ADIDAS BARRICADE 2015 BOOST REVIEW

Price:

€

Upsides

Comfort
Responsive cushioning
Support/stability
Durability

Downsides

Nothing we could agree on

Summary

Just when we thought the Barricade couldn't get any better, it did! adidas raise the bar yet again with the Barricade 2015 Boost, the first tennis shoes with Boost midsole technology. The standard Barricade 2015s were already among our favorite shoes of this year because of their improved out of the box comfort, completely redesigned chassis and faster court feel. The addition of Boost takes the comfort and responsiveness of these shoes to a whole new level! They feel much softer under the heel, while at the same time the energy return on each step is noticeably better. Like previous Barricades, the support, stability and durability are virtually unmatched. If you're a player who doesn't mind a little extra heft in their tennis shoes, the Barricade 2015 Boost is a must try!

ADIDAS BARRICADE 2015 BOOST SCORES
Overall Comfort	4,7/5
Ventilation	3,5/5
Arch Support	3,5/5
Foot Support/Stability	4,8/5
Overall Sole Durability	4,6/5
Toe Durability	4,7/5
Traction	4,6/5
Weight	4,1/5
Overall	4,6/5

Comfort - Score: 4,7/5

Our playtesters found the Barricade 2015 Boost to be extremely comfortable whilst the introduction of adidas' Boost technology under the heel added noticeable cushioning and responsiveness. Two of the testers were on the review of the original Barricade 2015, which they both really liked, and they both felt the Boost took the shoes' comfort to a whole new level. The uppers are soft and comfortable right out of the box, which is a big improvement over Barricades of previous generations that required days of break-in time. The ride is low to the ground, which leaves you very connected to your movement. The shoes offer a nice and snug fit with good ventilation and plenty of support through the arch area.

Foot Support/Stability - Score: 4,8/5

In typical Barricade fashion, the Barricade 2015 Boost offered exceptional support and stability for our testers when they were moving aggressively around the court. It came as no surprise to the members of our team who know Barricades typically are impressive in this category. The re-designed midfoot Barricade chassis helps lock the foot in during aggressive lateral cuts while the lower to the ground feel instilled more confidence and court feel. The rigid support through the midfoot also gave us plenty of support when putting stress on the shoes.

Overall Sole Durability - Score: 4,7/5

Even though they may not be quite as durable as past iterations, the Barricade 2015 Boost proved to be one of the most durable shoes you can buy. The outsole and toe areas of the shoe showed little sign of wear even after all the hours that our playtesters put on them. These would be ideal for players who are extremely hard on their shoes and want exceptionally long-lasting shoes. Even intense toe draggers are going to have a hard time doing much damage to these.

Traction - Score: 4,6/5

All of our testers were very pleased with the amount of traction that the Barricade 2015 Boost offered. They thought the outsole provided a perfect blend of grip and give that wasn't jarring on the body but still provided security and confidence when making aggressive lateral cuts on the hard courts. One of the testers who slides frequently on the hard courts found great court feel and felt totally comfortable in these shoes. Another tested noticed and appreciated an extra flared-out portion of the outsole on the lateral side that gave him even more grip when cutting and exploding back to the middle of the court.

Weight - Score: 4,1/5

While they feel lighter and faster than previous versions, our playtesters still would consider the Barricade 2015 Boost more on the heavier side of the performance tennis shoe spectrum. If you're purchasing a Barricade though you've got to know that you're going to get a more substantial tennis shoe, and compared to other stability and durability-oriented shoes on the market these won't slow you down. Even though there was some added heft, none of our testers felt that it affected their movement negatively. Actually, the added stability made them feel even more confident going for aggressive cuts, and the Boost technology made the shoes feel more explosive and responsive.

Overall - Score: 4,6/5

Likes

Chris: “Everything! This is my favorite shoe to wear on court. There's nothing else on our website to equal the performance I find here. The Barricade 2015 was my pick of shoe of the year until I wore these. The bar has been raised! ”

Andy: “Everything I liked about the non-Boost version - comfortable out of the box, extremely stable, supportive and durable. With Boost, though, comfort, cushioning and responsiveness has been taken to another level. ”

Marco: “Very durable outsole and in the toe box, good traction and nice cushioning. ”

Dislikes

Chris: “Nothing. These are as close to perfect as I've ever worn. ”

Andy: “Not much! Maybe a bit more ventilation, but it's a great shoe all-around! ”

Marco: “I felt like I was riding high off the ground and wasn't as connected with the court as I typically like to be. ”

COMPARED WITH OTHER MODELS:

Chris: “The Barricade 2015 is the next closest shoe, and it is a great shoe. However, the Boost cushioning system in these blew my mind with how it felt and performed on court. My next favorite and another 'can't go wrong' choice would be the Asics Gel Resolution 6. It also offers a high level of comfort, great durability and impressive support/stability. ”

Andy: “Like the standard Barricade 2015, it's so much lighter, faster-feeling and ready to go right out of the box compared to previous Barricades. The Boost in the heel offers just that much more cushioning and energy return under the heel, making this truly one of the finest shoes on the market. If you're a player that doesn't mind a little extra weight in their shoes in order to get the most support and durability, the Barricade Boost is as good as it gets. ”

Marco: “I found the fit and feel to be similar to the Nike Air Court Ballistec 2.3's that I wore some time ago. They also had the wider forefoot area and also felt fairly rigid through the heel and mid foot. ”

Playtester Foot Types:

Andy - Medium width / Low arch

Chris - Narrow width / Medium arch

Marco - Medium width / Medium arch

Review date: July 2015. If you found this review interesting or have further questions or comments please contact us.information.en@tenniswarehouse-europe.com.