adidas adizero Ubersonic Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.1

The ultra fast style of the adidas adizero Ubersonic had these shoes riding low to the ground with superior ventilation. Andy felt fully connected to the court, explaining, "I found these shoes to be really comfortable and ready to go right out of the box. They are super light and fast on court, which allowed me to move at top speed and with full confidence. They offer pretty pronounced support through the arch, which I like but may rub some others the wrong way (pun intended). They aren't the most cushioned shoes either, but they offer great court feel and ride super low to the ground, which kept me totally connected and confident in my movement."

These shoes grew on Jason as the playtest went on, but he was left wanting just a little more cushioning in certain areas. He said, "The first few times out I wasn't sure how to score these shoes. On one hand, the width fit me well and I liked the cushioning in the heel. On the other hand, the high arch was causing some discomfort and I thought there could've been a bit more cushioning in the forefoot. As the playtest went on the arch wore down and molded to the shape of my foot. Also, the ventilation was really good and better than most shoes I've tested in the past few years. Although I still wish there was more cushioning in the forefoot, these Ubersonics were really low and fast. By the end of the playtest I was pretty happy with the comfort level of these shoes."

Troy was blown away by the breathability of the adizero Ubersonic shoes, and found a good fit for his foot type. He mentioned, "When I first tried these shoes on I thought the comfort and fit were good. The upper material was very pliable and contoured to my feet without any break-in time. The ventilation was superb - these are likely the most breathable shoes that I have playtested. The medium arch support of these shoes worked well with my foot type, but the lacing system caused some discomfort when I cinched the laces tightly. I found that the lack of cushioning in the tongue didn't provide enough padding between the top of my feet and the laces. After a couple weeks of testing these shoes the upper material began to loosen up. Once the uppers of these shoes began to stretch out my feet began to move around inside my shoes."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

For the most part, the adidas adizero Ubersonic provided enough support and stability to keep our playtesters quick and agile on court. Andy was proof these shoes gave just as much support and stability as they do comfort. He said, "Because of their low-to-the-ground ride and the enhanced support in the forefoot, I felt totally locked in and completely confident moving at my top speed in these shoes. Being in these shoes reminded me of sitting down low in a sports car -- once you're strapped in you're ready for the ride! There's a nice heel counter that also helped secure my feet nicely. These shoes aren't the most supportive higher through the ankle, so those of you seeking lots of ankle support may want to look elsewhere. But with that said, support and stability was never an issue for me during the playtest."

Jason felt well connected to the court, but he had a minor issue with the lacing. He explained, "I felt fast and secure as I moved around the court with these shoes on. With the very low-to-the-ground ride and Sprintframe technology I felt like I could get to any ball (full disclosure, I did not get to every ball). I had great confidence making lateral cuts, and direction changes were done with great confidence knowing these shoes were there to support me. Really, I only had one issue, and that was with the laces. They are thinner than most laces and when I pulled them up tightly to get that locked-in fit they would cut into the top of my foot."

The speed and comfort came at a cost for Troy, who found the uppers softened up too much for his liking. He said, "The support and stability of these shoes were not up to my standards. Because the upper material was so soft and supple the Ubersonics didn't lock my feet into place. I thought that the support was decent for lightweight shoes, but I didn't quite feel comfortable during quick lateral movements. The support was good initially because these shoes fit my feet like gloves. The more I played in them the more they loosened up, and eventually they didn't provided the support I typically look for in my shoes. Anytime I was moving full speed into a stop the uppers stretched a bit more than I like."

Durability - Score: 3.6

For shoes that provide a light and stable ride, the adidas adizero Ubersonics' outsole held up satisfactorily for our playtest team. Andy put in a lot of time in his shoes and only reported a minor issue with the inner medial side wearing toward the end of the playtest. He explained, "The outsoles held up surprisingly well throughout the test. Even after putting 30-40 tough hours in them, the tread still seems to have plenty of life left in it. Where I did have some durability issues was on the medial side, where the TPU rubber protection started to peel off toward the end of the playtest. It didn't affect the performance of the shoes at all, but my shoes are showing signs of wear."

Jason also found a good amount of reinforcement in the design. He said, "I'm not one to use my shoes as an emergency brake like Andy or Sebastian, so I thought these shoes held up quite well. It was cool to see that the high wear areas were reinforced with additional rubber, but in the areas that don't see much wear and tear, like the arch or medial heel, there was less rubber to reduce the weight."

It was a slightly different story for toe dragger Troy. He found the overall durability to be average compared to most lightweight shoes. He said, "The ball of the foot and toe area are where I found the most wear on the outsole; this is where I tend to put the most stress on my shoes. Most of the outsole held up well throughout the playtest, but I would have liked this shoe to have a six-month durability guarantee. For a toe dragger like me, these shoes don't provide enough durability."

Traction - Score: 4.2

A full herringbone tread pattern gave these shoes a unique blend of grip and give on the hard court. Troy received the traction he needed in these shoes, saying, "The outsole gripped the court well when I had to change directions. There was a bit of give in the traction that allowed for me to gradually come to a stop, which kept me from rolling an ankle. I never felt I was slipping too much, and overall, I felt the traction was good with these shoes."

Jason also liked the way the adizero Ubersonics' mix of grip and slip. He said, "I was impressed with the full herringbone tread pattern. It's unique to see it on a hard court shoe, but it didn't seem to affect its 'gripability.' I actually slid a few times while changing direction, but I think these shoes were built to do that. I just needed to adjust to it. More importantly, I didn't experience any slippage while making that first step forward."

Andy said, "Traction was perfect for me. The outsole was slick enough to let me go for my aggressive hard court slides, yet they stuck enough to grab the court and help me get back into position quickly. The blend of grip and give had me feeling totally confident when going for hard starts and stops on hard courts."

Weight - Score: 4.7

FAST! This is the word that all three playtesters used to described these shoes. Jason exclaimed, "Fast, fast, fast! On paper or a scale they might seem heavier than the Asics Gel Solution Speed 2 shoes, but on court they felt lighter. Lighter than even the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour shoes. Blasphemy?! Perhaps, but these are some of the fastest, quickest, speediest, zippiest shoes I've ever tested. Period."

Andy found he could access his top speed in the adidas adizero Ubersonics. He explained, "The standout strength of these shoes was how light and fast they feel on court. Like I previously mentioned, the design of these shoes makes me feel like I'm sitting down low in a super fast sports car. There's no heft that hampers my movement or slows me down in any way. When I stepped on court with the Ubersonics on I was compelled and inspired to tap into my highest gear!"

Troy was also speeding around the court with these shoes on his feet, but he doesn't mind heavier offerings when it comes to shoes. He said, "The lightweight feel of these shoes was likely their best attribute. I felt very fast in these shoes, as though I could track down any ball on the court. I found these adidas adizero Ubersonic shoes to be just as fast on the court as the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tour and Asics Gel Solution Speed 2. I would have liked a bit more weight for some added durability and cushioning, but the lightweight design make these shoes a nice offering from adidas."

Overall - Score: 4.2