Breakdown

Comfort: 8.6

The lightweight, ventilated mesh uppers and the Lightstrike cushioning of the Defiant Speed 2s made them so comfortable that our playtest team wanted to wear them all day long. Michelle particularly enjoyed the breathability and versatility of the Defiant Speed 2s. She said, "Watching these shoes evolve from their inception has been fun — from the original adidas Defiant Bounce to the Defiant Generation, and now the second iteration of the Defiant Speed. For me, these are great 'all-day' shoes. They fit my feet just right, offering nice cushioning underfoot and around my heels, as well as having comfortable, lightweight uppers around the tops of my feet. This isn't the most cushioned pair of adidas shoes I've worn, I think that distinction belongs to the Avacourts, and I prefer a bit more cushioning for point situations and long practice sessions. What I loved about these Defiant Speed 2s was that I could wear them for a hit in the morning and then throughout the day for gym use, walks, coaching and beyond. They were also really breathable, which was nice since we playtested these shoes during the summer months. I am entering my coaching season and have six months of long days and travel ahead, and no doubt I'm going to be making these my coaching shoes. They still feel great on my feet after a 10-hour day of hitting with my players, traveling and covering six courts of coaching!"

Although her feet are on the wider side, Tiffani was impressed that the Defiant Speed 2s fit well right out of the box. She described, "I remember testing the first Defiant Bounce shoes and recall them feeling so comfortable. The Defiant Speed 2s are the latest version, and these shoes offered me all-day comfort. The width of the shoes is medium, but my wider feet fit comfortably in them. The uppers were soft enough to let my feet relax, and I could play tennis without any break-in time. The Defiant Speed 2s also felt breathable, and I spent a few hours on court without any overheating issues. There aren't many tennis shoes I choose to wear casually after my court time, but these Defiant Speed 2s are stylish and very comfortable, so I could wear them throughout the day."

Brittany has narrow feet, but she also liked how these shoes felt. She said, "When I first slipped the Defiant Speed 2s on, I was surprised that the fit was a little bit different from other adidas shoes I have worn. While the arch support remained on the lower side, I felt like the width was a slightly snugger medium, so they fit my narrow feet really nicely. There wasn't any extra space within the shoes from heel to toe. As I transitioned to the tennis court, I was happy to find that there was no break-in period required, and that was mostly thanks to the soft and flexible uppers. The cushioning under my heels and around my ankle was nice and plush. I would have liked a slightly thicker tongue and maybe a little bit more cushioning under the forefoot. Even with playtesting the black colorway of these shoes at the start of summertime, I didn't have any issues with ventilation."

The comfort of the Defiant Speed 2s did not disappoint Zsofi. She said, "I'm a fan of lightweight, speedy shoes, so I knew the new adidas Defiant Speed 2s would be right in my wheelhouse! There was no break-in time needed, and they were good to go right away. The cushioning was totally top-notch, and I immediately felt how comfortable they were. I found myself wearing them off the court all the time too, not only because they were so comfortable, but also because they look super stylish, so I would say they also pass as lifestyle shoes." 

Foot Support / Stability: 7.3

The light weight of the Defiant Speed 2s is due in large part to its flexible mesh upper, and although it is reinforced in strategic areas, our playtesters noticed that their feet did not feel as locked in as they would have liked during more intense points. Tying a different knot helped Tiffani get the support she needed for confident play. She said, "At first I was having some issues with my heels not feeling locked into the shoes. I opted to tie a runner's knot, and that offered a better fit around the ankles. The shoes are very light, and they’re less stable than the Avacourt or Barricade models; they're more comparable to the Ubersonic shoes. I could move well around the court in the Defiant Speed 2s. I had no issues with my feet sliding around inside the shoes, and I felt like the low ride helped give me confidence when I was moving from shot to shot."

Michelle compared the Defiant Speed 2s to another adidas shoe she has a lot of experience with. She said, "adidas makes one of my favorite shoes, the Avacourt, and because of that I spent a lot of this playtest comparing the Defiant Speed 2s to the Avacourts. The Defiant Speed 2s provided good lightweight support, but for serious tennis and movement, my body craves a tad more support and stability and a more rigid response rather than the flexibility these shoes offer. However, they still did feature enough support to play in, and more support than some other lightweight shoes we've tested this year, which was a positive."

The key to better stability for Zsofi was tying her laces more tightly. She explained, "I would say that the uppers weren't the most supportive. I felt my feet swimming around a bit as I was moving aggressively, so that wasn't ideal for match play. To remedy this, I definitely suggest using the last eyelet because tying the laces tightly did help my situation. Now, the laces were super long, so I had to tie them multiple times before they were the desired length."

Brittany thought an additional eyelet might help these shoes feel more secure. She said, "Just looking at the Defiant Speed 2s, I had a feeling that I might struggle with the support and stability because I have slightly higher needs these days. The first issue was that I was not able to get a locked-in feel. The shoes need an additional eyelet; I felt I couldn't get my ankles and heels secure. When I started to move around my feet were moving within the shoes even though there wasn't any extra room. Not only were my toes slamming into the front of the shoes, but my feet were also twisting up the side of the shoes when moving side to side. The first time I played in the Defiant Speed 2s it was more of a casual hit session, and I didn't have any issues afterward. However, every time after that, my ankles (and once or twice my knees) felt sore after hitting, both that evening and into the next day."

Overall Sole Durability: 8.0

For such lightweight shoes, the adidas Defiant Speed 2s surprised our playtest team with their durability. Brittany said, "I put about 10 or so hours on these shoes in a variety of different situations, including intense drilling and singles match play. For the weight of these shoes, the durability far exceeded my expectations. There may be some very slight wear under my big toe and toe bumper, but the rest of the shoe looks great. I don't see any premature rubbing or smoothing anywhere else, and the uppers are holding up as well."

Of all our playtesters, Zsofi spent the most time testing these shoes. She said, "I wore these shoes for a long period of time (probably more than 30 hours), and I saw very little wear on the outsoles and virtually no wear on the uppers."

The Defiant Speed 2s held up very well for Tiffani. She said, "So far so good! I'm not seeing any drastic wear on my shoes, and I've got about a dozen hours of playing on hard courts in them. I'm not expecting Barricade-like durability out of my Defiant Speed 2s because they’re so light, but I'm also not seeing any alarming durability issues."

Michelle was also impressed with how the Defiant Speed 2s held up. She said, "I assumed the outsoles would wear out fairly fast. Although I didn't spend an exorbitant amount of time testing these shoes, I wore them a fair amount over the month and was surprised the outsoles were still holding up. I wouldn't suggest these to someone who wears through shoes fast, but they are holding up better than some of the other shoes we've tested this year!"

Traction: 8.3

All of our playtesters gave high marks to the Defiant Speed 2s for the blend of grip and give they experienced from the modified herringbone pattern in the adiwear outsoles. Zsofi thought the traction was ideal. She said, “The traction of the Defiant Speed 2s felt more on the slippery side, but definitely not too slippery. I do prefer shoes that are not too sticky, so the traction was perfect for me." 

The traction of these shoes impressed Brittany. She described, "The classic herringbone pattern, with some slight modifications, did its job when it came to gripping the court. Combined with the low-to-the-ground feel, they were gripping when needed and had enough give to keep me from feeling stuck. I thought these shoes were pretty well balanced in the traction department."

Comparing these Defiant Speed 2s to another adidas model, Michelle said, "I liked the traction levels of these shoes. For players who are familiar with adidas shoes, they will probably find these outsoles familiar since they are nearly identical to the Ubersonics. They had just the right amount of tack and give to feel like I could move smoothly on the court and scamper to each shot without feeling like I was going to lose my footing."

"I can't say that I ever thought twice about the traction, which I take as a good sign," Tiffani added. "My preferences for traction levels lean ever so slightly toward a slicker outsole, especially with lighter shoes. I want some give to the outsole when I stop in lighter shoes so the uppers aren't working overtime to hold my feet in place. However, I am not a hard court slider, so I need the outsoles to hook up to the court and make me feel sure-footed as I hit. These Defiant Speed 2s managed that, so I have no complaints in the traction department."

Weight: 9.1

The weight of the Defiant Speed 2s impressed our entire playtest team. This was the defining feature of the Defiant Speed 2s for Brittany. She said, "The highlight of the playtest was the weight. The Defiant Speed 2s are lightweight and felt super quick when I was moving around in them. I was able to move effortlessly in every direction without having to think about my shoes."

These shoes were so lightweight and comfy, Michelle didn't want to take them off. She said, "The Defiant Speed 2s were super light! They felt so fast, and they were easy to wear all day because of how light they are. They gave me running shoe vibes — fairly flexible, light and quick."

Tiffani thought these shoes provided the perfect balance of weight and comfort. She said, "The Defiant Speed 2s are an ideal weight for me. They're weighty enough to provide good cushioning and enough support, but they're not so heavy that I feel weighed down on the court. These shoes are about as light as I would want my shoes to be on the court."

The light weight of the Defiant Speed 2s let Zsofi focus on her shots and not her shoes. She explained, "These shoes were extremely light! I could barely feel them on my feet as I was moving around. As light as they were, I still had enough cushioning, so absolutely no complaints." 

Breakdown Summary