adidas Barricade Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.0

"Most of us have memories or stories of our favorite Barricades from the past, which meant there was a lot of anticipation leading up to this playtest," began Michelle. "I think I wore my first pair of Barricades in college, and while I don't remember having any issues with comfort, I do recall quite a lengthy break-in period. I can confidently say adidas has made this newest evolution much more ready to take to the courts. I found them to fit my feet well; I had no thoughts about changing out of my true size 10s, and I loved the adaptive lacing that allowed me to cinch up the shoes tightly. During the first few hours of wear I experienced some rubbing under my ankle bone, which was a little disappointing. I've noticed this seems to happen with some shoes that feature paper-thin tongues, and no matter where my sock hits, it still rubs a bit. Luckily, it dissipated after a week of wear, and the shoes became more comfortable with each wear. I really liked the heel collar and GeoFit pods of cushioning that held my heels in. The upper was comfortable, supportive and hugged my feet. The Bounce cushioning was responsive and felt nice underfoot without being too mushy or too soft. Lastly, these are not the most breathable shoes to test in the middle of summer, but I'm a heavy sweater no matter what season we're in, so it's not a huge deal."

"Thinking back to my past experiences with classic Barricades, my mind immediately goes to how long they took to break in," said Tiffani. "I experienced a break-in period with these new Barricades, but it was much shorter. This time around I felt comfortable in my Barricades by the second hour. These shoes had a good amount of cushioning, and the uppers felt pliable and didn't restrict my wider feet. The design of the shoe makes it look like the upper is made of mesh, but a second look quickly reveals that the material is actually plastic. Because of that, these shoes do run warm. It wasn't so hot that I felt my feet overheating on court, but I would change my shoes and socks after playing tennis. I will also recommend players wear socks high enough that the tongue doesn't contact the skin because I had some rubbing when I wore very low-cut socks. Once I made sure to wear socks that covered where the tongue came up on top of my ankle, I was fine."

Brittany was so excited for this playtest that she headed out to the court almost as soon as she put these shoes on. She said, "The uppers initially didn't seem too stiff, and I wasn't feeling any hot spots, so I thought I would be OK without wearing them around the office for a couple days. I unfortunately did need a weeklong break-in (about five hours) for the uppers to soften up, and I got some blisters on the back of my heel. This was from my ankles moving around inside the shoes, which I will detail more in the support and stability section. Once I went with some thicker, higher socks and was more conscious of retying my shoelaces, I was able to move past the break-in period, and the shoes became very comfortable. Cushioning is definitely present, but I would not describe it as plush. Nonetheless, it did a great job of absorbing shock when I was moving on the hard courts. The fit worked well for my narrow feet, and although the length is just slightly long for me, I would not go down a size."

When testing the Barricade that came out in 2018, Kristen noted having to size down a half size. With this updated 2021 model, she was able to stay in her true size and found it to offer a better out-of-the-box feel on court. She said, "The first things I noticed were the foam pods around my feet. They definitely added a locked-in feel from the start, but I needed that first hitting session to break in these shoes. After that initial hour or so on court, they softened up and settled in nicely around my feet. From there, I had no issues for at least a week before a couple of minor comfort hiccups popped up. After a week I started to get some rubbing against the back of my heel. I simply played through it and the issue resolved itself after a couple of sessions. Shortly after that, I had the same issue with the ankle collar digging into the lateral side of my left ankle. I was in a match when it presented itself and simply played through it. That again was enough to get through that short disruption in comfort. I definitely could have adjusted earlier and worn a higher, more cushioned sock, which most likely would have prevented both issues from happening at all."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4.6

Past Barricades have been known for their stability, and this new iteration is no exception. Brittany found the side-to-side stability to be top notch. She explained, "After some ankle injuries, I have been leaning toward more stable shoes, and these Barricades fit the bill. My ankles never felt sore or stiff after a hit, and the shoes did a great job keeping my ankles from rolling over. As far as support, I would have liked one additional eyelet when tying my shoes to help keep my ankles in place. At the beginning, I noticed my ankles moving up and down in the shoes, and that was what caused the blisters. Once I made the adjustments above, I found myself retying my shoes a couple of times during a session to keep a more secure fit. This alleviated the issue for the most part."

Because these shoes bear the name Barricade, Tiffani was expecting a lot in the support and stability department. She said, "In the end, I wasn't disappointed. Initially, I was bothered that I couldn't quite cinch up the heel as tightly as I like. However, through all the hours I played, I never felt like I was going to tip over or roll an ankle. I could individually cinch up the laces to get a more secure fit, so I felt locked in through the midfoot to the toes."

Kristen enjoyed the new Barracade's stable and supportive feel on court, but she also felt like the shoe flexed well and aided her movement. She said, "Overall, they felt a bit plusher than the 2018 model I tested. I was able to get a locked-in feel and never felt like I was going to turn an ankle, but I did find myself needing to retie my shoes at times during a hitting session or match, as they would open up a bit on me."

Michelle echoed those comments, adding, "When it came to stability and support, these shoes exceeded my expectations. I place a higher demand on these two qualities over any other, so I was excited to see that they would hold up no matter how aggressively I was moving or what sort of shot I was running down. I felt completely confident that the shoes would keep me locked in and upright. Recovering back into the court was also efficient. These shoes never felt like they were going to give too much, and I felt very confident in them no matter the situation or shot I was scrambling down."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.8

As expected, the adidas Barricade was a top performer when it came to durability. Even without an outsole guarantee, our team found these to be among the most durable shoes on the market. Kristen said, "I looked hard, but I couldn't find much wear at all on the outsole, even where I drag my toe on serves."

Brittany gave these shoes a near perfect score when it came to their durability. She explained, "These are easily the most durable shoes I have playtested in the last three-plus years. I spent 20 or so hours in these shoes on hard courts, and I do not see any smoothing or balding or any signs of wear on the outsole. The toe bumper was the same way. Besides a little dirt, the outsoles and toe bumpers could pass as new. Although highly impressed, I was worried since they don't have a durability guarantee any more."

"To be completely honest with you, once adidas removed their outsole durability guarantee, I thought that would be my opportunity to wear out these shoes," said Michelle. "So I really put them to the test and wore them constantly through the playtest. After a solid month, I am shocked at how little wear I am seeing on the outsoles. The uppers are a bit dirty and sweat-stained, but as far as actual wear and smoothing, the Barricades are holding up and remaining strong. I'm very impressed by what the outsoles look like."

"These Barricades are easily among the most durable shoes I've tested," added Tiffani. "I've worn them more than 20 hours exclusively on hard courts, and the outsoles look pristine minus a bit of dirt. I'm also a toe dragger, but each scuff I've put on the toes seems to have wiped off. I won't be wearing these new Barricades out any time soon."

Traction - Score: 4.4

Our testers continued to vibe with these Barricades when it came to traction.They never slipped around too much or got stuck in place. Michelle described, "The updated Barricades had just the right amount of give when needed, but I never had to worry about the shoes sliding out from under me. I am more of a 'traditional' mover, so this was appreciated. I almost assumed adidas would make the outsole slick for the hard court sliders, but I found them to offer more tack than give, which worked out just fine for me. The only other thing to note was that these shoes were quite loud and squeaky. That's not really a positive or negative, but it's worth mentioning."

Kristen didn't have any issues with traction either. She added, "I did notice the outsoles gripping the court, but it was in a way that allowed me to trust my footing without feeling like I was being held back."

"For the first hours on the court, the outsoles were very squeaky and a bit on the stickier side," noted Tiffani. "I didn't have any issues with feeling stuck or slipping throughout the playtest. As I wore them more, I did find a good blend of traction that allowed me to transition smoothly."

With everything else going on with these shoes, Brittany didn't think too much about the traction. She explained, "The traction performed exactly how I like it from start to finish. It was never too grippy, where I felt like I was stuck when changing directions, and it provided just the right amount of give. My movement doesn't include sliding, so I can't comment on that."

Weight - Score: 3.9

Having worn several versions of the Barricades, our team recalled some iterations feeling a bit heavy and bulky. Brittany acknowledged that and felt like she had a good idea of what to expect from this update. She said, "While these shoes are not light by any means, they definitely don't feel heavy either. I would categorize them as middle of the road. Considering how stable and durable these shoes are, I thought adidas did a good job distributing the weight to make them feel as modern and sleek as possible."

Tiffani noted that these new Barricades felt lighter, but she agreed that they definitely don't belong in the lightweight category. She added, "These shoes have the feel of a classic Barricade in the heel, being that the heel is wider in design. I could sense it when I was crossing over to move the other direction, and it took me a few minutes to get used to how that felt. I didn't feel slow in these Barricades, and the weight is what I would expect from durable, stable shoes."

Michelle agreed with the rest of the team here. She said, "These shoes are definitely lighter than Barricades from the past! On the ladies' side, we saw some weight come out of the Stella Court (formerly the Stella Barricade Boost), with a focus on cushioning and lighter materials. I would say these updated Barricades feel a bit more substantial, but not heavier. I was never bothered by the weight, and I felt like I could pick up the speed when needed. We've tested a few other shoes this year that feel heavier than these Barricades."

Kristen was impressed that adidas was able to add a slightly quicker feel without trading away any of the stability this line is known for. She described, "I was expecting to 'feel' these shoes on court more than I actually did. They felt more streamlined than expected, and the weight was used well, providing a stable ride while still allowing me to feel speedy on my feet."

Overall - Score: 4.4