adidas SoleCourt Boost Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 3.6

Results were mixed among our playtesters when it came to finding a comfortable fit. Certain aspects of the SoleCourt Boost's construction worked well for specific foot types, but not for others. Tiffani, who has wider feet, was satisfied with the overall fit and comfort, although she found it somewhat different from other shoes she's tried with Boost cushioning. She said, "Did someone say Boost? I became a big fan of this cushioning after wearing the adidas Stella Barricade Boosts. The SoleCourt Boosts have a good amount of cushioning in the heel, but they're much firmer in the forefoot and provide good court feel in return. Although I missed the softer feel of the Stella Barricade Boosts, the SoleCourt Boosts were a good fit for my wide feet overall, and I really enjoyed the soft ankle collar. The arch support in these shoes is higher than most, but I enjoyed it. Where I needed a bit of break-in was the lateral outrigger. I could feel that firmness, and I ached there a bit my first few times on court. I gradually broke that in and got used to the feel. These shoes were comfortable for me overall, but they didn't reach the sublime comfort levels of the Stella Barricades."

Brittany had some extra space at the toes and was left wanting a touch more cushioning in certain areas. She noted, "Just like with many adidas shoes in the past, the fit of the SoleCourt Boost is a little bit wide and long for my narrow feet. I had a lot of extra room in the toe box, but I don't think it was enough to go down a half size, so I stayed in my true size. I have been a big fan of the Boost cushioning in the past (Stella Barricades, I'm looking at you!) and enjoyed it under my heels here too. There was also some good cushioning around the ankles, but I had to make sure I was wearing slightly higher socks because the ankle rubbing could cause discomfort. I would have liked a tad more cushioning in the forefoot as well as the tongue. The arch support was on the higher side, but it compressed over a couple of weeks and didn't cause any comfort issues."

Like Brittany, Kristen found a slightly spacious fit and had similar issues with the ankle collar. She described, "I noticed right away that the SoleCourt Boosts were quite roomy in the forefoot, and that the arch felt pretty high. They also ran a touch long, but not to where I would need to size down. I was concerned that the higher arch was going to cause a lot of discomfort when playing, but I was happy to discover that the arch settled in nicely on court, and I didn't notice it at all when playing. However, I did have quite a bit of discomfort when it came to the ankle collar. The collar really dug into the inner side of my ankles. I was wearing low-cut socks during my first hit in these, and I ended the session with open wounds there. I had to remember to wear higher cut socks with these, and even then I'd still get a bit of irritation."

Though she came into this playtest with high hopes, Michelle also experienced some issues with fit and ankle comfort. She said, "I really wanted to love these shoes. I have been calling the adidas Stella Barricade Boosts my shoes of choice for a while now and had set my hopes very high for the SoleCourt Boost. Unfortunately, I just didn't find the same comfort or fit. Right away, I found the toe box to be a bit too wide for my feet. Within 15 minutes of wearing them I had raw ankles and some severe rubbing that only got worse as I played more. I also experienced a bit of toe jam due to the extra room in the toe box, which began hindering my movement. I was devastated, but convinced that I could break these shoes in and unlock some magic. It didn't seem like anyone else was having this problem. As the playtest went on I wore higher socks, but I continued to experience rubbing. Again, I wanted to love these shoes, but they just didn't fit my feet right. The underfoot cushioning was nice, but it definitely felt firmer than the Stella Barricade Boosts, which are just so plush and comfortable. There wasn't a ton of cushioning in the forefoot either. Based solely on comfort, I can't say this shoe will be replacing my favorite Stella Barricade Boosts."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.9

While stability was a standout feature of the SoleCourt Boost and a characteristic that all of the playtesters felt positive about, their feedback on support varied. Michelle relied on the stability to keep her feeling comfortable while moving on court. She said, "I found an ideal level of stability once I broke these shoes in. I really like feeling stable on the court, and I felt very confident moving in these shoes. The support, on the other hand, was just okay. Because I found the toe box to be a bit wide and spacious, I could feel my feet sliding around inside the shoes, especially when I was pulled off the court. I knew I could count on the stability to keep me upright when I was pulled wide, but I wasn't feeling held in as snugly as I would have liked. I cinched the shoes up as tightly as I could and still struggled to find a supportive fit. Also, the tongue seemed to creep down every time I wore them, and that was a bit frustrating as well. I just never felt that I could get the shoes tied tightly enough."

Even though she had some extra room in her shoes, Kristen still found ample support and stability. She commented, "The SoleCourt Boosts are definitely stable shoes. The outrigger is pretty pronounced here, and while it did add to the stability of the shoe, there were times where I felt it hindered my movement. I noticed that I'd get a bit stuck, due to the outrigger, when I was trying to make a quick change in direction and move laterally. When it came to support, although these weren't the perfect fit for my feet, I still felt pretty well supported as long as I wore thick socks or doubled up on socks to maximize support. If I wore socks that were too thin I would notice the space in the forefoot and get some heel slippage."

Tiffani praised the stability of the SoleCourt Boosts, saying, "The SoleCourt Boost delivers big time when it comes to stability. I'm used to having outriggers up in the toe box area, so I did have to get acclimated to having an outrigger near the midfoot. As it turned out, the placement of the outrigger made these shoes feel extra stable. I especially noticed it when I was pulled out wide. With the outrigger, these shoes created a wide, stable platform. I did have a couple of instances of toe jamming on hard stops, but the ends of the shoes weren't so hard that they caused excruciating pain. The SoleCourt Boost felt close to a traditional Barricade for me in terms of stability, so I'm impressed."

Also taking note of the pronounced outrigger, Brittany added, "The most interesting feature of the SoleCourt Boost is the outrigger that is visible when looking down on the shoes. The outrigger definitely added extra stability, and I felt like I had a wider base. However, there were also times I would catch the edge when shuffling back to the middle. Since these are wider fitting shoes, I never got the locked-in feel I desire when moving aggressively. However, I was able to cinch the laces pretty tightly around my ankles, so my heels were not coming out of the shoes."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.6

Our playtesters ranked the SoleCourt Boost among the most durable shoes they've ever tested. This category had Tiffani reminiscing about another ultra-tough adidas model. She said, "I could draw comparisons to the Barricade when it comes to durability. My SoleCourt Boosts still look virtually new, and I've easily put in 15 hours of court time with them. The tip of the toe might show the tiniest bit of smoothing, but it's nothing I would notice at a glance. These shoes don't have a durability guarantee, but I don't think I would get through the outsoles in six months anyway."

Also impressed by the SoleCourt Boost's lifespan, Michelle drew a similar comparison. She offered, "The durability was one of the best aspects of this playtest for me. I'm seeing very little serious wear. The outsoles are still intact, and the traction is holding up great. I would compare the durability of these shoes to that of the Barricades. I'm really happy with how well these shoes are wearing!"

Brittany added, "Even though 'Barricade' isn't in the name, I felt like the durability of the SoleCourt Boost was on par with some of the most durable shoes on the market. The durability was top notch for me, both on the outsole and the toe area. At the end of the playtest my shoes look just as new as they did at the beginning, and they have plenty of life left."

Kristen echoed her fellow playtesters, saying, "These shoes are definitely a durable option. At the end of the playtest I didn't notice any wear on the outsoles or at the toe guard. The upper is also still in more or less pristine condition."

Traction - Score: 4.2

Across the board, our playtesters found that the modified herringbone outsole pattern on the SoleCourt Boost provided an optimal balance of grab and give. For Kristen, that traction remained consistent throughout the playtest. She explained, "From the beginning to the end of this playtest, I never had any issues with traction. The shoes had enough grip that I felt secure moving on court, but they also offered enough give to provide a well-balanced feel underfoot."

Brittany found similarly positive results with her pair. She said "The modified herringbone tread pattern led to a consistent feel on the court. I felt confident in my movements, and the shoes performed exactly how I expected. I got give when I needed give, and I got grip when I needed to push off in a different direction. No complaints from me here!"

The SoleCourt Boosts were on the grippier side for Tiffani, but she never felt that they hindered her movement. She described, "These shoes felt grippy on the court, but they also weren't so grippy that I ever felt stuck. I liked how the outrigger's wide base and the traction worked together when I was wide off the court. The outsoles hooked up to the court to bring me to a stop, while the outrigger gave me a solid platform to push off and move laterally back into position."

Michelle found that the SoleCourt Boosts offered just enough grip to cater to her preferences. She noted, "As a player who likes feeling stable on her feet, the traction levels to worked well for my game. I know the Ubersonics can sometimes play a bit too slippery, but this was not the case with the SoleCourt Boosts. I felt like I could rely on these shoes to not slide out from under me, but they weren't so grippy that I was worried my feet would get stuck."

Weight - Score: 3.6

As is typical with more stable, durable shoe options, the SoleCourt Boosts didn't feel ultra light on the court. However, none of our playtesters found them to feel overly heavy either. For Brittany, these shoes fell somewhere in between. She said, "As far as weight was concerned, I found the SoleCourt Boosts to be about average among the shoes I have playtested. They weren't the lightest around the court, but I never felt like they slowed me down. They felt similar to Barricades of the past, but with better weight distribution."

Michelle was of a similar opinion. She added, "The weight was never really something I was concerned about. I don't feel like the SoleCourt Boosts are lightweight shoes, but I certainly wouldn't call them heavy. For me, they fall pretty much in the middle. They're not too bulky, but not as speedy as some of the lighter shoes on the market. Personally, my fit issues definitely didn't help me feel as quick as I would have liked in these shoes."

Tiffani wasn't feeling super light on her feet, but she didn't attribute that solely to weight. She commented, "This shoe is definitely not as light as an adidas Ubersonic, and it feels a bit heavier on my feet compared to the Stella Barricade. It took some time for me to get used to the outrigger. Although it did add stability, I sometimes got caught up when crossing over, which made these shoes feel slower around the court. The SoleCourt Boosts don't feel really heavy, though; I'd categorize them as middle-weight shoes. Considering the durability and stability, the weight felt just about right."

Kristen also found that other aspects of the shoes contributed to her perception of weight. She concluded, "I can't say I felt the lightest on my feet in these shoes. Mainly, they just felt a bit bulky, so they were definitely on my mind at times when sprinting. But for people with wider feet who fill out the shoes a bit more, I think they'll find the SoleCourt Boosts to feel faster than their weight would suggest."

Overall - Score: 3.7