adidas adizero Ubersonic 2 Women's Shoe Review

Overall Comfort - Score: 3.8

With softer, woven textile uppers and a new uni-tongue design, the adizero Ubersonic 2s looked great and offered our team complete comfort from the first wear, but the wide fit polarized the team. As a big fan of the original adizero Ubersonics, Tiffani said she couldn't wait to slip the 2s onto her feet. She began, "Once I got the adizero Ubersonic 2s on, I was happy to find a fit and feel similar to the original Ubersonics. These Ubersonic 2s fit my wide feet well, although I know some of my fellow playtesters with narrower feet than mine found them too wide through the toe box. My feet were sitting comfortably in the shoes, and I enjoyed the low profile cushioning that kept me connected to the court. I liked how soft the ankle collars were and how pliable the uppers felt. The arch support didn't feel substantial under my feet, but I never experienced any pain. The uni-tongue design made the 2s a little awkward to put on until the tongue softened after one or two uses."

Brittany also tested the first Ubersonic, and she had some ideas on how to improve the Ubersonics. She said, "When I slipped the Ubersonics 2s on my feet I noticed that they were a little longer than the original shoes, but the toe box was still pretty wide for my narrow feet. That extra length led me to downsize a half-size. I immediately had a better fit. This improved fit was probably my favorite aspect of the playtest. I thought the cushioning was supportive and firm, but there was enough to keep my feet comfortable. I had no issues with the arch support, and I found average ventilation."

"I'm a big fan of the Stella Barricades and Stella Barricade Boosts, and I also enjoyed the adizero Tempaias," said Michelle. "I was hoping this update would be great, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy these shoes as much as the originals. I found the toe box to be too roomy for my medium width feet. I think the combination of the updated material and the uni-tongue made them feel a little wider than the originals. I had to cinch up the laces (which were quite long) pretty tight, and it looked like there was excess material on the uppers when I had these shoes on. These shoes also offered a little less support than what I normally look for, and I was dealing with some soreness on the medial side of my right foot. This happened the most when I was pulled out wide and trying to push off to get back into position. I also found the updated upper materials to run a bit hotter than the original version's upper."

On paper these Ubersonic 2s had just what Hannah looks for in shoes to match her aggressive footwork. "However," she noted, "these shoes did lack some important comfort aspects. They allowed me to make quick cuts and gave me the ability to accelerate easily without making me feel too high off the ground, but the toe box proved to be too wide for my feet. The loose uppers didn't allow me to adjust the laces tightly enough to compensate for the wide toe box. This resulted in a crease in the uppers, right under the laces, that collapsed instead of flexing properly. These issues took away from the overall comfort levels of the Ubersonic 2s, but they didn't affect their performance on the court. The low-to-the-ground feel and cushioning matched my footwork, and there was just enough arch support."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

Our team had split opinions when it came to the levels of support and stability in the adizero Ubersonic 2s. Our playtesters with wider feet felt locked in and stable, while some members of our team didn't find enough support. Brittany went down a half-size to help increase the support and stability. She explained, "I liked how my feet sat deep in the shoes. This allowed the ankle collar to come up and hit my ankles in the right spots and fully support them. The positioning of the eyelets let me cinch the collar tightly around my ankles without any gapping when I moved. My feet felt like they were held firmly in place inside the shoes. There was still just a little bit of extra room in the toe box, but that was definitely something I could deal with. The uppers are on the softer side and I found the support to be average to slightly above average."

Michelle prefers supportive, stable shoes over light, quick shoes. She explained, "As I get older I really need that extra support (similar to what one would find in a Barricade), and the Ubersonic 2s are meant to be quicker and lighter. I felt like the uppers were just too soft, and they didn't offer me enough of a locked-in feel. They also loosened up as the playtest went on, and I had to tie the shoes tighter or retie my shoes in the middle of a hit to try to lock my feet in. However, these shoes were stable enough to keep me from being unsure about my movement, and I felt comfortable and safe moving around."

Something was missing for Hannah. She said, "These shoes provided good lateral stability on court. Unfortunately, the ankle support and stability were compromised because the heel fit was too shallow for my feet, and it was really easy to lift my heels out of the shoes. I did have my own insoles in the shoes, so that may have added to this problem. Trying a larger size was not an option because the toe box was already too wide."

On the flip side, Tiffani found the best of both worlds. She said, "These shoes are very light on my feet, but they remained supportive and stable. I could lace these shoes tight enough to get the uppers to mold to my feet, and the heel counter always kept me feeling locked in when I was moving from side to side."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.2

After a solid month of wearing the adizero Ubersonic 2s our playtesters agreed that one of their most amazing features was their durability. "After playing several weeks in these shoes, including competition, the outsoles appeared to be practically untouched," complimented Hannah. "There was great overall durability, and I had no problems with the toe durability either."

Tiffani was pleasantly surprised at how well her outsoles held up. She said, "I did feel light on my feet in these shoes, so perhaps I was just gliding! That's probably more wishful thinking than anything, but I saw little to no wear on the outsoles. I compared them to a newer pair to see how the toes were holding up. The toecap wore down a bit more than the outsoles, but I like that the Ubersonic 2s didn't scuff as badly on the top of the toes as the original Ubersonics. I scratched up the thin plastic overlay, but it didn't look unsightly like it did with the previous version."

Finding the outsoles to have above average durability for lightweight shoes, Michelle said, "The outsoles held up great. However, the uppers of my shoes showed a good amount of wear and dirt. The materials didn't break down or fray, but they did get dirty and creased."

Unfortunately, Brittany didn't get to fully test the durability of these shoes due to an injury. She said, "I was only able to to put about five hours of wear on the shoes. I can report from those limited hours that I did not see any wear on the outsoles or toe bumpers."

Traction - Score: 4.1

All the TW testers were comfortable with the traction the adizero Ubersonic 2s offered. Having playtested these outsoles from adidas before in other models, Michelle already knew she would enjoy the traction from these shoes. She commented, "I appreciated the grip they offered on the court. I like a bit more grip rather than give, and I think these outsoles were versatile and offered a good blend of both. The traction seemed to work for players who appreciate more grip as well as for players who want the give. The soles never felt too slippery when I moving aggressively."

"Whenever I was coming to a stop I noticed just a slight give to the outsoles on these Ubersonic 2s," explained Tiffani. "I liked that slight amount of give, though. I never felt stuck to the court, and I wasn't slipping unexpectedly. The traction was just right."

Hannah also had no issues chasing down shots in these shoes. She said, "The versatile traction combatted the minor support issues I had. The mild slickness allowed me to move freely. I wasn't worried about losing my footing during a point or drill. The outsole pattern provided a good amount of grab, and I felt connected to the court."

Without plush cushioning, these shoes allowed Brittany to feel more connected to the court. She said, "Because of the low-to-the-ground feel I felt very confident when I was making quick, aggressive cuts on the court. The traction gripped the court with the perfect balance of give and grip, and I was very happy with the way these shoes responded to fast stops and starts."

Weight - Score: 4.6

These adizero Ubersonic 2s weigh just 10.1 oz (size 8.5), and our team was impressed. Tiffani said, "I wouldn't want them to be any lighter. Since I could lace these shoes up tightly around my feet and I felt low to the ground, I could pick up and move with ease. I loved that extra bit of confidence in my foot speed."

For Brittany, the Ubersonic 2s felt light, but they didn't feel flimsy or lacking in any area. She explained, "I thought adidas did a good job distributing the weight to make the Ubersonic 2s feel light and quick on the court, but they still felt like they had substance. I have nothing but positives to say!"

The weight was never an issue for Hannah. "Living up to their name, these Ubersonic 2s were my first true experience with the adizero technology, and I was not disappointed. They were light, but not in a flimsy way, which is exactly what I want out of tennis shoes."

Echoing the rest of the team, Michelle agreed there was no doubt about these shoes falling into the lightweight category. She said, "I like that adidas made sure there was still enough technology in these shoes to make sure players feel stable on the court. They weren't so light that I felt like I had nothing protecting my feet. There wasn't a ton of cushioning, but that allowed me to feel connected to the court. Plus, adidas found a way to keep them light and durable."

Overall - Score: 4.2