What's Next for adidas Barricade?
The Barricade has arguably been one of the most impactful shoes in tennis in the last two decades. It’s loved by many, but was missing from this year’s adidas line up. We talked with the footwear team at adidas to get the scoop.
For 18 plus years, the Barricade has been one of the best performing shoes in the game. Come 2019, adidas did not offer a Barricade in their tennis footwear line. Why not?
When we launched the Barricade concept back in 2000, it immediately took off as an industry reference and became a sport icon. Stability and durability were the main ingredients for that success and were answering the needs of tennis players of that early 21st century era. As the game evolved with players like Novak Djokovic, who basically started to slide on hard court as if he was on clay, the Barricade evolved with him, allowing Novak to win his first grand slams in the Barricade 7.
But the game has now reached new heights in terms of forces applied to your equipment and we, as a brand, truly believe that the Barricade concept needs a re-set. We then consciously decided to push the pause button for both 2019 and 2020.
But as you can imagine we’re already working on new ideas and exploring new horizons based on consumer insights and a strong will to innovate – matching exactly the DNA of the original Barricade concept launched in 2000.
Obviously the game has changed over the years. Style of play, physicality, athleticism, fitness. How has adidas updated the footwear line to maximize performance in the current athletes?
As we paused the Barricade concept for 2019 and 2020, it will not stop us from bringing innovation and newness to the marketplace.
In 2018, we introduced the new iteration of our “speed” proposition, the Ubersonic 3, focusing on the connection to the court and the ultimate expression of acceleration and agility. The Ubersonic franchise has been adopted by our best players like Alexander Zverev or Garbine Muguruza.
In 2019, we launched at the Australian Open a brand new performance model, the SoleCourt, which is our proposition for ultimate expression of comfort, stability and durability, using Boost, our premium energy return technology as the main midsole component. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lucas Pouille brought that model to the Australian Open semis this year, while Dominic Thiem made it to the Roland-Garros final!
And as we want to target a larger audience of consumers, the introduction of the SoleMatch is allowing tennis players to experience our Bounce technology, while enjoying a comfortable, stable and lightweight shoe for all type of surfaces.
Having said that, be ready for 2020, as we will introduce something completely new and disruptive to the tennis world…
With the re-emergence of Barricade in the future, what does the future Barricade look like (characteristics) and when can we expect to see it?
The Barricade concept will be completely revamped according to the needs of the new generation of tennis players. While respecting the original Barricade DNA, we will implement adidas’ highest level of innovation and new technologies. No launch date planned so far, as we want the new Barricade to be the best ever!
What to Do Now?
The next version of the Barricade is still in the works. So what to wear until then? Don’t fear. adidas has several options to keep the Barricade faithful well heeled until the next Barricade launches.
SoleCourt Boost
Offering plenty of room in the forefoot, the SoleCourt Boost is a great options for Barricade fans – especially those who have previously yearned for a more generous fit. Featuring the same ADIWEAR 6 outsole rubber compound as the Barricades, the SoleCourt Boost is made to last. The shoe offers a 3D molded heel for a locked in fit and a high level of support during aggressive play. While not as stiff and solid feeling as the Barricade 2018, the SoleCourt has the advantage of offering step in comfort with virtually no break-in.
aSMC Boost
While it’s not called the Stella Barricade Boost you’ve come to love, the Stella Court is loaded with the same technologies so you can get your Barricade fix without missing a beat. The same Boost cushioning will comfort every landing and offer the responsive ride tennis players need. You’ll love that the level of support remains unchanged and it launches in the New Year. Until then, load up on Stella Barricade Boosts and enjoy the ride!
Barricade 2018
We still have a VERY limited number of Barricade 2018s in stock. If we have them in a color you like then load up now! When they are gone, they’re gone.
