SoleCourt Boost Review & Playtest Notes
Whenever I run a playtest, it’s my goal to push the shoes in various scenarios to gain the most comprehensive understanding of their performance.
For this review, I took the adidas SoleCourt Boost on a two-mile coast run to gain a feel for the shoes’ comfort and weight. I also worked through a variety of agility and footwork drills to better understand their traction and stability.
Finally, I spent hours playing tennis on the court over two weeks to gauge their overall performance and form the basis of this review.
In the sections that follow, you’ll find my ratings of the shoes on a variety of criteria along with notes summarizing my thoughts.
Style 9.4
When it comes to style, the adidas SoleCourt Boost is one of my favorite tennis shoes. The materials used for the upper look and feel great, and they have a sleek profile.
I love the black colorway, and although they’re certainly not intended for daily wear, it’s one of the few tennis shoes that I think looks good on and off the court – especially when compared to some other models out there like the Asics Court FF 2, which feel out of place off the court.
Lacing 8.9
As far as lacing goes, it’s smooth and easy.
The tongue has some nice stretch to it, and it doesn’t bunch awkwardly. Plus, the metal eyelets allow the standard laces to pull through easily to achieve a snug fit without worrying about breaking an eyelet.
That might sound hard to do, but some players have experienced this issue with their lower-end models like the adidas CourtJam Bounce.
The only downside I stumbled across with lacing is replacing them if they break. A portion of the laces hide underneath the upper’s fabric, and there are two small loops you have to thread the laces through to help keep the forefoot snug, which can be a bit cumbersome.
It’s not a significant issue, but it’s hard to tell from any photos, so worth mentioning.
Comfort 9.2
In terms of comfort, the adidas SoleCourt Boost is excellent. Here are a few of the primary criteria I use to help gauge comfort:
- Shock absorption
- Form-fit
- Pressure points
Shock Absorption
The Boost midsole does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to shock absorption, and true to the claims, they provide a super comfortable ride that’s responsive, so my movement never felt hindered.
After each session on the court, my legs felt great, and I thought they were plenty comfortable on my two-mile coast run.
Form-Fit
As far as fit goes, the shoes do run a bit large, and they’re slightly wider up in the toe box, but honestly, I didn’t feel like I was swimming in them or wearing the wrong size.
It may take getting used to coming from a brand like Nike, which tend to fit snug as is with the Vapor X, but I didn’t have any issues with this.
If the extra room is problematic for you, make sure you synch the laces tight up toward the front. You may also consider wearing an extra pair of socks to fill out the shoes a bit more.
Pressure Points
I’m always on the lookout for awkward pressure points that can become problematic, but there weren’t any that I could detect over my two-week testing period, which gives me confidence in saying there is no break-in period required for these shoes.
Stability 8.8
As far as stability goes, the adidas SoleCourt Boost was solid.
They offer a wide base at the forefoot for excellent balance, and I was able to move through all of my agility and footwork drills with confidence.
Throughout my playtest, there was only one point at the baseline where I felt my ankle collapse slightly as a result of some poor footwork on my part. Luckily it wasn’t a recurring theme, but it happened, so I wanted to take note of it. Other than that, I felt like these shoes were super stable.
Traction 9.1
When it comes to traction, I didn’t have any issues.
They offer top-notch grip to provide sure footing for quick starts and stops. Early in my playtest, the shoes provided virtually no give when stopping, but they started to loosen up a bit in the second week of hitting with them as the outsole began to break in.
Durability 9.0
From a durability standpoint, the adidas SoleCourt Boost is fantastic.
The outsole held up super well, and there’s plenty of protection upfront to defend against toe-drags, so I expect these shoes to go the distance.
As for the upper, I questioned the efficacy of the RPU dots at protecting against brushes and scapes, but they appeared to hold up well, so there were no issues to report.
Weight 8.5
When it comes to weight, the SoleCourt Boost tip the higher end of the scales, but they didn’t put a noticeable drag on my movement.
They’re certainly not the fastest shoes out there, but unless that’s a high priority for you, I don’t think their weight should be a concern.
Ventilation 8.3
Perhaps one of the shoe’s most significant weaknesses comes with ventilation as there’s not much offered in terms of breathability or airflow to allow heat to escape.
When combined with the black colorway, the shoes tended to get a bit warm when the sun was out on a hot day, so I’d consider opting for a lighter colorway if you’ve had issues with overheating.
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