Our playtest team all agreed that these adidas Barricade 13s offer a nice upgrade in comfort from the previous version thanks to the added REPETITOR cushioning in the midsole and the Geofit Pods in the heels. These shoes felt even plusher to Chris after a little break-in time. He said, "I found the overall fit and feel of the Barricade 13s to be comfortable. I noticed a more cushioned feel throughout the shoes compared to the outgoing version. My feet felt more elevated at the heel, and the forefoot also felt slightly plusher underfoot. The Barricade 13s offer substantial padding around the ankle collar, which I enjoyed, and the uppers flexed well. I played comfortably in them from the first wear, and the overall comfort improved throughout the first week of play. It didn’t take me long to move naturally in the Barricade 13s, and I didn’t have to think about them while hitting."

“This thirteenth generation of the adidas Barricade was sufficiently comfortable from my first step-in moment,” Mark added. "I will say, there was a slight break-in period for me, but after walking around and playing in them for a couple of hours, the Barricade 13s formed to my feet and delivered both excellent midsole and upper comfort. Although it is just a slight change, it is worth mentioning that the tongues of the new Barricades are noticeably more padded, which further contributed to their 360-degree comfort."

The added cushioning in the tongues made an impression on Jason as well. He said, "These updated Barricades are more comfortable than the previous version. The foam pods in the heels are thicker, making them feel plusher to wear, but I did have to go up a half size. I also really appreciated the updated tongue padding. I used to get pressure points on the top of my feet when cinching my laces down tightly, but the thicker tongue has alleviated that. I thought the underfoot cushioning was very comparable to the last generation."

These shoes felt nice and cushy to Troy, although he would have liked more padding under the forefoot. He explained, "Compared to just about all of the adidas Barricades I have tried in the past, I would put this thirteenth edition at the top of the list in terms of comfort, or maybe as a close second to the adidas Barricade 2017 BOOSTs. With the addition of mesh on top of the toe box, these shoes not only breathed easily, they also felt very comfortable on top of my toes. I found the fit to be good (maybe a bit generous for me in the forefoot), but I could still get a very secure fit from the asymmetrical lacing design. The pods located in the heel were nicely padded, and the new REPETITOR cushioning felt plush. I guess the only gripe I can come up with in terms of comfort is that I wish there was more of that plush cushioning in the forefoot."

The adidas Barricade 13 did not disappoint our playtesters in the stability department. Because everyone's feet are different, there were a few conflicting views when it came to support. Troy was happy with this latest update. He said, "Support and stability were top notch for me. I know I mentioned above that the fit was slightly generous in the toe box, but I still found a very supportive fit and feel. The generous toebox wasn’t an issue, and I could really cinch up the laces (comfortably) and get a locked-in fit. The tried-and-true Torsion System (shank) that the Barricade is known for provided enough rigidity when changing directions. Match that with the low ride up front, and I felt like lateral support and stability were up there with the best of them. I think adidas did a solid job of increasing comfort and flexibility without making these shoes feel too stretchy or loose."

Chris also found a similar level of support compared to the previous version. He described, "When moving laterally, I loved the support and stability of the Barricade 13s. My ankles felt secure, and I liked the way the shoes resisted twisting on aggressive lateral stops and slides. When sprinting and stopping while running forward, I did have some instances when my feet jammed into the ends of the shoes. I had this same issue with the previous version and was mostly able to dial it out with the right socks and carefully adjusted laces."

While Jason enjoyed the lateral stability of these shoes, he also ran into some problems with support when moving forward. He said, "Like with the previous version, I was torn on how to score these because the support and stability were quite different. Starting with the positives, I thought the stability was really good. The uppers were firm enough when I was moving side to to side, and the shoes were rigid enough that my feet never felt like they were going to roll over when pushing off. On the other hand — or foot, as it were — the support was lacking for me, specifically when I was moving forward. I was having issues with heel slippage and being able to lock down my feet. It got to the point that I could slip my feet out of the shoe when the laces were still tied. Because I couldn't get a snug and secure fit, I did experience a little bit of toe jamming."

Coming with the extra reassurance of a Tennis Warehouse six-month outsole guarantee, the adidas Barricade 13s held up well for our playtesters during testing. The resilience of these shoes impressed Mark, who said, "The durability of the outsoles was great, maybe better than I need. The outsole material wraps around and over the medial portion of the toe cap, which protects against hard-court abrasions. Since the tread pattern extends over the top of the toe box, in theory it would provide some traction if you are elastic enough to invert your feet while tracking down shots."

"I found these Barricade 13s to be plenty durable for me," Jason added. "I put in around 18 hours of court time in these shoes, and they have plenty of tread life left. I see minimal tread loss on the medial toe of my right foot, and that's about it."

While Troy noted a bit of light wear on his Barricade 13s at the end of the playtest, he was pleased with the overall duribility of the shoes. He said, "The ADIWEAR 2.0 rubber held up well to the gritty hard court that we often play on. I saw a bit of wear on the tread near the balls of my feet after about the 15-hour mark, but nothing that was uncommon or excessive. I would likely put the durability of these outsoles up there with the Asics Gel Resolution 9s or New Balance CT Rallys. I will leave the durability of the toes and the medial side of the uppers to the other playtesters because I don't slide or drag much when I am playing."

Breathability came at a cost for Chris. He explained, "The outsoles of the Barricade 13s held up very well. I drag the area under the big toe of my right foot, and even this high-wear area held up well. The new mesh uppers did not prove to be as tough, though. On my very first wear, I ripped a hole through the lateral side of the toe box on the left shoe, and that wear area got worse and worse throughout he test. The upper material on the previous version was much more durable for me."

The split herringbone pattern of the adidas Barricade 13's ADIWEAR 2.0 outsole offered a good blend of grip and give for the majority of our playtest team. Although not an avid hard-court slider, Chris found the traction to allow a bit of slide. He said, "It is rare that I'm anything but impressed by the traction of adidas shoes. The Barricade 13s continued this trend, providing a solid blend of grip and give. I found all the traction I needed for quick sprints and aggressive changes of direction. When I was looking to pivot quickly, the outsoles provided enough give to allow my movement to feel natural. I never felt the shoes grip too much or get hung up on the court surface. I'm far from a big slider on court, but I was able to take the edge off a sharp stop with a little slide in these Barricade 13s."

Mark enjoyed the balance of grip and give as well. He said, "Simply put, traction on every hard court I played on was stellar in the Barricade 13s. I was able to confidently dive into my shots and safely accelerate out of them. Whether the court was dust and dirt free or not, I got the proper blend of grip versus slip."

After a short period of play time, some of the initial tackiness of these soles wore off for Troy. He said, "I found the overall traction of these shoes to work well for my game. They felt slightly sticky on the outsole during the first few hours of court time, but after that, the tread wore in well. I felt very sure-footed with these shoes on. When I needed to make a hard cut or plant my foot with strong force, I felt confident that the outsole would grab and let me push off at max power."

Jason would have preferred less grip in these shoes. He described, "The designers at adidas must have changed up the recipe for the rubber compound, because this Barricade 13 felt much stickier than the previous version. I loved the previous version because I could slide out of my shots with ease. I tried to do that with these shoes, and they hardly budged. So if you love lots of traction and grip, you'll find it with these Barricades."

At 14.8 ounces, the adidas Barricade 13s fall squarely into the range of shoes built for stability, durability and comfort. Our playtesters thought these shoes actually felt lighter on their feet than the scale indicated. The weight didn't bother Mark at all. He explained, "For the last few years, most of the tennis shoes I’ve enjoyed wearing have fallen around the 14-ounce range, and the adidas Barricade 13s come in at 14.8 ounces for a U.S. men's size 10.5. The weight of a tennis shoe does not tell me everything I need to know, but 14.5 ounces (plus or minus) seems to be a weight that affords a player a good blend of shoe agility and stability."

The tradeoff of weight for stability was well worth it according to Chris. He said, "If you are looking for a light feeling pair of shoes, I think you will want to try the Ubersonic 4.1s. The Barricade 13s offer me more stability and support, with much better outsole durability. I feel like I move very well in them. I was able to move side to side to defend the baseline at what felt like maximum speed."

Jason was comfortable with the weight of these shoes. He said, "I know these Barricade 13s are slightly heavier than the last model, but they really didn't feel all that different, which is a good thing. They don't feel too heavy or cumbersome, and they don't feel really lightweight either. No complaints from me."

Troy would welcome a bit more weight in these shoes as a tradeoff for added cushioning. He said, "The Barricade 13 is not too heavy and not too light. I think overall, the weight was good for me, and as they broke in they felt a bit lighter than the scale would indicate. I think the mesh added to the uppers made them feel lighter, more breathable and more flexible, which added to the faster feel. I wouldn't actually mind a bit more weight if adidas would put more cushioning in the forefoot."