Adidas D Rose 773 IV
Adidas D Rose 773 IV Performance Review:
<< CUSHIONING >> 8.5 / 10
You will find Adidas's "Bounce" cushioning material being used on this shoe. And you will find the Bounce cushioning material extending from the heel to near the mid foot area but not full length.
Bounce is a really good alternative to the Adiprene+ material which Adidas been using for years (which btw, never been a good cushioning material, in my opinion). Comparing to Adidas's top of line Boost foam cushion, Bounce is more on the firm side while Boost is more on the softer side (note: Boost is always soft in a good way). And Bounce cushioning is nothing like the name it implies, there is nothing "bouncy" about this cushion but rather it provides a rigid (not hard) and stable cushioning when landing. Responsiveness is average, hence, I feel like this cushioning is ideal for bigger players. As for guard and responsiveness is important for you, you may not enjoy this cushioning setup as much.
A little more about the Bounce cushioning:
Bounce was not used on that many of Adidas basketball shoes lineup until recently. This D Rose 773 IV came out back in early 2015, back then it is pretty much the only pair of ball shoes which I could find using Bounce cushioning. Glad to seeing them incorporate this material into more of their basketball shoe lineup these days (e.g. D Lillard 2 & the new D Rose 773 V).
Also, just to note that not to mix up Adidas' "Bounce" cushioning material with another basketball shoe maker, Li Ling, their cushioning material "Bounse". Li Ling does the signature shoe line up, Way of Wade for Dwyane Wade, check out the link here to find out more about their Bounse cushioning and the Way of Wade lineup.
<< TRACTION >> 9 / 10
Adidas did a great job here for this budget model shoe by sticking with basic herringbone pattern, nothing fancy and good rubber compound material. No traction issue whatsoever; clean court, somewhat dusty court, outdoor on asphalt or tarmac surface, it gets the job done.
The only thing you may need to aware of is that, if you are playing these outdoor a lot, the rubber may not last long. The outsole rubber is very soft and pliable.
<< FIT & SUPPORT >> 7.5 / 10
This shoe basically fits true to size and I would give everything about fit & support an above average rating. Standard TPU heel counter, traditional lacing system, good heel lock down, decent ankle support, snug fit around the mid foot area, provide the support and agility you need while cutting and running.... it gets the job done.
A few minor complaints I got are that, I do feel a little dead space near the toe cap area and the outrigger is nearly non-existence on these but thanks to the large foot print of the forefoot area, it somewhat compensated for the lack of outrigger but still, if Adidas would have implemented an outrigger on these, the support would have been much better.
The straps you're seeing on both sides of the shoe are for as aesthetic only, they are glued on to the shoe, thus, providing no further lock down support even if you tighten the laces.
<< MATERIALS >> 7.5 / 10
No surprising tech and nothing premium on the materials being used here. The shoe is made out of mostly synthetic leather layering over each other and with stitch-in plastic mesh near the upper mid foot area & the lower part of the tongue. All the layers are not overly thick to keep the shoes light weight and flexible.
Personally, the materials used here and the layering method remind me a lot of the shoes that were made back in the 90's (Not a negative comment btw). Feels kind of nostalgic while wearing these. Remember, these are not retro shoes, the feeling is like back in time but not really, if that make any sense. =)
<< DURABILITY >> 8 / 10
The synthetic materials used on this shoe are not flimsy and the way it is constructed made the D Rose 773 IV a solid player when it comes to durability.
I would give an 8.5 rating it the outsole rubber is more durable for more outdoor play. But then again, only if you only play indoor, the durability of the outsole won't be an issue.
<< AESTHETICS >> 8 / 10
Like I have mentioned in the materials section, this shoe brings back memory of the 90's, including its style. Which is not necessary a bad thing.
For some reasons, when I was looking at the silhouette of this shoe & the colorway that I got, it reminds of the retro Jordan lineup somewhat, Jordan two, three & four (especially Jordan Four). =D
<< VENTILATION >> 8 / 10
With synthetic materials, you have to have perforation holes on them to allow air flow through, which Adidas didn't forget. There are a tons perforation holes throughout the entire toe cap area and with a huge mesh screen on both sides of the shoe; it is hard to have any issue with ventilation. My feet stays cool all game long in my experinece playing in them.
OVERALL SCORE: 8/10
*Have to mention this here, the performance per price is way high up there. I got this pair for $90 CDN tax included!