AE 2 Performance Review

The AE2 is up for review already! Crazy to think how fast time flies! I remember seeing initial images of the 1 and thinking.. Man! These are going to be sweet! Speaking of the 1's, will the 2's live up to my previous basketball shoe of the year last year?? Let's find out!!

How is everyone doing?? AirJayP is back and with another performance review for you. Today, up next for you is the Adidas AE2 or Anthony Edwards second signature sneaker. If you have followed me for a while, you know I absolutely loved the 1's. There are some similarities, some things I prefer, and others not so much. Let's break it down and see how they performed for me on court!

Traction: 4/5

Very similar feel to the 1's in my opinion from a traction standpoint, and that isn't a bad thing. I may have honestly felt a little more grip or bite out of these. I had no issues traction-wise and felt it was a stronger point to the shoe for me. I have heard several complaints about dust pickup with these. I am pretty lucky, as most courts I play on are usually pretty dust-free. I will say, though, they did pick up some dust, and I could see where it may be an issue if the court were very dirty. I was able to get to my spots and stop/cut as I would like in these. They offered me no setbacks from a traction standpoint. I actually took these outdoors as well, and the traction was great as well as durable. The durability actually surprised me, and the outsole doesn't even look as if I have played in them outdoors. For me, traction was no issue and probably my most liked part of the shoe. This could mean some bad is coming..

Fit: 3/5

The fit was an area that may not hinder everyone, but every time an Adidas pair has what I am calling the V-shape heel, it gives me some issues. This could probably be grouped in with the lockdown, which we will get into later, so I will keep it brief here. This area always gives me some slipping in the heel. Size up, down, tts, it doesn't really matter, the heel just gives me trouble with this shape. I went with my usual 11 or half size down, and I was good with the length and width of the shoe. The 100 percent positive, though, and the complete opposite of the 1 is the ease of putting these on compared to the 1. With the 1, that was about my only complaint was how tough they were to get onto your foot. With these, you will have no issues from that standpoint. For my recommendation, I would say go with your normal Adidas basketball shoe sizing, and you will be good to go. If the heel counter that is similar to some other models gives you trouble, you may want to give these a try in store or in person first to see if the feel will work for you.

Cushion: 3/5

We have a lower top model here that definitely gives you a low-to-the-ground feel. Am I saying this is bad? Nope, I have actually come to prefer this even over a mid or high. Is there a lot of court feel with these? Yes, there sure is, and honestly, maybe even a little too much. When I say that, though, it isn't that I am not looking for the court feel, as that is what I prefer. I am looking for that fine line of almost a feel of cushion mixed with a max court feel. These gave me the court feel, but really no cushion. The shoe features Light Boost and Lightstrike cushioning. Boost for basketball shoes more times than not is usually too plush for me, but on occasion, when taken down or mixed with heavy response, I will love it! Let's just say here it is not a normal boost feel. I just do not feel much cushion period with these. You will get some bounce/response from the propulsion plate, but you are already getting so much court feel that the bounce is not heavily noticed, in my opinion. Basically, it just cancels out. If you are looking for a court feel heavy shoe, you are going to like the setup. If you are looking for a very plush type feel or even more of a Harden shoe type feel.. These will not be it for you. For me, in short, I love the court feel, but I wish there was a little bit more of a cushioned feel within. Definitely a setback from the 1's.

Materials: 3/5

The materials are much of the same from the 1's, but switched around with a little less of this or that here and there and vice versa. We have a synthetic and textile upper with some knit and mesh areas. The soft shell area that was heavily used on the 1's has been cut down and used less, which I think, from feel, has actually made the sneaker a little bit lighter. The mesh/knit areas do offer more breathability in my opinion, which is a nice plus. In many ways, I prefer the placement of materials with the 1's better, but I do think the materials overall do change the performance in a positive way for the 2's. The ankle/collar area is nicely padded and feels very nice on foot. The internal lining is also very comfortable and feels great on foot as well. The tongue is soft, but somewhat thin and for whatever reason, which I haven't been able to pinpoint, this area makes the top of my foot hurt after playing in these. I am not sure if the tongue just isn't padded enough, and the laces are just tightly lying on the top of my foot and rubbing or what the main issue is. My only other real complaint is the tongue type/placement. You know those tongues that you basically have to lay on your foot where you want it, and then lace the sneaker up to keep the tongue in place there? Yeah, these are like that. Not really something I like or prefer, but once you get it to your liking, you are good to go, unless you tie/untie your shoes a lot. With that being said, as mentioned previously, there are some good and bad here with the materials.. It will most likely be a preference thing for you.

Lockdown: 5/5

Now with the lockdown on these... I really couldn't have asked for anything better for my liking. I know I mentioned earlier that the traction may be the strongest point.. I may retract my words here, as we have a close second either way you want to go. Remember earlier when I mentioned in the fit about how the V-shape heel gives me some slippage issues? That is very true, but once I got these laced up to my liking and got on court, I could barely notice it. It was only if I had them loose. No blisters after playing on my heel, which is a usual occurrence with this type of shoe shape. Moving on to the propulsion plate, which helped a ton with torsional support. I also like how they used the materials/design of the upper to help with the lockdown or support. What they are calling the Articulated Fangs, which can easily be seen as one of the main details of the upper, gives you containment within no matter which direction you are going side to side. The containment within was very good, and kept me feeling good at all times on court. Whether I was driving to the hoop or cutting back-door, the lockdown was never an issue for me.

Break In Period: 2/5

This is an area I usually do not mention, but it may be something I do more of going forward, as with these, it was very important. It was somewhat difficult for me to get these broken in. I was quick to almost give up on them together, but they do get much better over time. It was a longer break in time than I am used to, but with that being said, be patient with these and give them their due time. They will get better each time out or with each wear.

Overall: 3/5

Man.. I really had some super high expectations for these. So much so that it may have been too high for them to even live up to. When I say I loved the 1's, they were not only my favorite basketball sneaker of last year, but one for the last several seasons as well. I am going into the 2's thinking they are going to top that. Sometimes that just doesn't happen. That doesn't mean these are a bad basketball shoe, as they definitely are not. You are getting a solid, rounded hoop shoe, but preferences will determine how good they are for you. The cushion, let's be honest, was pretty weak if you are looking for any kind of real comfort. Court feel?? You are king! The lockdown was great, and the traction even offered me no real, true issues. Mix that all together, and you are getting a solid hoop shoe if that is your preference. I had fun testing and playing in these. Who knows, with all the great CWs coming out, I may even have to try another pair sooner than later.

Thank You For Checking Out This Review On The AE2!!

Have A Great Week & As Always Happy Hooping!