adidas Barricade 2017 BOOST Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.1

Our team loved the plush comfort and exceptional breathability of the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs. Chris raved, "I felt right at home the first time I tried on the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs. Traditionally, the adidas Barricade series has fit my feet very well, and this latest pair felt good to go right out of the box. I loved the memory foam ankle collars; they felt plush and comfortable the entire platytest. The BOOST cushioning also felt great. I loved the comfortable ride when I was sprinting around the court. I put these shoes to the test in the hot desert heat of Indian Wells, Calif., and they felt cooler than expected. I felt the ventilation was improved over the previous version. I also enjoyed the arch support. Barricades have always felt well built and supportive through the arch area, and these fit my high arches and provided excellent support."

Andy was impressed with this update, saying, "I feel like the comfort of the Barricade line just keeps getting better and better. The highlight of this iteration was the memory foam ankle collar in the heel. It hugged the back of my foot very comfortably during play, while also locking it in, giving me virtually no heel slippage. Also, the new upper material was more breathable than ever and softer out of the box, making the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs good to go from the very first wear. The cushioning underfoot was excellent and there was plenty of arch support, making these a great choice for players (like me) who need rigidity through that area of the shoe. I always looked forward to slipping these shoes on during the playtest, and they were very comfortable overall."

Although the fit was a bit narrow for Jason's E width feet, he still appreciated the overall comfort of these shoes. He said, "In regards to the cushioning and plushness, these shoes were the most comfortable Barricades I've worn to date. I especially loved the addition of the memory foam collar around the heel. Like the previous two generations, the uppers were soft from the beginning and didn't need a break in. However, what did need a break-in for me was the forefoot/midfoot area. These shoes were too narrow for my foot shape, to a point where my feet were getting quite sore when I had them on. It took about 6-8 hours of wear before the shoes broke in enough that most of that soreness went away."

Troy enjoyed the plush feel, but he also felt these shoes ran a bit too narrow through the middle area. He explained, "From the first time I slipped these shoes on my feet, I felt a high level of comfort from the new knit upper material. In comparison to some of the previous models of the adidas Barricade, the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs provided a soft and contoured fit with the new upper material. This was the first time I've worn the adidas BOOST cushioning, and I was surprised by how soft and responsive these shoes felt in the heels (where the BOOST cushioning is). I needed about a week of wear before they began to flex with my feet in the way that I prefer, though. The fit was a bit too snug around the middle of my feet, but after breaking them in I found the fit to be much better. The overall fit was nice and snug in the heel and midfoot region, but became it a bit too roomy in the forefoot. Compared to my go-to shoes -- the Asics Gel Resolution 7s, which contour around my toes like a glove -- the Barricades were a bit roomy in the toe box, allowing me to slide around in them just a bit. The ventilation was great, especially in comparison to many of the previous models."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.7

Our expectations for support and stability were high due to the pedigree of the Barricade line, and the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs did not disappoint. "You'd be hard pressed to find more supportive and stable shoes on the market than the Barricade," Andy contended. "Version after version they continue to be the gold standard in that regard, and this update was no exception. The midfoot chassis protected me exceptionally well when I was moving laterally, while giving my forefoot the freedom it needed to stabilize me naturally. The new memory foam ankle collar locked in the back of my foot better than ever, and the low-to-the-ground feel in the forefoot kept me connected to each step. Top marks in this category once again!"

"These shoes performed how I expect Barricade shoes to perform: great!" said Jason. "They offered excellent stability, so I was able to move aggressively without worrying about rolling my ankles. Also, unlike some of the previous Barricades, I experienced no toe jamming in these."

Chris was also extremely impressed. He praised, "Another Barricade stalwart is stability. The Barricade 2017 BOOSTs lived up to my expectations and offered a very, very stable ride. I found improved support in the previous version and was glad to find that trend continuing here. My feet felt locked in both when I was coming to a quick stop as well as when I was moving side to side. These shoes are a top choice for me for support and stability."

Troy also liked the level of support and stability, but he would have liked a bit tighter fit through the forefoot. He shared, "Living up to what I have come to expect from Barricades, these shoes provided plenty of lateral stability. No matter how much stress I put these shoes under while stopping and starting, I found great stability and never felt as though I might roll my ankles. The support they provided was very secure around my ankles and in the midfoot/arch regions. When I was moving around the court I felt locked in, and I didn't have to worry about any sort of heel slippage. The only support issue I encountered with these shoes was that after breaking them in I found the toebox to be slightly roomy. With the extra room there my toes were sliding around a bit, although this wasn't a detriment to the overall performance of these shoes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.6

The Barricade 2017 BOOSTs proved to be extremely durable for every one of our playtesters. "I don't expect to get a month of play from any shoes I wear, but these might be the exception," Chris raved. "I'm finding better durability from the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs than I did from the Barricade 2016s. As usual, the most wear occurred under the big toe of my right foot. While that area of the outsole has worn down the most, I still have lots of life left in my shoes despite putting many hours on them. The uppers and toe areas also held up well. I wore through the first layer of the toe guard material, but there appears to be many layers of material left. No worries here for me!"

"I put more than 20 hours on these shoes and I barely put a dent in the outsoles," Jason added. "Some wear and tear could be seen around the medial forefoot, but that was about it."

"It would be difficult to find tennis shoes that are more durable than Barricades," Andy said. "The adiwear 6 rubber may be the most resilient outsole compound on the market, holding up to intense play extremely well without showing any signs of notable wear and tear. I put 30-40+ hours on the court in these shoes and there's still tons of tread left. If you're a player who's hard on your shoes and you want the utmost durability, stop reading, scroll back to the top of the page and press the 'Buy' button. It doesn't get any better than this!"

Troy was impressed as well, but he thought the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs weren't quite as durable as some older Barricade models. He shared, "The overall durability was good. However, compared to some of the older adidas Barricades that I have tried in the past, the outsoles weren't quite as durable. By the end of this playtest I was barely able to wear down the tread under the balls of my feet and toe regions, which are the high-wear areas for me."

Traction - Score: 4.5

Our testers were generally happy with the level of traction the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs offered, and they found them to grip the court very well. "The adiwear 6 rubber outsole on these shoes provided a high level of performance when it came to traction," Troy praised. "These shoes provided good grip on the court when I needed to slam on the brakes. I also noticed that my aggressive stops didn't feel so abrupt that they felt jarring on my feet and ankles. There was a great balance when it came to grip and give. The traction, when combined with some of the other features of these shoes, allowed me move confidently on the court."

"The amount of grip and give was perfect," added Chris, who appreciated the balance. "I felt very confident and safe moving in these shoes. I found enough slide to come out of an abrupt stop without the shoes getting hung up on the court surface. That little bit of give helped take the strain off my joints, and it also allowed me to move smoothly around the court. There was also ample grip when I wanted to push off quickly, so I felt like I was moving very well even though these are not lightweight shoes."

Andy found the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs to be particularly sticky, but as the test wore on he was moving very comfortably in them. He shared, "The adiwear 6 rubber compound continues to be on the stickier side of the spectrum when it comes to traction. It locks up with the hard courts extremely well, which gave me the confidence to plant hard and accelerate in another direction. I like to slide on hard courts, so I found myself having to exert a little more effort than usual to get the shoes to perform like that. After a brief adjustment period I got used to the grip the outsole offered and I was comfortable moving normally."

Jason had a similar experience. He said, "From the first hour till the last, I thought the outsoles were very grippy, which is par for the course in my experience with shoes that have a full herringbone tread pattern. It wasn't a big deal, but I typically like shoes that have just a bit more give."

Weight - Score: 3.9

The Barricade 2017 BOOSTs never slowed down any of our playtesters on court, but they also were not the lightest and fastest-feeling shoes on court. "They were definitely on the weightier side, but that was to be expected," Jason said. "However, the shoes didn't feel too cumbersome when I was moving around the court. With as much durability and stability that they provide, the weight was not a very high price to pay."

Chris was pleased with the overall weight and feel of the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs on court. He shared, "Although the Barricade 2017 BOOSTs are not designed to be lightweight shoes, I found I moved very well in them. I thought the shoes transitioned well from heel to toe, the traction was very good and I could slide out of a shot when needed. There was just the right amount of give from the uppers to complement the support and stability. All things considered, I thought the shoes felt very well built, and they never slowed me down."

Sharing a similar opinion, Andy said, "The Barricade line has never focused on lightweight speed, and while this recent design has certainly made improvements in that regard, these shoes are still middle of the road in terms of how fast they feel on court. I was certainly aware of the shoes when I was wearing them, but you know what you're getting in shoes this supportive and durable. I never felt slowed down by any means during the playtest, but there are definitely a lot of lighter options out on the market to choose from, albeit not as stable or resilient."

Troy noted the improvements. He said, "These are definitely the lightest feeling Barricades that I have ever tried. They felt a little stiff out of the box, but after I broke them in I felt fast while moving. Although they weigh in slightly more than my Asics Gel Resolution 7s, I found a similar feel when it came to the weight. With the knit upper material providing a lightweight feel and easy flexibility, I found these shoes to feel slightly lighter than the numbers would indicate."

Overall - Score: 4.4