adidas SoleMatch Bounce Women's Review

Comfort - Score: 4.0

The first thing our team noticed when trying on the SoleMatch Bounces was their wider fit, which was just perfect for Tiffani, who has the widest feet on our playtest team. She began, "I know the other testers had some struggles with the wider fit, but I loved it. There was plenty of room to wiggle my toes. I might be in the minority on the team when I say these SoleMatch Bounce shoes were really comfortable. The cushioning is soft enough for me, but it's not as responsive as the adidas shoes with Boost in them. Like the SoleCourt Boosts, these shoes have an outrigger on the lateral side. The outrigger on the SoleMatch Bounces felt softer and didn't require as much of a break-in for me. The only struggle I had comfort-wise in these shoes was the lacing system. It made the shoes very tough to tie securely, and when I failed to cinch down my shoes sufficiently I would experience a bit of toe jamming. Other than that, the shoes had average ventilation and just enough arch support for my flatter feet."

Michelle thought the SoleMatch Bounces felt nice and soft, but she also struggled to cinch up the laces tightly enough. She said, "There's no doubt these shoes were comfortable. They feature adidas's Bounce cushioning, which I feel is a bit more responsive than Boost, but still very comfortable underfoot. The uppers were super comfortable as well. There is step-in comfort for sure, but the fit was a bit sloppy for me. I couldn't cinch up the laces well enough to really get locked in. I like to tie my shoes up pretty tightly and just couldn't get there with this lacing system. The uppers were soft and supportive, and I had zero rubbing, which I did experience with the SoleCourt Boost."

Brittany went back and forth when scoring the comfort of these shoes. She explained, "On one hand, there was plenty of cushioning underfoot, and the uppers were soft. These shoes required no break-in whatsoever. I felt extremely comfortable just walking around in them, and I even wore them to a couple of gym sessions during the playtest. On the other hand, the shoes were extremely wide, and I never felt fully comfortable in them. The length was true to size, so I didn't have the option to go down a half size for a snugger fit. I ended up having too much extra room in the toe box, even when wearing two pairs of socks."

Considering the wider fit, Julie was happy with the on-court comfort. She said, "If I had wider feet I probably would have loved these shoes more, but the forefoot was really roomy. I decided to stick to my normal size because the shoes ran true when it came to length. I love the fact that I didn't have a break-in period and didn't feel any arch pain. I experienced some sliding inside the shoes when I moved aggressively, though, which affected my comfort levels. It wasn't anything too severe, but I like my feet to be locked in while I play. I think the highlights were the comfortable cushioning and the flexibility of the upper fabric. Cushioning was super plush, and it gave me great step-in comfort, but it wasn't the most responsive. The mesh upper offered plenty of ventilation. The main negative point for me was friction on the medial side of my feet after about five hours on court. I had to make sure to wear socks with added comfort, or double up, to avoid blisters."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.4

Built to offer loads of stability, the SoleMatch Bounce features an outrigger on its lateral edge to ensure players feel confident planting their feet on the court. Julie thought the support and stability would have been perfect without the extra lateral outrigger. She said, "The adjustment period was quick, but I always felt that the shoe was too wide underfoot. I was confident moving aggressively during point play, but the extra piece felt out of place. As I got tired during longer points I would get a little sloppy with my footwork, and that's when the lateral outrigger made me trip."

Due to the wider fit, Michelle thought these shoes didn't feel as supportive as they could have. She said, "My feet slid around a bit inside, so I can't say these were the most supportive shoes. However, when it came to stability, the noticeable outrigger on these shoes really helped me feel confident and stay upright. I could stop on a dime, and I felt stable when changing directions. Unfortunately, the outrigger sometimes felt like it got in the way and was a bit cumbersome."

Brittany was satisfied with the stability of these shoes, for the most part. She described, "The SoleMatch Bounces wrapped securely around my ankles and kept them in place when I was playing. I wasn't the biggest fan of the lateral outrigger. I could feel it at times when I was on the edge of my feet, but for the most part, it didn't bug me too much. However, I don't think it was needed in these shoes. I was looking for more support from the very start of the playtest, whether I was playing singles, doubles, or even just practicing. As expected, due to the wide fit, my feet were moving around in all directions in these shoes. No matter how tightly I tied my laces, which were actually tough to cinch, I never felt like I had a truly secure fit."

The stability of the SoleMatch Bounce never let Tiffani down. She said, "I liked the outrigger since it created a wide base, and I didn't feel like I was going to tip over in any way. When I had my shoes tied tightly, I didn't experience any slipping or sliding inside the shoes either. However, when I didn't, my heels could slip up too much when I ran toward a ball or I would get toe jamming. I would need to stop and work on the laces to fix the situation, and honestly, that was no easy task because of the lacing system."

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4.0

Made from a tough adiwear rubber compound, the outsoles of the SoleMatch Bounces stood up fairly well to everything our playtesters threw at them. Brittany spent about 10 hours on the court in these shoes, and an additional five hours in the gym. She noted, "The outsole held up extremely well, and there was nothing major to note. I definitely have a lot of life left in my pair, and I expect them to last at least a couple months. While I am not the hardest on my toe bumpers, I can do some damage there at times. I was starting to see a little bit of toe smoothing, especially on my left shoe. However, there is enough material that they should last just as long as the outsoles."

Julie also wore these shoes for around 10 hours. While she noticed wear at the forefoot, the rest of the outsole looked only lightly used. She said, "I definitely think the outsole durability was great, but toe durability was disappointing. I'm not a huge toe dragger, and there are significant signs of use at the forefoot from toe dragging."

Tiffani saw some scuffing on her SoleMatch Bounces, but no severe wear or tear. She said, "I have scraped up the lateral side of the midsole cushioning in the toe box. I sometimes scuff that area on the court as I cross over. They're holding up just fine, but it looks a little sloppy."

"I can't say this shoe will be as durable as a Barricade, but it held up just fine for me," added Michelle. "I did not see any significant or premature wear throughout the playtest, and I know I have many more hours of wear in these shoes. These are definitely some of the more durable shoes that we've playtested in a while."

Traction - Score: 3.7

Having worn many adidas shoes in the past, our playtesters thought the traction of the SoleMatch Bounces felt quite familiar. Michelle recognized the same traction levels as the SoleCourt Boost, which was just great for her. She explained, "The outsoles never felt too slippery or sticky. I felt confident taking quick steps and never lost my footing. The durability was great, and I found the traction levels to be consistent throughout our playtest."

"With everything else going on with the shoes, I didn't really notice too much about the traction," said Brittany. "The traction at the beginning of the playtest felt a little bit sticky. As the playtest wore on the traction settled in and became a little slicker. This gave me the blend of give and grip that I look for, and it continued for the rest of the playtest."

Julie, who played in adidas shoes during her college years, noticed the same slick traction that she'd experienced with another familiar model. She said, "It reminded me of the Stella Barricade's traction, which isn't my favorite. It was a bit too slippery for my taste. I like more grip at the end of my shots, so I can recover fast. I certainly didn't lose significant time, but I noticed it, and I prefer my aggressive movements to be quick and optimized through my shoes."

Unlike Julie, Tiffani thought that these shoes had more grip than slip. She commented, "The SoleMatch Bounces were definitely on the stickier side when it came traction. I didn't feel stuck to the court, but my transitions weren't as smooth as I would like either. I would have liked a little less tackiness so I could be a half step quicker to the next ball."

Weight - Score: 3.2

The ladies knew the SoleMatch Bounces wouldn't be the lightest offering from adidas. "Even though there is no 'Barricade' in the name, the SoleMatch Bounces feel like the heavier Barricades of the past," observed Brittany. "These shoes definitely seemed heavy and clunky (partly due to the wide fit). I felt like I was being weighed down and wasn't moving as well as I would have liked. I normally prefer lightweight shoes, but I don't mind a little weight if a shoe does a good job of distributing it, like the adidas Barricade 2018."

Michelle would categorize these at the middle of the scale in terms of weight. She said, "They definitely weren't too heavy, but they weren't that light either. They weren't as bulky as the Barricades of the past, but they're also not as speedy as the Ubersonics. I really didn't feel as nimble as I was hoping. Sometimes I think I tripped up mentally on the outrigger, which just felt a bit clunky at times."

"The build of these shoes and the outrigger make them feel a little heavier than the scale shows," added Tiffani. "I didn't feel particularly quick around the court in them. Although they weren't ultra-heavy like tennis shoes of the past, in terms of how quick most shoes feel these days, they are a bit clunky."

Julie also found these shoes to be slightly heavier than she usually prefers. She said, "They were a bit bulky, and I think a narrower fit could have fixed this issue for me. I didn't feel connected to the shoe because of the wide fit. I found them to feel heavier than they actually are."

Overall - Score: 3.7