Adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low review

The Anthony Edwards 1 Low should definitely be part of your collection if:

• You want something super supportive and with unobstructed ground feel to go for precise and controlled moves.
• You're looking for a very durable and solid hooper to rock on indoor and outdoor courts.
• You prioritize traction and stability when you play basketball.

The solid and supportive structure of the Anthony Edwards 1 Low is not the easiest on foot, as it comes with a substantial break-in period. Its upper materials don't really give in... at all. Just in case that wasn't enough, it also features firm cushioning, an underfoot X plate, and a thick shank. So yeah, this Adidas pair doesn't feel like a cloud! If that's what you're looking for, the Nike G.T. Cut Academy might be a great alternative. It features a soft and bouncy midsole, and its supportive materials don't really require a bad break-in period. In our experience, it was just some warm-up!

This pair also feels quite heavy. Which is a shame, actually, as it has the perfect design for quicker players. If you're looking for a nimble hooper, here you have the basketball shoes we've reviewed that have made it into the lightweight category.

At 29.1 mm, this Adidas heel stack is just average. During our wear tests, it didn't feel like a high shoe that would separate us from the court. In fact, it was quite the opposite! Its lower sole offered us some extra ground feel for quicker and more aggressive moves.

The toe area follows the same idea. Our caliper returned 19.5 mm when we measured it, which is slightly lower than average. We found this set-up pretty convenient for quick guards who like to dribble their way into the paint, as we felt in control of our moves and pretty stable overall.

As both the heel and the forefoot stack heights are quite low to the ground, the Anthony Edwards 1 Low doesn't have a high drop. Once we had done our math, we realized it's just 7.5 mm, which is actually quite low. This means the rearfoot won't feel super high, but rather on a closer level to the toes.

This Adidas features 2 types of cushioning: a Lightstrike carrier foam and Lightboost at the heel and forefoot. Measuring the latter, our durometer returned 31.0 HA, which is firmer than average. Our experience during the wear tests totally matches this result, as we can't say this hooper feels soft underfoot.

As we were saying, the Anthony Edwards 1 Low feels quite firm. Following our experience playing basketball whilst wearing it, we realized it focused more on ground feel and stability. Consequently, we didn't really feel much bounce or plushness from it.

The carrier Lightstrike midsole scored 36 HA on our durometer, which once again is harder than average. Just don't expect a couple of clouds underfoot!

This Adidas pair features a thin and standard insole. We don't have much to say about it, it's just 4.2 mm thick and pretty simple.

During our wear tests, we felt the Anthony Edwards 1 Low pressed our toes... quite a lot, to be honest.

To know more about this, we created a gel mold of its toebox. First, we measured its width on the widest part of the toebox, where our caliper returned 99.3 mm. This result is way wider than average, which is great news, as we had a problem with the very tip of the shoe; yet the rest felt great!

When we measured the width of the toebox at the big toe, our caliper returned 67.6 mm. This score is lower than average, which means there's no space for your toes to happily wiggle around.

We believe our standard-width feet wouldn't have had any problems with this if it wasn't for the tight rubberized overlayer right on the toes. In our experience, this area needs a good break-in, as it was pretty constrictive during our first uses.

According to our caliper and experience, this Adidas pair sits pretty low on the toes. Its 23.1 mm plus the rubberized toeguard we've just mentioned make it pretty tight, so it might not be the best choice for hoopers who like that extra space on the toe area.

The lateral stability of the Anthony Edwards 1 Low is pretty neat. Despite being the low-top version, our feet felt supported and the containment was great overall. Its solid materials offered us some extra confidence to give our all on the court, as we never felt we were losing control even if we jumped for a rebound in traffic or were hit mid-air on a fast break layup.

The wonderful lateral stability of this Adidas pair also comes thanks to its solid upper. It's made using rubberized materials that offer wonderful containment and torsional rigidity. As you can see in the video below, there was no way on Earth for us to be able to twist this shoe, so we gave it a perfect 5/5 on our torsional rigidity test.

The heel also felt like a wall. Even though we tried really hard to push it with our thumbs, it just wouldn't give in! This is because it features an external and internal counter that offered great support to our rearfoot, so we didn't really experience any kind of heel slippage.

The 115.3 mm base of this Adidas hooper at the forefoot offered safe and stable landings even after unsteady jumpshots. Even though it's an average score, it felt just right to us, so we played confidently in every single game.

The heel felt more roomy, but with the stiffness and double counter, we never felt like it was too much. Our caliper returned 94.1 mm, which means there was plenty of space for our feet to land comfortably after every jump. Even though our advice is to always try and land with your forefoot, sometimes the heel just touches the court first!

This Adidas offers great support in general, but this comes with a price: stiffness. It scored 46.6N on our flex test, which is higher than average. This doesn't only mean it features more rigid materials, but also that it needs some break-in. In fact, we had to play in it more than a couple of times to make it bend alongside our feet comfortably.

But that's not all, as the Anthony Edwards 1 Low also features a strong and thick bottom shank that offers wonderful underfoot support. This piece contributes to the overall stiff feel of the shoe, too.

When we played ball with this pair we felt safe and sound, yet not very fast. Even though its low profile and solid design is great for quick players, we do believe there's a breaking point here: the weight.

When we took the Anthony Edwards 1 Low to our lab, our scale marked 15.77 oz/447g, which is significantly higher than average. Thanks to our experience, we can also say this shoe feels kind of clunky on foot. So, if you're looking for something quick, this ain't it!

We could see the light shine easily through this shoe's upper, as it's designed using a porous mesh covered by a rubberized material with hive-like ventilation holes.

Even though this promised great breathability, we don't jump into conclusions until we perform our smoke test. To our surprise, and as you can see in the video below, the tongue was the one that let the air out!

In comparison to the Nike G.T. Hustle 3 (on the right) and its perfect score, this Adidas pair couldn't really do much. Even though it felt pretty hot after playing for a while, it wasn't so bad. That's why we decided to give it a 3/5 on breathability.

This design promised great airflow, which is the main reason why it's so important to perform more than one lab test regarding breathability. Playtests are also just as crucial, as we get a lot of information from personal experience alone!

Luckily for the Adidas Anthony Edwards 1 Low, our Dremel had to face a protective layer before it could get to the black (and flimsier) upper material. At 5K RPM and with 2N of force, it couldn't get past this armor, but it obliterated it all. Mixing both these facts, we decided to give this hooper a 4/5 on our toebox durability test.

Even though it didn't have any protective layers, the heel left us open-mouthed after our Dremel test. We didn't change any parameters to perform it, so the material also had to face the tool at 5K RPM and with 2N of force. After such a great performance, we decided to give it a solid 4/5 on our heel padding durability test.

To measure the outsole hardness, we put the shoe upside-down and pressed our durometer against it. It returned 81.6 HC, which is an average score. Consequently, this Adidas should offer a healthy mix of durability and traction.

Confirming our previous hypothesis, this hooper showed great durability on our Dremel test. This time at 10K RPM but with the same 2N of force, the tool only managed to leave a 0.8 mm dent on the Anthony Edwards 1 Low's outsole. We were really happy with it, as it meant this hooper can deal with abrasive courts. Even though it might not last forever, this means you can try it to play streetball!

After verifying how durable this shoe's rubber outsole is, we understood why the brand didn't go for a thicker piece. At 4.3 mm, our caliper marked the Anthony Edwards 1 Low's outsole is just average. Even though it was clearly not enough, we believe it's a good move to reduce the overall weight of this hooper.

This Adidas pair features a traditional herringbone pattern with a spily structure throughout the whole outsole. As you can see, there are also many flex grooves that show a red (in this colorway) piece in the shape of an X.

So... remember we were saying this pair felt really stiff on foot? Well, that crimson cross is just another reason why! This X plate definitely needs some break-in too, which is the price to pay for all the underfoot support it provides.

In any case, regarding traction, the Anthony Edwards 1 Low felt superb. We really enjoyed it, as it bit the floor even if it was an outdoor court and/or dusty. We always wipe the outsoles of our hoopers anyway, though... just a baller's old habit. But with this pair we didn't actually need to, as its grip didn't lose power.

After thoroughly analyzing this shoe, we can say the Anthony Edwards 1 Low comes full of positive features for a quite low cost. It's pretty close to budget models, but just in terms of price, as it definitely does not feel like one. Just because of its incredibly durable structure, we do believe this Adidas pair is absolutely worth a try.

Even though we're not talking about a premium-priced hooper, it does feature a premium detail that usually comes with more expensive shoes. Just look at the video below to guess what we're talking about. What a nice and shiny touch!

At only 5.5 mm, this tank of a shoe has a pretty thin tongue. Once again, we believe this is a good decision from the brand in order to reduce the overall weight; and even though it wasn't enough to make this pair fit into the lightweight category, we didn't have to deal with any lace bite or uncomfortable rubbing. So... not bad, Adidas!

Apart from the new open lacing system, this hooper also features a finger loop at the heel that helped us a lot to put it on and off. So it was easier for us to deal with its stiff and solid structure!

As we've mentioned before, this Adidas has a simple and standard insole. But the good thing is that it's removable, so in case you need some extra support, you can always change it.

Just bear in mind that this hooper's fit is not the most spacious and it also has a tight structure! It just won't give it. Consequently, if you opt for a super plush orthotic, it might feel too cramped.