Breakdown

Comfort: 7.9

The updates in the adidas Ubersonic 5s were a hit with our playtest team. The testers were all impressed by how adidas kept the new Ubersonics so lightweight while adding Lightstrike cushioning, Speedframe stability and a ventilation feature. After a brief break-in period, these shoes conformed well for Chris' feet. He said, "I found my pair of adidas Ubersonic 5s to require a bit of a break-in period, which is something I've not had to deal with in previous versions of the Ubersonics. It took about five hours of play for the shoes to mold to the shape of my feet and flex better when I moved on court. The fit felt true to size, and I liked the width of the shoes. I was able to comfortably lace the shoes securely for my narrow width feet without any uncomfortable lace pressure. I found the Ubersonic 5s to offer excellent ventilation, and my feet remained comfortable in them even during longer hitting sessions. I also liked the level of cushioning. I felt low to the ground in the forefoot area, and the shoes felt responsive. I also had all the cushioning I needed under my heels to sprint around and land comfortably."

Mark appreciated the updated Ubersonic's fit and breathability. He described, "For my middle-of-the-road foot type, the length and medium width of the adidas Ubersonic 5s were nearly ideal. The arch height is listed as being slightly low, but it was fine for my medium-high arches. Although this playtest was done during the winter months, it was pretty warm in California, and I have to say that both the ventilation and support of the Ubersonic 5s were almost as ideal as the fit. When it came to midsole cushioning, the level was substantial in the heel portion of the shoe and sufficient under the balls of my feet."

Having slightly wider feet, Jason needed a little time to break these shoes in for added comfort. He explained, "It feels strange saying that an Ubersonic shoe needed a break-in period, but these 5s did for me — not only to help the shoes feel better, but also for the flex of the uppers. They were fitting slightly too narrow for me in the forefoot, but they did open up after a few hours. I did like the Lightstrike cushioning in the midfoot, it offered enough cushioning for me while still providing a low-to-the-ground ride."

The Ubersonic 5s felt supportive and responsive to Oak once he got used to them. He said, "These shoes aren't the most plush offerings to ever house my feet, but they didn't cause any undue pain or annoyance. I enjoyed the forefoot cushioning, and the cushioning around the heel is actually quite secure and stable in terms of how it hugs the back of the foot. The ventilation cutouts right underneath the arches definitely took some getting used to, but I enjoyed how they encouraged me to stay on the balls of my feet more often than not. When moving quickly, the shoes encouraged weight transfer, prompting more dynamic movement. I really enjoyed the snug fit as well. The Ubersonic 5s did a great job of securing my feet across the board."

Foot Support / Stability: 8.5

The added degree of support and stability in these adidas Ubersonic 5s was one of our team's favorite things about this update. The new Speedframe technology won high marks for the torsional stability it provided during intense court sessions. Oak felt that he could completely rely on these shoes during high-stakes points. He described, "For being lightweight and more speed-oriented shoes, the Ubersonic 5s really surprised me with how supportive and stable they were, even in high-pressure situations. I was extremely impressed by the 'jump' offered by the shoes, and I was delighted to find highly responsive movement depending on my inputs. These shoes are easily my favorite current offering from adidas, winning out over the Defiant Speed 2s and the Barricade 13s. Having shoes I can trust when going full speed is beyond satisfying. The Ubersonic 5s were so fast that I typically didn't have to slide much at all, but when I did find myself going into a slide, the shoes felt stable enough to hold up throughout the motion of the slide itself."

These shoes gave Chris the confidence to go all-out while chasing down his shots. He said, "I was impressed by the improvement in stability of the Ubersonic 5s over previous versions. I've found past Ubersonics to be supportive, but these felt much more torsionally stable. My heels felt locked in, and I felt confident moving in every direction. The uppers held my feet well and were flexing nicely once broken in. I felt fast and supported in the Ubersonic 5s."

Once Mark tied the shoes up to the second set of eyelets, he got the stable fit he needed. He said, "Besides being a relatively light tennis shoe, I thought the Ubersonic 5's overall stability was its main theme. The underfoot cushioning was firm, and along with the midfoot shank, delivered a high degree of lateral stability. I did need to use the empty lace eyelets to prevent the heels of my feet from shifting around internally, but once I re-routed the laces I was comfortably locked in to the Ubersonic 5s."

Jason appreciated the added stability, but he still didn't feel quite as secure as he would have liked. He explained, "I thought the stability was improved from the Ubersonic 4s. The new Speedframe feature helped the stability when I was starting and stopping while moving side to side. I was having a small issue with locking my feet down within the shoes. I noticed my feet were sliding just slightly when sprinting forward and stopping."

Overall Sole Durability: 7.3

Our playtest team had mixed reviews when it came to the adidas Ubersonic 5's durability, with some finding the shoe to hold up well considering its weight category, and others wishing for a bit more resilience. The durability of lighter weight shoes often takes a back seat to keeping the shoes speedy, but Jason was pleasantly surprised by the Ubersonic 5s in this department. He said, "For being lightweight shoes, these held up extremely well. I put in 15-plus hours on them and only see minor tread loss."

Mark didn't see a big difference in durability compared to the Ubersonic 4.1s. He noted, "Unlike the rest of the shoe, the outsole durability of the adidas Ubersonic 5s was similar to the prior, which is pretty good for a court shoe that doesn’t feature an outsole warranty."

According to Oak, durability was not the Ubersonic 5's strong suit. He said, "Durability for me was so-so. This was probably my least favorite area of the Ubersonic 5s, but thankfully my pair didn't completely break down. I did, however, start to notice some wear in the uppers, especially if any part of the shoes came into contact with the actual ground. So while I wasn't blown away from a durability perspective, it wasn't anything abysmal either."

Chris found the Ubersonic 5's uppers more durable than its outsoles. He explained, "My biggest knock to the Ubersonic 5s was the outsole durability. I wore through the outsole under the big toe of my right foot quite quickly. I've found previous versions of the Ubersonics to be much more durable, and I'm also getting far better durability from the Defiant Speed 2s, which is a current favorite for me to play in. The uppers of the Ubersonic 5s held up better. I had some scuffing in my typical wear areas, but overall the uppers held up well."

Traction: 8.3

The balance of grip and give in these Ubersonic 5s was almost a unanimous hit for our playtesters. The Adiwear outsoles were a good fit for Oak. He said, "The traction of these Ubersonic 5s is so incredibly practical. The shoes were able to maneuver and grip effectively when scrambling, and they had enough mobility built-in to make for really nice sliding capabilities when needed. The shoes also felt secure and well connected to the court when I needed more stability for loading up on big shots. It's tough to create an outsole that can seamlessly switch between offensive and defensive maneuvers, but that is exactly what adidas has done here."

After a brief period, Mark was happy with the outsoles. He explained, "Traction-wise, the degree of grip versus slip on a hard court surface was great after about an hour of play in my pair of Ubersonic 5s."

Jason also liked the way these outsoles allowed him to move on court. He said, "These shoes do have a good combination of grip and give. Those who like to slide will be able to in the Ubersonic 5s. I don't think they are as easy to slide in as the Asics Court FFs, but I was able to slide a bit."

Like the rest of his experience in these shoes, Chris needed a break-in period for the Ubersonic 5s to deliver an optimal level of traction. He explained, "The outsoles of the Ubersonic 5s provided me with a ton of traction. I found these shoes to offer more grip than previous versions, and also more than my favorite Defiant Speed 2s. I'm not a big slider on the court, but I do find myself sliding a little on aggressive lateral stops. However, I wasn't sliding at all in these shoes and would just come to a quick stop, pivot, then move on. Even when pivoting and taking small adjustment steps, I felt too stuck to the court until I had a few hours of hitting on the shoes."

Weight: 8.6

The adidas Ubersonic 5's weight scored high marks with all of our playtesters. These shoes had a great balance of speed and support for Mark. He said, "I had zero issues with the weight of the Ubersonic 5s. They held my feet in place the way more substantial shoes do without sacrificing a speedy feel around the court."

"These shoes felt pretty speedy and lightweight to me," Jason added. "They felt very similar to the Ubersonic 4s, which is a good thing considering these offer a bit more stability and durability."

Given the support and stability of these shoes, they didn't slow Chris down. He remarked, "While the shoes don’t feel as light as the Defiant Speed 2s, they felt more stable and supportive. If I had a little more durability from these Ubersonic 5s, I would be impressed even further."

These Ubersonic 5s were an optimal weight for Oak. He explained, "These shoes trend in the direction of being lighter weight overall, but they don't feel like super-lightweight shoes. Thankfully, this is right where I like my footwear to be; they're light, but not too light, and definitely not leaning toward the heavier side of things. While I know they technically fall within the midweight range of the court shoe spectrum, they feel and largely operate like a lightweight footwear option. Thankfully, though, the additional mass helps to make them extremely supportive as well, rounding out their performance-to-weight ratio quite nicely."

Breakdown Summary