adidas adizero Ubersonic Women's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 4.2

Our playtesters raved about the comfort of their adizero Ubersonic test shoes from the very first wear. After a few weeks of court time, Tiffani stated, "These are my favorite shoes right now for tennis and working out, so it's safe to say that I think these adizero Ubersonics are very comfortable. Over the past couple of years I've had some issues with the fit of adidas shoes fitting a quarter-size long, but the length, width and arch support of these Ubersonics are spot on for me. I like how the shoes sit low to the ground and how the cushioning is supportive rather than super soft. The uppers are very flexible and provide plenty of venting as well. I really don't have many negatives to report. If anything, it took me about 30 minutes of playing in them to feel that they were flexing completely from heel to toe, but I also put them right of the box and headed out to play."

Finding the woven uppers to be soft and flexible, Brittany did not have to break her shoes in. She said, "I thought the length of the Ubersonics was a little shorter than their predecessor, the adizero CC Tempaia III, which made them the right length for my feet in my true size 8. The width is definitely a roomy medium, and I found plenty of extra room throughout the shoes for my narrow feet, most noticeably in the toe box. Because of the extra space my forefoot was moving around a lot when I was making aggressive cuts, but I didn't get any blisters or rubbing from that. However, I did find these shoes to run slightly narrower than previous versions, so my heel and forefoot felt more locked in. The arch support was on the lower side, but I had no issues with it. Lastly, the cushioning was minimal and I would describe it as supportive and firm. This cushioning worked out just fine for me, and I didn't have any issues with it."

Like many lightweight shoes, the adizero Ubersonics do not to have a whole lot of padding, but Karly still thought they were pretty comfortable to play in. She commented, "These shoes had a very minimalistic feel, and there was just enough padding and cushioning to prevent rubbing or discomfort. There was hardly any break-in, either. They loosened up within the first hour on the court. The only slight knock I had in terms of comfort was the breathability. They weren't as ventilated as the previous version, the adizero CC Tempaia IIIs, and I thought they felt warmer once I started moving around on the tennis court. My feet tend to run hot so it didn't bother me too much, but it was a noticeable difference when comparing the two shoes."

Because she loved the adizero CC Tempaia IIIs, Michelle had high expectations for this replacement. She said, "For me, the comfort level was on par with the Tempaia IIIs, but I did notice that the cushioning was more minimal. There wasn't a ton of plush cushioning, which motivated me to throw in an aftermarket insole to reduce some jarring in my joints. I also noticed that my higher arches were a little achey, but the aftermarket insole helped solve that problem as well. Back to the positives, I really enjoyed the improved fit of this update. The adizero CC Tempaia IIIs always felt a tad too long, but the length of the Ubersonics felt true to size. I also enjoyed wearing them into the gym because of their low-to-the-ground feel and light weight. Not a perfect score in comfort, but pretty spot on!"

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.3

Lightweight shoes aren't usually super supportive or stable, but adidas injected the adizero Ubersonic with technology to keep players well supported when moving on the court. Brittany was surprised at how stable and supportive they felt, commenting, "These shoes had my feet sitting pretty close to the ground, and the ankle collar came up high enough to support my ankle. I wouldn't say these are the most supportive shoes I have ever worn, but I was never tentative in my movements on court. Because the toe box was roomy for me my forefoot did have a lot of extra space to move around, as I mentioned in the comfort section, but that didn't hinder the stability of these shoes at all."

The secure fit of this version and the low-to-the-ground feel really helped Karly enjoy the support and stability of the lightweight Ubersonics. She said, "The uppers were pretty thin and the material wasn't extremely supportive, but I was never worried about rolling an ankle. They wrapped around my midfoot tightly, which made for a secure fit when I was moving aggressively around the court. The Ubersonics were stable and supportive enough to keep my mind off of hurting myself, so I was happy with the amount of support they offered."

Michelle was surprisingly happy with the support and stability of these shoes considering how light and flexible they are. She offered, "I was never worried about twisting an ankle or slipping. I felt pretty locked in when wearing these shoes, and I could be explosive with my footwork without even thinking twice about them. The materials were soft, yet supportive, and they remained stable for me throughout the playtest."

Tiffani rounded out the positive feedback, saying, "At first glance these shoes don't appear to have much support built into them. However, when I took a closer look I saw a shank and plastic stability system on the uppers. The uppers are flashy (in a good way), so I just didn't notice the supports right away. These support features and the low ride really had me enjoying how these shoes were

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.1 / Toe Durablity - Score: 2.9

Up until the durability category the adizero Ubersonics exceeded our playtesters' expectations. Unfortunately, if there was a downfall in these shoes it was the durability. Karly admitted, "The durability wasn't great, but that's not unexpected for such a lightweight pair of shoes. Considering how little they weigh, I thought the durability was average. However, compare them to most shoes and the Ubersonics don't stand much of a chance in a durability matchup. I wasn't disappointed with how long they lasted, nor was I impressed. The lightweight Ubersonics held up fine for their weight class, but I don't expect my pair to last me more than a few more months."

"The outsoles of the Ubersonic aren't going to win any durability battles," began Michelle, who found them to last about as long as the Tempaia IIIs. "There was some initial smoothing, but nothing drastic. I know in another month or two the outsole will smooth down a lot more. I'd say these are pretty average for lightweight shoes, so I wasn't too disappointed."

"Something has to give when a shoe is this lightweight, and it's often the durability," stated Tiffani. "That's the story with the Ubersonics. I have been wearing these just about every time I go to play, as well as for quick workouts in the gym, but I am smoothing the outsole rather quickly. The toe area has a clear plastic overlay and the outsoles wrap up a little bit, but I'm going to wear through the toe pretty soon. The durability is on par with the Nike Zoom Vapor 9.5 Tours."

Brittany also expected the durability to be on the lower side. She said, "The durability of these shoes was below average compared to all the playtest shoes I have tested, but they are about average when compared to other lightweight shoes. After about 10 hours on court I was seeing some smoothing under my big toe. Additionally, I was pretty tough on the uppers. I was going through the midsole on both the medial of the right shoe and the lateral side of the left shoe. There is clear plastic over the woven fabric on the uppers and I scuffed the medial side of the right shoe almost through the plastic. There are also some small scuffs above the toe bumper. Heavy toe draggers will go through the thin plastic piece pretty quickly."

Traction - Score: 3.9

Designed for multi-directional movements, the adizero Ubersonic features a modified herringbone tread pattern. Michelle liked how adidas carried over the outsole tread pattern of the adizero CC Tempaia III into the design of the Ubersonic. She said, "When I first wore the adizero CC Tempaia IIIs I wasn't sure about the outsole pattern, but after hours on the court I ended up loving it. The design provided great grip and give without feeling too slippery or sticky. I did notice that when the outsole began wearing down the traction levels did suffer a little, and the soles became a little more slippery."

Tiffani said, "I'm getting used to my tennis shoes offering a little bit more slide. That seems to be the new norm with hard court outsoles. These adizero Ubersonics fall into that category. There was enough stick for me to stop and start quickly, but enough give for me to pivot easily. The traction began to offer more give as I started to smooth the outsoles, but it was not alarming."

The improved traction was what Brittany appreciated the most in this update. She explained, "With the Tempaia IIIs I found myself having to make an adjustment at the beginning of the playtest because of the extra give of the outsole, but I didn't experience that with the Ubersonics. I felt they grabbed the court predictably well, and I wasn't slipping or sticking to the court. I also loved the low-to-the-ground feel because I felt really connected to the court."

The traction was perfect for Karly at the beginning of the playtest. She said, "They offered just the right amount of give for me to take off easily and just enough stick for me to plant my feet without sliding at all. However, as the playtest went on and the outsoles smoothed down they began to feel much more slippery than grippy. I never felt like I was going to slip and fall, but I generally prefer outsoles that offer more tack."

Weight - Score: 4.8

With a size 8.5 weighing in at just 10.2 ounces, weight was clearly a standout feature of the adizero Ubersonics. Tiffani said, "The lightweight feel of these Ubersonics was another strong point. The fit was spot on for me, so I always felt like these shoes were moving seamlessly with me. I never noticed them getting in the way, and they were giving me no reason to blame them when I couldn't chase down a shot!"

"I felt uber quick wearing these on the court," stated Brittany. "I prefer lightweight shoes, and the weight was perfect for me. The Ubersonics are possibly the lightest weight shoes I have ever played in. It felt like I was playing in socks, and I completely forgot I was wearing shoes when playing. They definitely have a minimalist feel, and I loved playing in them."

The adizero Ubersonics felt light for Karly really appreciated their minimal weight. She said, "The weight was noticeable as soon as I took my first few steps. They felt as though they hardly weighed anything at all. I was light on my feet during point play and taking off didn't take much effort, which made it easy to move quickly and get to each shot. I loved the feather-light feel, which was easily my favorite feature of these shoes."

Michelle added, "These shoes are so light! I really was surprised that adidas could make a shoe this light that could still perform so solidly in all areas. This could be the standout feature of these shoes - matched with the fact that they are still so stable and supportive. I felt like I could be speedy and never felt weighed down. I thought these might be the lightest shoes I've playtested until I saw that they were the same weight as the adizero CC Tempaia IIIs!"

Overall - Score: 4.3