adidas Barricade 14 Women's Shoe Review

There's a lot of "new" when it comes to the Barricade 14s. There's a new mold, new materials and new technology to make them stable, more comfortable and lighter. These changes were not lost on Zsofi. She said, "adidas has made some amazing improvements from the previous generation, and I honestly could not be more impressed with the Barricade 14s. It feels to me that a conscious effort has been made by the designers to improve every aspect of these shoes. The uppers are a softer mesh material and are much more comfortable, breathable, flexible and lightweight. I didn't really need much break-in time at all, but I will say that the shoes became even more comfortable after a couple hours of play time. In my view, the previous generation didn't have the highest level of comfort. I had no comfort issues with this update, and I think the cushioning under the heel and my forefoot was perfect."

The Barricade 14s checked many boxes for Michelle. She explained, “My favorite tennis shoes are stable and have good comfort but also feel streamlined and not too bulky. They look great and I have to be able to wear them for hours at a time or even all day. The Barricade 14s fit right into that category for me. When I first tried these shoes on, I was impressed with how well they fit my feet. The heel collar really hugged my ankles and locked me in, the length was perfect, the toe box was big enough without being too snug or too roomy, and the width was just right for my medium feet. I thought they felt almost like the adidas Avacourts, which were made on a women’s last with women's feet in mind. I didn’t need any break-in time, and I really loved the softness of the uppers. Normally, I expect a pretty hefty break-in period with Barricades, but that was not the case here. They also felt more breathable than versions of the past. All in all, I was pleased with the first few try-ons and hitting sessions, and I didn't experience any comfort red flags."

Brittany has a long history with the Barricade family, and this version made a good first impression on her. She said, "Being no stranger to Barricades (dating back to the Barricade IIs as a junior), I was excited to see another update from adidas. As I have experienced with many adidas shoes, I felt they ran a tad long but not long enough for me to adjust my size. I felt the width was a snug medium, which was great for my narrow feet. A nice surprise with this version of the Barricade was that the shoes were very comfortable from the first wear, and there was no break-in period. I thought they flexed well. The cushioning was present underfoot and around the ankle, and I would describe it as neither too plush nor too firm. I also thought the shoes were very well ventilated."

The lack of a break-in period was the biggest surprise for Tiffani. She said, "I wore the Barricade 13s, so I should know that these shoes have gotten lighter and more flexible, but I still have it stuck in my head from the Barricades of yesteryear that these shoes are going to feel heavy and need a lengthy break-in. Those days are gone. The Barricade 14s felt pretty flexible and ready to go right out of the box, and I didn't need much, if any, court time to feel like these shoes were ready to go in terms of comfort. The cushioning feels light and responsive, and I especially liked the cushioning around the heel. These 14s breathe better than older Barricades too, and the regular width felt fine for my wider feet."

The Barricade line is known for its stability, and the updated cushioning in the Barricade 14s keeps that legacy going strong. Michelle was impressed that the added flexibility didn't seem to affect the level of stability and support. She described, "If I’m wearing Barricades, you can bet that I am hoping they are some of the most stable and durable shoes in my collection! These Barricade 14s were stable and supportive without feeling stiff or bulky. These shoes gave me confidence to push the limits with my speed, which isn't always super-fast but helps me scramble to the ball."

Support and stability earned high marks from Tiffani as well. She added, "The Barricade 14s may feel lighter, but I still got the signature support and stability I expect from this line. When planting my feet as I got pulled out wide (I'm not a slider), the platform felt wide enough for me to confidently hit my shot and then transition my weight back the other direction. The uppers felt softer, but I didn't have any issues with my feet moving around inside the shoes. I have no complaints in this category!"

Zsofi always felt confident chasing down her shots in these shoes. She said, "Even with the improved cushioning, I was still always super connected to the court, which allowed me to trust my movement completely and play my aggressive playing style without issues. There were no shots that made me feel unstable because the stability was absolutely top-notch. This update absolutely lives up to the Barricade's reputation for amazing stability."

Fit around the ankle was an issue for Brittany, although she never felt unstable or unsupported. She explained, "I played a lot of tennis in these shoes, particularly singles, and moved aggressively in every direction. The Barricade 14s met my needs in terms of stability. My ankles never felt like they were going to roll over, and I felt supported the whole time. I will have some soreness after a tough match or practice due to a previous ankle injury, but I never had that experience with the Barricade 14s. The one main issue I struggled with was getting a secure fit around my heels. I did use the last eyelets to try to lock them in, but I must have heels that are too skinny or an incompatible heel shape. I was constantly feeling like my heels were rising out of my shoes as I moved around, and I couldn't get that to go away throughout the playtest (even after tying the laces as tightly as I could)."

While the new rubber in this update helped make the Barricade 14s lighter, our playtest team thought it negatively affected the durability. Being very familiar with past versions of the Barricade, Brittany thought the durability of this update fell short of what she expected. She described, "The Barricade is known for its durability, and I would say that after testing this update for 20-plus hours, it has average durability and definitely less than Barricades of the past. This could partly be due to the outsole material feeling a little softer, but I was starting to see some smoothing in the high-wear areas, specifically under the big toe up to the toe bumper. I am seeing some scuffing at the top of the toe bumper, but for the most part it looks to be cosmetic only. The rest of the uppers have plenty of life left."

The fact that the outsoles are backed by a six-month durability guarantee did help offset Michelle's worries, though. She said, "It has been a while since I've really torn through the outsoles of tennis shoes, so I wasn't too concerned about the durability of the Barricade 14s. I found the rubber compound to hold up well for what I needed. From what I understand after speaking to a few other playtesters, this new rubber doesn't hold up quite as well as Barricades in the past, but there is still that durability guarantee, which is a positive in my book!"

The durability level surprised Tiffani as well. She added, "Historically, the Barricades have been really durable shoes, and here's where I think the 14s could improve some. I expect Barricade shoes to be really durable, and I started seeing some smoothing at the toes of my Barricade 14s that I wouldn't expect from this series. I don't think they're wearing out super fast, but for shoes that have built a reputation on being some of the longest-lasting outsoles on the market, the wear came faster than expected. I'd say the Barricade 14s are more average in terms of outsole durability. The toes are holding up fine, though."

Although the outsoles showed some wear after many hours of play, Zsofi thought there was plenty of life left in her Barricade 14s when the playtest was finished. She said, "Durability wasn't bad, but I did see some wear on the outsoles. I probably put well over 25 hours on these shoes, though, and I think the outsoles will still last a very long time. On the other hand, I didn't see much wear on the uppers."

The new Lighttraxion rubber on the outsoles of the adidas Barricade 14s earned mixed traction reviews from our tester. After playing in them for a while, Zsofi enjoyed the blend of grip and give more than she did at the start of the playtest. She explained, "Traction was optimal for me, but the new outsole material is a very interesting one. It was a tad bit too sticky in the beginning, but as the playtest went on it became ideal. Somehow it was just tacky enough when I needed it to be, but it also allowed me to turn easily with enough give."

Michelle agreed, adding, "If I were to find a negative in these shoes, it would be the initial traction. They felt incredibly sticky for the first couple of weeks. There was even a court where it felt like I was on sandpaper, and it almost felt like I was wearing tight herringbone treads on a hard court (like when you wear clay shoes on a hard court). I tend to like sticky outsoles, but these were a little too sticky for me. After two weeks, the shoes did seem to mellow out in terms of traction, though, and after that it was not an issue."

Hours of playtime helped Tiffani get used to the traction, but she still wanted more give. She described, "The Barricade 14s definitely felt sticky to me. There were times when I felt like I was late to a ball because the shoes were gripping the court so much. It took me at least 12 hours to feel like the shoes started to get a bit less grippy, but I still wanted a bit more slickness from the outsoles for quicker, smoother transitions."

Traction improved for Brittany after many hours of play, but she also felt the Barricade 14s were too grippy for her liking. She said, "One thing that did surprise me about the Barricade 14s was the traction. The outsoles were extremely sticky due to the outsole material. There were many times I felt stuck and just wasn't moving as seamlessly around the court as I would have liked. As the playtest wore on, it did get a little better. However, by the end of the 20-plus hours I would still classify the outsoles as grippy, and I prefer just a little more give."

Weighing in at 12 ounces (size 8.5), these adidas Barricade 14s are the lightest Barricades yet. The blend of stability and speed impressed Brittany overall. She noted, "Barricades of the past have tended to be on the heavier side. I think the Barricade 14s kind of sit right in the middle. They weren't too heavy, and they weren't too light. They felt right in line with a lot of women's shoes on the market (that aren't considered light) and transitioned well from heel to toe. I really enjoyed this weight because I felt it was a good balance with the stability offered."

Zsofi noticed the lighter construction of the Barricade 14s right away. She said, "This update feels much lighter on foot! It's clear that adidas changed several aspects of these shoes to be able to achieve this lighter feel, and I definitely think they succeeded. From changing the uppers to the lighter outsole material and cushioning, adidas truly improved the weight of these shoes."

"I love this update and how quick these Barricades feel," Michelle said. "I wouldn't say they’re light, and the Ubersonics and Avacourts are still going to be lighter options, but it is obvious to me that adidas really removed some weight from this update. They are much more modern feeling shoes."

The Barricade 14s compared favorably to previous versions in this category for Tiffani. She said, "These shoes will feel pretty light if you've worn some of those older Barricades, like the 4s or 5s. These Barricade 14s are not going to as speedy as the Ubersonics, but I'd put them in the midweight category with the Avaluxes and Avacourt 3s."