adidas Defiant Generation Men's Shoe Review

Comfort - Score: 3.9

As soon as they tried on the adidas Defiant Generations, our playtesters noticed a snug fit and a cushioned feel underfoot from the Bounce technology. The fit worked well for Mark. He said, "Straight from the box and onto my slightly narrow feet, the Defiant Generations provided a snug fit and plenty of comfort. After more than 20 hours of play on them, my impression is pretty much the same. The uppers held their shape, and I would say their comfort level increased a bit with use. Ventilation was sufficient for my feet, but the prior two versions of this shoe were more breathable. Arch height is medium and worked just fine for my arches.”

Chris thought these shoes had excellent cushioning, but they would start to hurt his feet during longer hitting sessions. He explained, "I stayed in size with the Defiant Generation shoes. I found a snug fit at first, but a perfect length fit after break-in, and they were comfortable for an hour-long hit or a good workout. On longer hits, my feet would start to ache and feel a little beaten up. My feet were sliding around inside of the shoes somewhat, which led to some discomfort from rubbing. I also would have liked more ventilation since my feet ran pretty hot in these shoes. However, I liked the level of cushioning. I felt well protected from the hard courts, even when landing heavily."

Jason also found the cushioning to be a highlight of the Defiant Generation. He added, "I immediately noticed the great step-in cushioning and comfort these shoes provided. I could feel the plushness in the heel cushioning on every step I took. The uppers required no break-in at all, which was another plus. For the fit, I thought the forefoot was a bit snug at first, but it opened up nicely after a few hours of on-court play."

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 3.6

As the adidas Defiant Generations opened up over time, the support and stability began to wane, but it was still an improvement over the previous model. Chris described, "I have skinny feet, and the fit inside the Defiant Generations was pretty roomy after break-in. Even with two pairs of socks I was sliding around inside the shoes. The uppers were more supportive than previous versions but still not up to the level of an adidas Ubersonic 2 or 4. Because of the lack of support, these shoes were better suited to light hits and trips to the gym than all-out competition."

While the Defiant Generation felt supportive enough for Jason's aggressive on-court movement, the shoe's stability left him wanting. He said, "The support was excellent. With my laces cinched, I felt like my feet were locked into place, and there was no sliding around within the shoes. The stability was where I had to knock these shoes a bit. I could feel the uppers flex and give when I was moving aggressively side to side and trying to change direction. I tried to slide once and felt the shoes give so much that I didn't want to attempt it again. The shoes were fine for most movements, but the stability came up short when I needed to make an all-out sprint."

Mark made comparisons to previous Defiant models. He said, "I recall former playtester Andy mentioning that the support of the first-generation Defiant Bounce was sufficient on a clay court because you slide out of your shots, but it was not supportive enough for stickier hard courts, which I agree with. The prior two iterations were certainly light enough for my tennis shoe needs, but they didn’t provide enough lateral support. However, adidas packed an extra ounce of material into this upper, making the Defiant Generation far more stable and supportive than its predecessors."

Durability - Score: 3.9

Our team put in many hours throughout this playtest and found the Defiant Generation's adiwear 6 rubber outsole to hold up nicely. Jason said, "The outsole durability was impressive, especially considering the price point. I was able to put 12 hours of testing on these shoes, and there are only minimal signs of wear and tear. I would be confident putting another 20 hours on the outsole."

Chris agreed with Jason, and compared this shoe to another adidas model. He said, "The outsoles held up pretty well for me. I'd put these Defiant Generations on par with an Ubersonic; they felt light and fast yet didn't wear out too quickly. The uppers also held up well, and I was impressed with the toe durability."

"For lightweight, low-to-the-ground, speed-oriented shoes, the Defiant Generations are impressively durable and abrasion resistant," added Mark. "I currently have upward of 20 hours of hard court play on them, and there's lots of outsole life left in them."

Traction - Score: 4.2

The adidas Defiant Generation's outsole provided lots of grip for our playtesters. Chris had nothing but positives to share. He said, "I was able to find ample grip on the hard courts when playing in the Defiant Generations. When pushing off aggressively, the outsoles grabbed the surface nicely to give me a solid platform to launch a quick first step. Coming to a quick stop was equally impressive, and I never felt too stuck to the court or in danger of rolling an ankle."

Mark found the traction to settle in pretty quickly. He explained, “The traction was a bit on the sticky side for the first 20 minutes of hard court play, but after that short period the Defiant Generations provided me with my favored amount of grip."

On the other hand, Jason thought these shoes gripped the court a little too well. He said, "For me, the traction was too sticky. I like shoes that have an outsole with a bit more give than grip. I feel like the Defiant Generation did an excellent job providing traction on the hard courts, but I personally prefer something that allows me to slide out."

Weight - Score: 4.1

The adidas Defiant Generation tips the scale at one ounce heavier than the previous model. Despite the extra weight, our playtesters had no problems moving around the court. Mark said, "To me, 14.2 ounces (U.S. men's size 10.5) definitely qualifies as lightweight, and this new offering from adidas definitely lived up to its lightweight description without sacrificing stability."

Chris found that he could move at top speed in these shoes. He described, "The Defiant Generations felt light and fast on court. The uppers flexed well, and I had the sense that the shoes were moving with my feet, which gave them a fast feel. The lightweight feel complemented the level of traction, and I found myself quickly getting up to full speed in these shoes."

These shoes felt more middle of the road weight-wise to Jason. He said, "The weight was a non-issue. It wasn't a standout factor, either positively or negatively. The shoe didn't feel bulky, and I didn't feel sluggish wearing it."

Overall - Score: 3.6