adidas Barricade 14 Men's Shoe Review

The comfort of the Barricade 14s earned mixed reviews from our team. While most of the testers thought the shoes felt decently comfortable overall, just about everyone noted a lack of cushioning in the forefoot. Munish loved the heel cushioning, and he was surprised by how quickly this version of the Barricade broke in. He said, "Despite these shoes not having the most cushioning in the forefoot, I found myself sitting quite comfortably in the Barricade 14s. The heel cushioning is amazing, as is the ventilation. There was a slight break-in, but what Barricade doesn't have that? Still, the 14s broke in way faster than any other Barricade I have played in. I would credit that to the mesh uppers, which held my feet comfortably while also giving me a lot of wiggle room. I would have liked a bit more arch support, but it wasn't bad and wasn't causing any pain."

Jason appreciated how the Barricade 14s flexed naturally with his movements, even during faster points. He described, "It was really nice to see a Barricade that felt ready to go right out of the box. It flexed correctly and felt like it had good heel cushioning. I also noticed how well ventilated these shoes are. But where the comfort fell short for me was in the forefoot cushioning, which was just a bit lacking."

The Barricade 14s offered Troy a snug, contoured fit even though the tongue gussets did initially cause him some slight irritation. He explained, "I would say just about everything was comfortable with these Barricade 14s, other than a slight lack of cushioning in the forefoot. In the beginning of the playtest, the gussets that hold the tongue in place were digging into my feet. I was able to get past that after some break in, and for the rest of the test the comfort was pretty much good. I didn't experience any rubbing or pinching, and I’m glad that there wasn't the usual toe jamming that I have found with older Barricades. The ventilation was really good right above my toes in the vamp area. If I had one wish with these Barricade 14s, it would be for some more cushioning in the forefoot. I think adidas cut down the weight a bit too much for a Barricade, and although the shoes feel very connected to the court, they lack the padding under the balls of my feet."

Chris had a couple of comfort issues in the Barricade 14s. He said, "The signature Barricade claw feature on the lateral side of the shoes dug into the edge of my feet for the duration of the life of the shoes. The uppers did open up, and that helped, but the discomfort of the claw digging into my feet never completely went away. Also, no matter how tightly I tied my pair of Barricade 14s, my feet would slide forward inside the shoes on quick stops, jamming my toes into the toecap. I did very much like the cushioning, and the level of comfort was impressive under my feet, while the shoes still had a responsive ride. I also liked the level of ventilation. It felt like there was enough airflow to prevent my feet from overheating."

Most of our playtesters found the Barricade 14s stable, yet they collectively admitted to expecting more considering the Barricade heritage. Troy found ample support and stability, so he was able to fully trust the Barricade 14s. He said, "The support was really good, and these shoes really locked my feet in. When I put them on, it almost felt like there was this comfortable suction, and they contoured really well to the shape of my feet. When I laced these shoes up, the heels felt very secure and padded, and there wasn't any heel slippage. I know I was complaining about the lack of cushioning in the forefoot, but it did provide a lot of court feel, and I think that made for even more stability. These shoes felt pretty stable when I made quick side cuts on the baseline, and I could trust the level of support. Overall, I would say the stability was slightly above average, and the support level was very good."

On the other hand, the uppers stretched and moved when Jason made turns, which wasn't very confidence inspiring. He said, "When a shoe has 'Barricade' written on the side of it, I tend to expect a lot in terms of stability and support. I felt like this iteration fell short a bit in the stability department. I could really feel the uppers stretch and move when I was moving aggressively from sideline to sideline. To the shoe's credit, I didn't have any actual incidents, but I think I would've felt better with a slightly more rigid upper."

Munish was initially concerned about the support and stability of the Barricade 14s, but his worries were quickly dismissed once on court. He described, "For me, the Barricades have always been great in the 'support and stability' category. I was worried when I found out the 14s were chucking away some of the weight for more speed, but after playing in them for several hours I found that my feet were still held very well. I even tried the extra eyelets, and that increased the locked-in feel tenfold, so the Barricades definitely get a win in the support and stability category."

Despite the locked-in feel the Barricade 14s gave him, Chris struggled with some internal sliding. He said, "My feet felt locked in when moving laterally in the Barricade 14s. I was able to push off aggressively as well as plant heavily into a shot and feel secure in the shoes. I also felt locked in when sprinting forward. However, I was sliding into the ends of the shoes and jamming my toes when I came to a quick stop. I was unable to resolve this issue no matter how I tried to cinch the laces."

All of the playtesters saw some wear on their Barricade 14s by the end of the testing period. The consensus was that this version might be the least durable Barricade released so far. Chris faced the most issues, and he tore a hole through one his shoes only a few hours in. He explained, "I was very disappointed in the outsole durability of the Barricade 14s. This is by far the least durable version of Barricades I have worn, and I've worn them all. I wore a hole through the outsole of my pair in about 15 hours of hitting, which is a stark contrast to the durability I've had from any other version of Barricade. The toe bumpers held up much better, and they still had plenty of life left when the outsole gave out (under the big toe of my right foot)."

Troy found himself questioning the Lightraxxion rubber technology and its ability to hold up long term. He said, "I initially thought the outsole rubber wouldn't be super durable; the Lighttraxxion rubber appeared different from most outsoles, with a slightly softer, almost gummy-like texture. However, the rubber outsole held up decently well throughout the month or so that I wore these shoes (about 15 to 20 hours). I noticed a bit more wear at the toe tip than I usually see, so I guess I would say I have mixed feelings about the new outsole compound. It wasn't all that bad for durability, but I don't think these shoes would be as dependable for a heavy toe-dragger as some of the older, more heavy-duty Barricades."

Munish wasn't too worried about the wear he saw on his pair because the high-wear spots were built up for such situations. He described, "I see some very visible wear on my Barricades. It's mostly on the toe area of both feet. The uppers also have some wear on them, but it's all in an area that is already heavily protected and built up. Even the parts of the sole that usually see tons of wear have been built up slightly for that exact reason, so I don't have any complaints. I would say that this is the least durable Barricade, and that's not a knock to the 14s, but a testament to some of the older ones."

Jason, on the other hand, found good durability in the Barricade 14s. He said, "There are no issues for me here. I thought the Barricade 14s held up very well for the 15 to 18 hours I put on them. Considering how light they are now, it was impressive to see."

The traction was a challenge for all the playtesters in one way or another, and the consensus was that the Barricade 14s are very sticky underfoot. Jason found his movements a bit limited due to the extra grip. He said, "I found the Barricade 14s to be really sticky on hard courts, too sticky for me. I couldn't really move the way I wanted to with these shoes because I wasn't getting the give I needed to slide out of my shots."

The traction started off a little sticky for Troy as well, and he noted a unique feel and sound from the outsole. He described, "The traction was good overall. It was a little bit sticky at first, but then the outsoles broke in nicely. The feel and sound of the Lighttraxxion outsole on court was unique. There was a distinct sound to the outsole when it was chafing on our gritty indoor court, and it felt a little sticky initially. The outsoles wore in well after about a week of wear, and I felt like I could push off and stop with confidence. I felt like there was a bit more give to the traction, and I didn't really have to think about it when I was playing, which was a good thing."

There were occasions when Chris felt his shoes catching the court, limiting some of his movement. He said, "I found the traction of the Barricade 14s to be too sticky. The rubber compound had a soft and gummy feel to it, which was backed up by how quickly it wore out. There were times when my feet felt stuck to the court. I was constantly cognizant of my movement, and I could feel the outsoles catching when I tried to pivot or make small adjustment steps. I only slide occasionally, but I wasn't sliding at all in these shoes. I've yet to play in a translucent outsole that worked for me on a tennis court, including this one."

Munish was also able to break in the outsole after a few hours on court, and traction wasn't an issue for him after that. He said, "I found the Barricade 14s super sticky when I first got onto the court with them. It was to the point where I found myself sitting on the side rubbing my shoes on the ground to wear out some of the out-of-box stickiness. The stickiness wore off after about two sessions of dingles (three hours), and it was all good after that."

For shoes built for stability, the Barricade 14s were notably light and speedy. Troy was glad about the lighter weight, but he wouldn't mind a tad more weight if it meant more cushioning. He said, "These 14s felt very light for a Barricade shoe. There was a slight break-in period, but after that they felt pretty flexible and speedy considering they are designed for stability and durability. Overall, I was surprised by the speedy nature of these Barricades, although I will say I would have liked a little more weight added. I was hoping for more cushioning, specifically in the forefoot. I wouldn’t mind if they included that cushioning and it added another ounce to these shoes."

The updated Barricade 14s are easily Munish's favorite version because they offered really impressive speed while maintaining the stability and support he was expecting. He explained, "These are definitely the lightest Barricades I have ever owned. Initially, this worried me because I thought this was coming at the sacrifice of some stability and support, but it didn't. The shoes felt quite speedy, and I'm happy about this change in the Barricades. These 14s are my favorite Barricades just because of this."

Jason found the Barricade 14s surprisingly light. He described, "The weight is a real highlight of this update. If I were to get these Barricade 14s on my feet while blindfolded, I would assume they were Ubersonics."

The Barricade 14s felt pretty light and stable, but the traction and comfort issues kept distracting Chris from his game. He said, "The Barricade 14s never felt heavy on my feet. Considering the level of lateral stability, I think adidas did a good job of keeping the shoes light. The flex of the uppers through the vamp region also contributed to the light feel. However, due to the traction and comfort issues, I was constantly aware of the shoes. I was never able to forget about them and focus on my tennis, which is something I enjoyed in the previous version."