Possibly the most comfortable hoop shoe from this past/current season models. Is Adidas on top of the basketball sneaker world right now??
What is going on everyone?? AirJayP is back once again and we are going to talk about how the Harden Vol. 8 performed for me on court. Not to ruin the surprise here, but these are in my current top 3 models to play in. Another Adidas model is within that top 3 as well. I think they are onto something, and the game has been changed for the time being. There are a lot of good hoop shoes out there right now, and many brands bringing the heat. It does not feel one-sided anymore, and I love to see the variety that is out there right now! Let's go ahead and jump right into the Harden Vol. 8, and see what we got!
Traction: 4
I've said many times that traction is what I really want to be the strongest point of my basketball sneakers. You have a very solid option here with the traction setup. The outsole on the pair I reviewed features a solid rubber outsole that I love the look of. You have some herringbone, radial patterns, and different designs/grooves running down the midfoot that visually almost give a translucent outsole vibe to the eye. How did they feel on court? truly, they offered me hardly any issues. On a dusty court, there was a little sliding and picking up of dust, but nothing that I couldn't deal with. On a clean court, they were nearly perfect for me. I was able to get to my spots, start and stop on a dime, as well as felt very good laterally and vertically on court at all times. I have played in some really good pairs with great traction setups lately. These I may be even being a little harsh on while in comparison to some of those. Overall you are getting a very solid sneaker from a traction standpoint.
Fit: 4
The fit, I am going to say wasn't an issue for me as I am pretty much used to or know what to get with my Adidas sizing. Most, if not every time that is half a size down, and occasionally I might even go a full size down due to the length of their sneakers. With these going down half worked out great for me. I felt had I gone tts I wouldn't have gotten the same performance out of the shoe. With half down, I had no slipping within the sneaker and felt nice and locked in at all times. I am recommending half down or whatever size you would normally go with your Adidas sneakers.
Materials: 5
The materials were an area that I liked and thought the feel on foot made them very comfortable. The sneaker is overall not the lightest, so in contrast I felt as if they went with comfort instead of lightweight. You have a textile upper with a sock or bootie-like interior and a nice touch on the toe with a leather panel that is super soft. The textile area is not that breathable, but within the sock-like interior, it is very breathable on court as well as ventilation on the lateral and medial side of the shoe. The materials were very durable for me while playing in them, and I had no issues at all from that standpoint. When putting these on in my opinion the first thing you will notice is soft and comfortable. We will get into the cushion in a minute so try to only visualize materials. They feel very nice on foot, and I thought the feel was fairly similar to the 7's, but a nice upgrade in my opinion. I don't think you will be disappointed from a materials standpoint on court in these.
Cushion: 5
This is a category that is sometimes complex because we are all kind of looking for a different setup within our basketball shoes. The needs of each person/player can be very different. For me, I usually prefer court feel, but every once in a while a soft/plush sneaker I really like. Let me tell you, these are THEM! The Vol. 8 features a boost midsole along with full-length JETBOOST cushioning. This setup is very comfortable on foot and offers significant cushion, but it is responsive. That is one thing that really surprised me is that when I initially tried them on I thought I might not like them due to the cushion being a little soft. After playing in them and getting the response I did, I was very happy. These are some of those basketball shoes I could wear casually, to the gym, out to the movies, whatever you are doing as they feel so good and comfortable on foot, but give everything you need on court as well. I was thoroughly impressed with the cushion setup, and once again these are in my opinion the most comfortable basketball sneakers I have played in from this past season/current season models. (exclude starting with the KD 17 as I consider that the new season)
Lockdown: 5
The lockdown was another strong point or feature of the shoe. The shoe has nice heel/ankle stability and a nice outrigger to help with tipping on court. I would compare the setup to the 7's quite a bit and almost identical to the feel while playing in these. With this type of setup within this shoe in all aspects, I could see the lockdown not being that strong of an aspect with these, but they got it right once again here. A fairly simple lockdown setup here, that works out well because all other aspects come in so strong the mix of all categories together gives you a great locked-in feel on court.
Overall: 5
I feel like I have given out quite a few really high scores on reviews here recently, but that is not because they are not deserved. These once again were just an absolute blast to play in. I really can't give or bring one real solid complaint these gave me. If I wanted to play an entire season in this model or just wanted to settle in on one sneaker for a while on court, these could be it. I really liked how comfortable they were, and mix that in with a solid traction setup and lockdown, what else could you be looking for? I remember loving the Vol. 7's as well, and they were one of my favorites from last season's models. Adidas picked up right where they left off, and brought another solid model here. I hope this continues with this line, and from mock-ups/images on the Vol. 9 I think they are going to. Back to the 8/s though.. If you liked the 7's, and want an upgraded 7 with an even more comfortable feel give these a go. If you didn't try the 7's, and you are looking for a very comfortable all around basketball sneaker then definitely give these a look! Oh, and if you are a lefty like me, you will automatically get more buckets in these..
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