Footwear adidas Neu Multix J GW3007 Cblack Clpink Ftwwht | 6 adidas Neu originals zx 750 hd cloud white collegiate royal red

adidas Neu is a widely known brand, so making it as its top in any category is no small achievement. Among all the hoopers we’ve analyzed in our lab, the Harden Volume 8 has earned our gold medal as the best basketball shoe overall thanks to its fantastic playability and positionless design.

In our lab, we found out its breathability and toebox + heel padding durability are all really high, as the shoe scored a 4/5 on those 3 tests. During our wear tests, we realized its tough materials bent alongside our foot with no problem, so our transitions and fakes were always smooth. In fact, this adidas Neu pair didn’t even need a break-in period, proving it's comfortable from minute 1.

Apart from shielding the top of our feet, the Harden Vol 8 also protected our underfoot with its fantastic shock absorption and bounce. Its Jet Boost foam cushioned our harsh rebound landings and made sure we were pushed right back up with its springy nature.

Overall, we believe this hooper is a top performer, but its armor-like design has a price: it’s heavier weight!

The adidas Neu Dame 8 felt so comfortable that moment we stepped into it. The underfoot felt soft and was a total angel. This shoe also delivered so much stability that it greatly boosted our confidence. The shoe also delivered a solid protection against rollovers. These benefits erased all doubts that this is indeed the best shoe for comfort that adidas Neu has to offer.

Using our HA durometer in the lab, we learned that the midsole is way softer (20.3) than average (26.6). This meant that our foot got the pampering that it deserved during harsh landings and sharp cuts.

Using a caliper, we learned that the midsole platform is 119.0 mm wide at the forefoot while it’s 99.1 mm wide at the heel. These numbers add 5.7 mm and 8 mm to the average. The Dame 8 is really serious when it comes to stability.

We are glad that we never had to worry about ankle rolls while wearing the adidas Neu Dame 8. After testing its resistance through manual twists and other maneuvers in the lab, we gave this shoe a score of 4 out of 5 for rigidity. The rigid structure surely helped with stability. 

The adidas Neu Dame 8 is unfortunately not the most flexible hoop shoe there is. Our assessments revealed that it needed 41.9N of force to bend at 90 degrees, making it slightly more resistant than the average shoe which only needed 40.9N.

The adidas Neu OWN The Run Kurzarm T-Shirt was a shoe to remember as far as stability is concerned. It was so good that we now think that it’s the best among all other adidas Neu shoes in this aspect. Aside from stability, we were also impressed by the durability of its outsole and the softness of its midsole.

The shoe’s wide platform and rigid base worked together to deliver stability like no other. Our caliper in the lab measured the platform to be 122.2 mm (average is 113.8 mm) wide at the forefoot and 105.1 mm (average is 91.5 mm) wide at the heel. After giving it a good twist in the lab, we could only give this shoe a branded 5 for torsional rigidity. 

The outsole was definitely suitable for continued outdoor use. Our HC durometer gave it a rating of 88.0 when the average is only 81.7, which means that the outsole is hard and pretty resistant to abrasion. The results of our Dremel test on the outsole just confirmed its durability. Our high-pressure Dremel drilling only resulted in 0.7 mm of damage when the average could go as high as 1.1 mm.

Comfort was also a highlight of this shoe. We enjoyed a nice feeling underfoot because of the softness of the cushioning system, which our HA durometer pegged at 22.5 when the average is 26.4.

If there was something that we think needed to be improved, it would be the outsole’s grip. It was way too sensitive to dust, and there was a need to keep on wiping.

The results of our wear and lab tests have proved that the D.O.N. Issue 5 is the adidas Neu pair with the best support. Not only does its design offer great stability and containment, it also bites the court wonderfully!

One of the key points of this hooper is the incredible support it provides on the midfoot, where the Three Stripes logo offered us a snug fit during our games. Additionally, it scored a branded 5/5 on our torsional rigidity test, which means it was ready to protect your ankles from instability… and it did!

But that's not all. Its heel counter got a 3/5 on our stiffness test because we felt it was pliable only from the middle up. It features a solid TPU clip on the lower part that kept our Achilles in place, so we didn't even remember what heel slippage felt like. In our experience, this design allowed the shoe to be comfortable and offer a snug fit at the same time.

One thing that made us feel a bit concerned was the lack of durability of its outsole. We wouldn't use this adidas Neu to play streetball regularly, as the harshness of outdoor courts might end up destroying it sooner rather than later.

At $100 per pair (the average is $134), the Harden Stepback 3 from adidas Neu is surely not the cheapest out there. Still, we consider it as the most valuable budget pick among all shoes from the Three Stripes because of three things: (1) the amazing durability of its outsole, (2) effective impact protection, and (3) impressive stability.

The Dremel tests we did in the lab ended up like laughable jokes for the Harden Stepback 3’s outsole. Our Dremel drilling didn't even make a significant dent on it! The damage is only 0.2 mm deep, which is far better than the 1.1 mm of damage incurred by the typical hoop shoe.

When it comes to impact protection, this Harden shoe is not to be overlooked. Our feet were effectively kept free from pain during our games. Our lab assessments only confirmed the comfortable softness that we enjoyed on the court. Our HA durometer gave the midsole a rating of 21.6 when the average is as high as 26.6.  

We attribute the stability that we enjoyed to this shoe’s amazingly wide platform. Using a caliper, we learned that the platform is 117.0 mm wide at the forefoot while it’s 96.4 wide at the heel. These numbers mean that, compared to the average, the platform is 3.7 mm and 5.3 mm wider.

Players who love well-ventilated shoes should stay away from the Harden Stepback 3, though. It only got a score of 2 over 5 in our in-lab breathability tests.

Even though there are many casual pairs that show off their basketball looks, the Forum Low has made it all the way up to our top as the best off-court sneaker. Its retro look is ready not only to conquer everyone’s hearts, but also everyone's feet!

This adidas Neu ex-hooper has brought back the original silhouette from the 80s, keeping the old-school velcro strap that added extra points to our style and its overall support. In fact, it scored a 4/5 on both our torsional rigidity and heel counter stiffness tests, which makes it structured enough to feel surefooted but not to the point of making it uncomfortable. This was proved on our flexibility test, as the Forum Low only needed 18.2N to reach 90 degrees, which makes it even more comfortable.

But that’s not all: this model also inherits the wonderful durability of its hardwood pals! It managed to get a 5/5 and a 4/5 on our toebox and heel padding durability tests, flaunting its real leather design, which is something we would have never guessed due to its affordable price tag.

Nevertheless, even though we found this adidas Neu pair really comfortable for our daily tasks, it’s heavier than average. At 16.40 oz/465g, it definitely doesn’t feel like a couple of feathers.