adidas SoleMatch Bounce Men's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.5

The adidas SoleMatch Bounces are some of the most comfortable shoes on the market, according to our team. The Bounce cushioning was both responsive and plush — an impressive combination. Jason loved how the SoleMatch Bounces fit his wider feet. He said, "These are such comfortable shoes! The fit was nice and wide, the arch was fairly low and the Bounce cushioning was plush. I also thought the shoes breathed really well, which was nice during the heatwave we had during the playtest. I have no real complaints here."

Even with his narrow feet, Chris found these shoes to provide excellent comfort. He described, "The SoleMatch Bounce shoes felt comfortable and ready for the courts the first time I slipped them on. The fit was very wide for my narrow feet, and even with two pairs of socks I had a lot of room inside the shoes. On the upside, the uppers felt very soft and pliable. I never experienced any poking, rubbing or pinching from the uppers and played blister-free despite the loose fit. I have high arches and couldn't really feel an arch in these shoes until I had them broken in and they molded to the shape of my feet. However, the midfoot stability was there to keep my arches protected on quick sprints."

Troy had a similar experience to Chris. He added, "The overall comfort of these shoes was pretty impressive. The Bounce technology in the midsole provided a plush barrier between my feet and the court surface. There was a thicker and more padded feel underneath my heels, whereas the forefoot felt low to the ground. The ventilation was great, and the layers of mesh allowed for plenty of breathability. The arch support felt a bit lower than I typically prefer. Although the midfoot was flexible and comfortable, it wasn't quite as stable as I would have liked, and the fit in the forefoot was a bit too roomy for me. I had a lot of wiggle room, and they definitely felt wider in the toe box than most shoes. I typically wear size 9.5 in most adidas shoes, but I may have been able to go down to a size 9.0 with these."

Overall, Erik thoroughly enjoyed the comfort that these shoes provided him. He said, "The cushioning underfoot is very responsive and quite plush as well. I found these shoes to be extremely comfortable without a break-in, and they felt well ventilated. The fit is a little wider, so there is a bit of room, especially in the forefoot. I loved them."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.7

The lateral outrigger of the SoleMatch Bounce provided a good amount of stability when our play testers were moving side to side, but our players did struggle to cinch these shoes around their ankles. The wider fit caused some problems for Troy, who explained, "The main issue I had with support came down to the fact that these shoes were too wide for me. My feet were sliding around more than I would have liked, specifically in the toe box. I also found it somewhat hard to create a secure fit around my ankles due to the lacing system. Once I changed up the lacing, I was able to cinch the shoes more tightly. Even with that, I found a bit too much range of motion with my ankles and not quite enough support. The lateral stability was decent, though. The wide platform created by the lateral outrigger kept me from rolling over during aggressive changes of direction. The low-to-the-ground court feel in the forefoot also helped with lateral movements."

With his aggressive slides and cuts, Erik's game demands a stable ride, and the SoleMatch Bounces were up to the task. He commented, "These shoes have decent stability. The upper material did flex quite a bit, but the stability increased slightly whenever I wore two pairs of socks. The outrigger of this shoe was an added benefit. I never felt like I was going to roll an ankle or anything, but I struggled to cinch up the heel tightly."

While the SoleMatch Bounce's stability met Jason's needs in some regards, he had a tough time cinching the shoes adequately, which caused some slipping in the heel. "I thought the outrigger piece on the lateral side gave the shoe a wide, stable base. I was expecting to have some issues catching an edge on it, but it didn't happen during the playtest. However, I did have problems with the support, specifically in the heel. The unique lacing system made it tough to cinch up all the laces at once. I had to pull and tighten each section individually, and even then I didn't feel like I could really lock my feet into the shoes. Because of that, I was experiencing a little bit of heel slippage. It wasn't enough to make the shoes unsafe to wear, but it was noticeable."

The wider fit was the biggest hurdle for Chris. He described, "I found decent stability from the SoleMatch Bounce shoes. They flexed and moved well with my feet, and I never felt any aches and pains. However, the fit was too wide for my feet, so I was sliding around inside the shoes a little. I did my best to cinch the laces tightly, and I also wore two pairs of socks, but I never found a truly supportive fit for my narrow feet."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 3.9

Our playtesters thought the ADIWEAR 6 rubber outsoles of the SoleMatch Bounces delivered solid durability. Chris explained, "I was impressed by how well these shoes held up over a month of hitting. The outsoles showed wear in the typical areas but still had plenty of life left in them when we were done testing. Likewise, the uppers and toe tips were scuffed up a bit, but still holding strong."

Troy made comparisons to the adidas Barricade, which has long been the touchstone for tennis shoe durability. He said, "The rubber felt a bit softer and gummier than the adidas Barricade 2018 and SoleCourt Boost shoes. The SoleMatch Bounce isn't quite as durable as those other options from adidas, but the durability stood up to my movements around the court. There was just some slight balding under the balls of my feet and near the toe protector. "

Showing nary a scratch after quite a bit of play, the SoleMatch Bounces were more than durable enough for Jason. He said, "I put about 15 hours on these shoes, and the outsoles look like they were barely touched. The durability is very impressive for a shoe weighing less than 14 ounces."

The SoleMatch Bounces also exceeded Erik's expectations in this category. He described, "The durability here was better than I thought it would be. I did find some wear near the ankle due to pivoting out of shots or sliding to tough balls out wide. The medial side, where I typically wear out my shoes from sliding, held up pretty well, other than some balding. The outsoles of these shoes are very solid and don't show much wear at all."

Traction - Score: 4.2

The SoleMatch Bounces offered a great blend of grip and slip on hard courts. As a player who likes to slide around the court, Erik loved how the outsoles felt. He said, "Traction was on the slicker side of the spectrum, especially as time wore on. These shoes were great to slide in; I was highly impressed."

Unlike Erik, Troy thought that the SoleMatch Bounces felt a bit sticky at first. He said, "I found the traction to be slightly on the sticky side at the beginning of the playtest. During my first couple of sessions on court I noticed that the rubber outsoles were soft and gummy. This created a very grippy feel, and the shoes had a bit too much traction for me. After five or six sessions the tread started to wear down just slightly. This made the rubber feel a bit less sticky, and I found the level of grip and give to be right where I like it."

Chris tested the traction under a variety of court conditions. He explained, "I liked the level of grip I found in these shoes. I was able to move very aggressively without fear of either slipping too much or getting too hung up on the court surface from excessive grip. I played on both dusty outdoor hard courts as well as our cleaner, stickier indoor court, and I always enjoyed the level of grip I got from the Sole Match Bounce shoes."

Jason concurred, adding, "The outsole offers a nice combination of grip and give. I was able to slide a bit when trying to stop and change directions, and when making that first step toward the ball, there was enough traction to keep me from spinning my wheels."

Weight - Score: 4.3

The adidas SoleMatch Bounces are light enough to be fast on court but heavy enough to provide solid stability. Jason had only positive things to say about this category. He explained, "The weight was a non-issue. I didn't think these shoes felt heavy, but they didn't feel exceptionally light either. The weight was an afterthought once I had them on and was playing."

The balance of weight and performance worked for Erik. He commented, "The SoleMatch Bounces were on the heavier side. I still felt fast in these shoes, though, and I thought they were more stable because of that weight. I could be very aggressive with my movement while still feeling secure and confident."

Contrary to Erik's experience, Troy didn't think that the SoleMatch Bounce felt heavy at all. He said, "These shoes felt light and easy to move in from the first time I was on court in them. The SoleMatch Bounces aren't an ultra-lightweight contender, but because they're so flexible and easy to break-in, I felt like I could move very well. I also thought that the low-to-the-ground ride in the forefoot helped me transition my feet very easily."

Chris enjoyed the balanced weight as well. He concluded, "The SoleMatch Bounce shoes felt light and comfortable on court. They had the general feel of a cushioned comfort shoe rather than a traditional rigid, heavy-durability shoe. I was impressed that this shoe provided me with decent durability without feeling slow and heavy."

Overall - Score: 4.0