "although not uncomfortable, I found the arch to be more forward in the Barricade 3s than in the II's. It was not as noticeable during play, but I am cognizant of the arch when just walking around. It has become less noticeable over time."
Danny said, "the arch was low, which made my feet feel flat and slow. I thought the arch could have been higher."
Two more playtesters seeking a slightly higher arch support were Don and Josh. Don said, "the Barricade 3s have a medium arch, which is adequate but not ideal for my feet. I prefer a higher arch, but rarely find it in most tennis shoes."
Josh agreed, saying, "the arch support could have been a little higher for me, but my arches were never fatigued at the end of play."
With his low arch Granville found "good arch support." He said, "it was a little on the high side for this low arch playtester - but a very nice fit. No major issues here."
Mark thought the arch support was adequate, saying, "the arch support was fine. It was high enough for me to know it was there, but not so high that it hurt my arch."
Chris had the best fit, he said, "the arch support was perfect for my medium height arches. The shape of the insoles through the arch area was a really good fit for my foot, providing good support and comfort. As far as my arches were concerned, I felt very confident pushing off in these shoes when sprinting for a short ball. I've strained the arch area of my right foot before by playing in shoes that fit too flat. However, in the Barricade 3s, I felt very supported."
Foot Support/Stability
Our team's opinion of the Barricade 3's support and stability varied depending largely on how well the shoe fit each particular foot type. Our only team member to have a stability issue not related to fit, was Chris, he said, "although the shoes offered good support for my feet, I kept finding myself getting hung-up on the court by the clunky outsoles. The heel area of the outsoles felt especially bulky. It took some getting used to the shape of the outsole before I was confident in these shoes. I don't think I ever reached the level of confidence I have with my Adidas a3s, but I did start to find more stability once I got used to the feel of the Barricade 3s. I should point out that at the start of this test I was recovering from an ankle roll. However, I don't think I was being over sensitive to the feel of the Barricade 3s. I wore them mostly with my lace-up ankle supports and just once without. I was definitely more confident when sporting my ankle supports. When just walking around casually, the Barricade3s felt really stable and supportive. The heel shape of the outsole seemed to work fine when just walking, and I felt none of the awkwardness I felt on court. Because of this, I have taken to wearing the Barricade 3s as more of a casual shoe and they are currently my favorite shoes to wear around Tennis Warehouse."
Granville also played with and without ankle supports during the Barricade 3 test. Granville said, "I had no issues with ankle roll. I usually wear braces, but wore this shoe with and without them to compare. Good support and very stable on their own due primarily to the low profile of the shoe. It feels like there is more shoe on my feet than with earlier versions of this shoe. While they are slightly more bulky, they still are my number one pick in a performance shoe."
Danny struggled to find the support he was looking for due to the fit of the Barricade 3s. Danny said, "I thought the support and stability wasn't satisfactory due to the shoes wider design. My ankles felt supported by the shoe, but my feet were sliding around during intense movement. I felt a little clumsy with these shoes."
Josh adjusted his shoe size to get a better fit with the Barricade 3s. He said, "I was a bit hesitant to play in these shoes. I chose to wear the Barricade 3s a half-size bigger than usual to prevent my toes from being jammed on changes of direction and quick stops. Because of this, the shoes felt a bit bulky, especially in the heel. Once on the court, I was definitely more aware of each step I took. Aside from having to lace the shoes tighter than usual, they were stable and I liked having the extra room in the toe." Mark was happy with the support of the Barricade 3s, saying, "they held my feet snugly and effectively. It felt like the pressure was dispersed evenly over my feet when I tightened the laces. I could tighten the laces enough to hold feet without hurting my feet. I never thought my ankles were going to roll over, either."
John was also impressed with the performance of the Barricade 3s, saying, "Adidas has gone to great lengths to improve the stability of an already stable shoe, the Barricade II. The stability of the Barricade 3s is enhanced by Adidas' patented extended Torsion System. I found the shoes to be extremely stable when moving laterally. When moving forward for a drop shot or a short ball, my feet did not move noticeably."
Finding the most support was Don. At the end of the test Don said, "nice, snug fit that can be easily adjusted with the lacing system. When just walking around, I can loosen the laces for a bit more room. When I play, I cinch up the laces like a boxer's glove and am ready to RUMBLE!" (Calling Don King, we think we've found your next prospect!)
Overall Sole Durability
The Barricade 3s have thick and durable outsoles that really impressed our team members. Mark said, "I've been wearing the Barricade 3s for some time now, and there's hardly any wear anywhere on the sole. There may be a little wear under the balls of my feet, but not much."
Don agreed, saying, "I can barely notice any wear on the sole of the Barricade 3s, even after over 20 hours of play."
When asked where the outsoles wore out first, Josh replied, "I'm still trying to wear out the sole!" Adding, "the sole on the Barricade 3 is solid. This is the first pair of Adidas shoes I have played tennis in, and the adiWEAR composite seems solid. I noticed very minimal wear throughout. Adidas did a nice job of placing extra tread and material in all the right places."
Danny compared his experience with both the Barricade IIs and 3s. Danny said, "I thought the outsoles for the Barricade 3s lasted a little longer than the with the IIs. My first signs of wear were on the inside toe that occurred from dragging my shoes during low volleys."
Chris, who played only on hard courts during the test said, "the rubber compound outsoles felt firm and sturdy, and were able to take all the hard court abuse I could throw at them. At the completion of the playtest, only a slight smoothing out of the herringbone pattern towards the outer edges of the outsoles was noticeable. I still have a long way to go before these shoes wear out."
John found the Barricade 3s to be sturdier than previous versions, saying, "I did not experience any sign of wear during the playtest. Adidas has beefed up the outsole (it is thicker than the Barricade II). The adiWear outsole should benefit those who are tough on shoes."
Toe Durability
The Barricade 3 has the most beefed-up toe area of the Barricade line. The toe bumper wraps up to just beyond the tip of the shoe, with an additional scuff resistant fabric surrounding the toe area. After three-weeks on the hard courts in the Barricade 3s, Chris said, "these shoes have lots of toe protection. I was really impressed with the durability of the toe area of this shoe. I tend to drag up high towards the upper - when hitting low volleys and slice backhand groundstrokes - and at the tip of the outsole when hitting forehands and serves. No matter what part of the toe came into contact with the court, these shoes were more than capable of dealing with the situation." Mark was equally impressed, saying, "except for some dirt, the toes on the Barricade 3s look like new." Josh also found the toe cap and guard to hold up nicely on the Barricade 3s. Josh said, "I didn't notice any wear on the toe guard, and the cap was barely scuffed." Danny thought the toe guard on the Barricade 3 was a little thicker then that of the Barricade II, finding it very durable. John and Don did not experience any toe wear.
Traction
The outsoles of the Barricade 3s feature a deep herringbone pattern making the shoes suitable for all court surfaces. Granville liked the shoes' traction on hard courts, offering, "this is another key area where this shoe excels. Good traction with very little slipping offering consistent grip across the spectrum of shots I hit on the court. Very high marks for traction, as little, to no slipping occurred in this very contoured shoe."
Chris was surprised at the level of grip he found in the Barricade 3s. Chris said, "with outsoles that are firm and durable, I was amazed at how much grip I found on court. The herringbone pattern is deep and really seems to grab the court well. I found I could really trust the shoes to grip, whether I was moving side to side, or forward and back."
John had a similar experience, saying, "I was quick off the mark in the 3s. I found the herringbone outsole did its job in grabbing the court when starting or stopping. I also felt confident when changing directions. I never felt in danger of rolling an ankle or coming out of the shoe." Mark was our only playtester to venture onto the red dirt in the Barricade 3s and found they worked well on clay, adding, "these shoes worked well on all the surfaces I played on - clay, concrete and asphalt. The asphalt I played on was fairly slick, but the Barricade 3s never lost their grip. I felt very comfortable making quick stops and starts."
However, Don found there to be a compromise between durability and traction with the Barricade 3s, saying, "I found traction good but not great with the Barricade 3s. I think that there's a price to be paid for a super durable outsole, and that is slightly less grip. On rare occasions, I did slip a bit when stopping or starting. Fortunately, this was minimal and didn't apply to direction change."
Danny's issues with traction were fit related. He said, "I did not find great traction due to the wide fit of the shoes. When forced to stop abruptly, my feet would slide, which made my foot-work speed feel off marginally."
Josh was also a little shy of going all-out in the Barricade 3s due to fit issues. Josh said, "the Barricade 3s offer nice traction. Not too much grab and no slipping. Again, I was more cautious with my movement during initial play, so my footwork may have been more efficient."
Weight
While the Barricade IIs (15.8 ounces) were slightly heavier then the Equipment Barricades (13.8 ounces), the Barricade 3s (17 ounces) are heavier still. The extra weight of the Barricade 3s was a noticeable point to all of our team with the exception of Don. Don said, "they seem to be just right; light enough to not hinder mobility, but heavy enough to provide the support and stability I need." Chris said, "the Barricade 3s felt a bit on the heavy side. I don't move as well in these shoes as I do in my Adidas a3s. Combined with the feel of the heel area of the shoe on court, I felt much slower when changing direction in the Barricade 3s. The weight of the shoe was most noticeable on smaller, adjustment steps when hitting from the middle of the court. Too often, I found myself aware of the shoes and the feel of them contacting the court. At first, I was unable to just play and not think about them. To me, a good shoe is one you can forget about and just concentrate on playing tennis. I did not get that feel from the Barricade 3s."
Danny was in agreement saying, "I felt the shoes were a little heavy and clumsy." Granville and John compared the feel of the Barricade 3s to previous Barricade versions. Granville said, "they do feel heavier than previous versions and this is confirmed through our measured specs. While it is not an issue in this form, I would not like to see the Barricades get any heavier than the 3s. I think the fact that these are heavier on my feet is why I used the word "bulky" in a previous description."
John said, "the Barricade 3s are a bit heavier than the II's. Although, the weight of the shoe did not impede my movement on court, some may find the extra ounce plus a hindrance. On the positive side, the added heft should increase the stability and durability of the Barricade 3s."
Josh was left wondering if his fit issues effected his perception of weight in the shoes. Josh said, "the shoe is a bit heavy, but I was wearing a half-size larger than usual. The weight is a small sacrifice for the durability, though, and the shoes never felt cumbersome once I was in full swing."
Mark said the Barricade 3s "felt a little heavy at times."
Summary
The sturdiest and most durable version of the Barricade line-up, the Barricade 3 is a worthy successor to the Barricade lineage. With their medium width fit, the Barricade 3s are better suited to a range of foot widths when compared to the narrower fitting Equipment Barricades. Fans of the Barricade IIs will find the Barricade 3s fit slightly more snug in length due to the revised toe and upper design. Another noticeable difference is the feel of the outsole on the court. The Barricade 3s feature a more angular outsole edge compared to the rounded edge of the IIs. Although some of our playtesters noticed a brief break-in period with the Barricade 3s, the comfort of the uppers and cushioning was exceptional. The entire interior of the Barricade 3 is lined by a soft material, which protects the foot from any stitching or joining of upper, midsole and outsole materials. As with the previous Barricade models, the Barricade 3 fits into the performance shoe category and is well suited to tournament level play.
