I am a long time Adidas wearer, and I can usually buy a pair online and not worry about fit or comfort. I bought this style after reading many customer reviews that praise the bounce, comfort, breathability and styling. The look and color are great [since they don't show the dirt from running], but after the first week of wear my knees/ankles were noticeably sore. I figured the shoes just needed to be broken in, so I gave them a full month, but just never got that “ahhhhh” feeling you want in a shoe you’re going to wear 4-5 days a week for exercise. And, I noticed despite the perfed holes all over, my feet were hotter than in my previous Adidas shoes [the shoes have a plastic cup that cradles your foot, and I think it makes your feet retain heat/moisture].
When running, I thought they were overall a little stiff, and didn’t have the flexibility you want in a running shoe. They felt a little clunky. As far as “energy return”, I just didn’t notice any benefit…and when you really think about the structure, the soles are made of rubber “donuts” that give, but have no reason to bounce back, like a shoe with a “shock” design for cushioning. A shock wants to spring back after it is compressed, but a circle really has no mechanical reason to spring back and return energy to you.
It’s a well-made shoe, and looks great, but I will be retiring these from running and using them for hiking or casual wear. I will buy Adidas in the future, but this style just didn’t work for me. You might want to try these on before you commit if you don’t have previous experience with the Microbounce design.
Rating: 2 / 5