Adidas basketball has been on a serious run as of late! Will the 9s keep the streak alive for top hoop shoes, or will these take a step back??
What is going on my fellow hoopers?? AirJayP here, and we are back with another performance review for you. As you have already figured out we are going to be talking about those Harden vol. 9's. This is not a comparison review, but I loved the 7's and 8's. I had nothing but high hopes for these. Let's dive in and find out how the 9's performed for me on court!
Fit: 2/5
We are going to start here, and as you can tell from the score a little disappointed with the fit, but there is better to come. Let me start by saying I went down half as I did with the 7's and 8's. The construction of the shoe with the internal bootie system is similar to those models as well. The fit was just not on par for me. The sneaker fit was super long, and it did hinder my performance in some ways. The biggest issue for me was blisters due to some movement within the toe area sliding within the shoe. You are going to want to have the correct sizing to get proper performance with these. I am not sure if my pair may have been flawed or maybe just an issue with this CW in general. With that being said I could have gone a complete size down and had better results with the fit. I am going to recommend trying them on first, as I do not normally recommend a full-size down for any shoe with everyone's fit being a little different. Possibly down the line I will pick up another pair and try for a better fit, because with that I know I would have loved these.
Cushion: 4/5
The cushion was an aspect that I really liked or enjoyed. For the actual tech, it features a Boost midsole mixed with Lightstrike cushioning. If we are going to talk about the "feel" we are talking about a great mix of cushion, court feel, and responsiveness. I had a great low-to-the-ground feel, but also a cushion that was going to keep me playing as long as I wanted. The responsiveness was also great and something I was impressed with considering the mid-plush feel that these offered. This is one of those setups that for me personally is basically the perfect mix of the main 3 cushion aspects in my opinion. With that being the actual cushion/comfort, along with the court feel, and responsiveness. I am going to try not to say this with every aspect, but had I gotten a better fit, they may have worked even better for me than they did. I had no issues from the cushion standpoint, and it was definitely a bright spot for me with these!
Materials: 4/5
The materials with the Harden 9 were lightweight, comfortable on foot, breathable, and offered me no real issues from a performance standpoint. The one lone issue that will bother some with this particular CW would be the toe box creasing. I will say even after just the first time out in these they looked as if I had played in them for months. The upper is made up of synthetic and textile materials, while the internal bootie system is a knit. The upper on the "Cyber Metallic" pair that I have almost feels like a soft shell that gives me old-school Kobe Adidas basketball vibes. I, really like the look of the materials in hand, and aesthetically think it is a great-looking shoe on court. When talking about the internal knit area where your foot will be is very comfortable on foot and has a very comparable feel on foot to the 7's and 8s for me. The materials were an area that I enjoyed on the 9's and as mentioned previously the creasing will bother some, but I do not think this same upper will be on all pairs of this sneaker. Just know with these if that bothers you aesthetically, then you may want to grab a different cw with a different upper. Strictly performance though, you are good to go with these!
Traction: 3/5
Moving right along here, the traction was an area that wasn't perfect but worked pretty well most of the time. I did get quite a bit of dust pickup with these, and I do believe the grip/bite was better on the 7's & 8's. I had thought these would perform somewhat better than they did, but they do get the job done. The aspect that kind of surprised me though was that I felt better laterally traction-wise in these than I did vertically. Normally I feel the issue would be the opposite. My sizing issue could have played a role in this, where the sneaker did fit me long, but I just don't think these offered the same bite as the most recent previous pairs and I do feel the traction could have performed better for me. You can get great performance out of these traction-wise if the court is clean and for the most part a taken care of court. If you get on some dusty courts though, these may offer you a few issues and need for some extra wiping for sure.
Lockdown: 4/5
The lockdown on the 9's is very good in my opinion and an area that can also be compared to the 7's & 8's. Once inside the internal bootie-type system, you are going to feel nice and locked in from heel to toe. The heel counter offers minimal movement, but in a good way as in you are super locked in. On lateral movements, I didn't notice my foot moving around, and I felt contained at all times. I have to mention this, but with correct sizing, this would be corrected. The area where I had a problem was movement within the toe box area. A little before the midfoot-to-the-toe area is where the most movement was. Once again with correct sizing, I do feel this would be corrected. The lacing system does help wrap the upper around your foot and the internal system. The sneakers will stretch some internally, but basically in a good way as it lets your foot form to the materials. The 7's & 8's I liked from a lockdown standpoint and they actually surpassed my expectations. These were no different, and had my sizing been more proper I have no doubt these would have been a 5/5 from a lockdown standpoint.
Overall: 3/5
This is one of those pairs/reviews that I want to give a higher score because I actually really liked these and have had a ton of fun playing in them. The problem for me is just that sizing, and somewhat of the traction. I try and test almost all of the signature sneakers, and there are so many now that it's almost one and done for each one to get onto the next. This is a pair I would like to try again in a different size and see if the results in those categories differ. If not though, my biggest advice which I have said probably too many times at this point is to get your correct sizing. If you do that, I do think you will have a great time playing in these. The cushion was definitely the strongest point for me, and a feel that I hope Adidas keeps bringing on these basketball models. The lockdown was also another key feature and one that just works very well for me on court. Aesthetically you are getting a futuristic-looking basketball shoe, but one that also turns heads and just looks great on court. Traction-wise, I feel came up a little short, but I am looking for top-tier traction on my hoop shoes, and sometimes can be a little harsh in that category. The dust pickup will bother some, but every aspect cannot be perfect. If it were, then that would be the shoe I want to play in! Overall the Harden Vol. 9 is much of the same as the 7 & 8 and that is not a bad thing.
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