Adidas Dame X review

After thoroughly testing the Dame X, we believe it's a perfect match for:

• Newbie hoopers looking for an entry-level all-rounder.
• Players who are looking for the support-flexibility balance and traction levels of more expensive options.
• Anyone who needs an incredibly affordable and versatile basketball shoe.

If you're looking for an elite adidas hooper that will look after your feet and joints after every jump, the Harden Volume 10 and the Anthony Edwards 2 are definitely more suitable for the job. They feature a taller stack and scored higher results in both our shock absorption and energy return tests.

We would also advise against using this Lillard pair to play outdoors. But don't worry, we've already tested a bunch of streetball-approved hoopers!

After conducting our shock absorption test, we can only partially subscribe to adidas' claims that its Lightstrike foam is ready to protect our feet from all-day impact. The solid 104 SA score on the heel got unfortunately overshadowed by an underwhelming 62 SA result at the forefoot.

Even though we understand the unavoidable limitations of a budget version, we can't help but compare this downgraded setup to the previous version.

Even though Lillard is known for his wonderful speed, this latest shoe might not even be able to keep up!

With a lower 46.6% in the heel and a disappointing 47.9%, the X version has lost an important percentage of the 9's energy to push you through the zone defenders when you're driving aggressively to the basket. It's definitely not dead either, though. But just don't expect the extra bounciness of the Harden Volume 10.

At 28.7 mm, this shoe's heel stack is pretty much around our lab's current average. We can't say it features bottomless cushioning, but our rearfoot felt safe even if we post-played a little.

Conversely, we can't really say the same thing about the forefoot. With an 18.4 mm score on our caliper, our toes felt closer than usual to the court. This isn't necessarily bad, though! If you're looking for a quicker and more connected to the floor experience, you're gonna love it. On the other hand, if you usually deal with knee pain... it might not be the best setup for you.

After doing some maths, we've seen this shoe's drop has gone all the way up to 10.3 mm, easily surpassing not only the 7.7 mm of the previous version, but also the average. During our wear tests, this translated into a natural, forward pitch when we wanted to accelerate (like in a power layup, for example).

Speaking of which, its bottom-loaded shank also made us feel more stable and confident in such aggressive moves!

Our durometer Asker C returned a softer than average 35.9 AC when we pressed it against this adidas' Lightstrike foam.

Much like in the previous version, the more we played wearing this pair, the more comfortable it would get. But as the tool's reading is lower this time, we enjoyed a lovely forgiving feel even from day one.

Our personalized gel replica of this shoe's interiors came with both bad and good news.

On the one hand, it's gone almost 2 mm down in comparison to the Dame 9's, which makes it less suitable for hoopers who are looking for some extra room. On the other hand, this lower result makes them perfect for players who love a snug, close-fitting feel! Still, at 93.6 mm, it's still conveniently higher than our current lab average.

Our toes loved the fact that this adidas pair doesn't taper like crazy. Surpassing the average once again with its 70.8 mm, we didn't feel any kind of rubbing on our pinkie... not even on the very first day we put them on!

Adidas, we cannot even stress how grateful we are: thank you for the extra vertical volume! In the previous version of this pair, the toebox sat quite low.

Nevertheless, this one shows off a proud 24.5 mm, which translated into some so-longed wiggle room whenever we played.

The Dame X once again climbs up the traction ladder, leaving its older sibling behind. Offering a solid grip in indoor courts, we were pretty happy with its 0.72 score! Additionally, this improvement regarding traction even when it has become such a cheap shoe speaks volumes of its fantastic value.

The Dame X has decided to change its pattern, as it now features shorter lines in a solid-colored rubber (not translucent anymore), defying the never-ending debate of translucent outsole being grippier with its higher score on our previous traction test.

Even though it has lost its vertical heel flex groove, it still has the horizontal one dividing the forefoot and midfoot zones, which improves the overall flexibility.

When we took these hoopers out of their box, we thought they'd be as impossible to bend as their older siblings... but we were wrong! With a lower-than-average score of 19.9N on our machine, the Dame X was way more compliant. After a closer look at its upper, we believe this higher pliability might come from its new mesh panels.

Once we learned the Dame X had become a takedown model, we expected it to be even heavier. Nevertheless, once again, adidas didn't disappoint! Standing proud at 14.6 oz in a men's US size 9, it's heavier than average but maintains pretty much the same weight as its predecessor.

Still, if you're looking for a lighter signature shoe that also shows off its Three Stripes, having a look at the Issue 6 can't hurt (even though its 12.9 oz come with an unsurprisingly more expensive price tag, though).

Even though the X and the 9's uppers look really similar, the former features mesh gaps that we thought would improve ventilation, but... we were terribly wrong.

There was literally no smoke coming out of this Dame pair, which only validated how hot our feet felt during heated matches. Yep, you know it, a 1/5 in breathability it is!

Even though the brand claims its upper is engineered to offer breathability, our light test made us disagree even more. There are a couple of mesh areas that should improve air flow, yet that wasn't really what our feet felt.

Just look at how tightly woven this textile upper is... of course our toes would have a hard time breathing!

We are pretty happy with the X's lateral stability. It features a balanced, beginner-friendly setup that doesn't overdo it. In other words, we found it perfect for hoopers who are taking the first steps in this sport and run away from limiting, excessively rigid structures.

Also, despite the unfounded claims of Lillard tearing his Achilles tendon that circulate online, our thorough tests have shown NO evidence of it being this shoe's fault.

Following our evaluation regarding its lateral stability, this Dame pair showed an expectedly moderate result in our torsional rigidity test. At 17.7 Nm, it doesn't feature the stiffest design, adding some extra points to its already newbie-appealing features.

This structure and extra-padded heel didn't let our thumb and fingers bend or squeeze it much, earning a solid 4/5 in this test. Its support and the collar's double-layer padding came in handy when we had to finish in heavy traffic, as it helped our feet stay in place even if we had to bump into someone to score.

The Dame X's midsole width at the forefoot might not reach the crazy 120.1 mm of the Dame 9's, but its higher-than-average 117.8 mm create a perfectly stable landing base.

On the other hand, the wider midsole at the heel fits newer hoopers who are still learning landing mechanics like a glove. It erases any trace of instability after fighting for a rebound, as its 95.4 mm surpass the average by quite a bit.

As this model doesn't feature a premium setup anymore, the downgrade in the durability of its materials was nothing but expected. Still, despite having cheaper materials, it managed to score a not-that-bad 3/5 on our toebox durability test.

The heel padding also loses 1 point in durability compared to its predecessor, as it now scored a 3/5. We're still pretty happy with this result, as the extra interior lining promises a decent lifespan for a shoe at this price point.

When our tread gauge returned only 0.8 mm, we were absolutely flabbergasted. This wonderful result comes second to none, reassuring us that adidas did its best with the more affordable Dame X's outsole. In fact, it's actually almost on par with more expensive signature hoopers from the brand!

A thicker 3.6 mm outsole makes sure we're never short on bottom durability. Following its previous positive result on durability, we believe the brand could have used a thinner rubber layer to reduce the overall weight. Nevertheless, we find this slightly chunky rubber ideal for beginners who are looking forward to playing day and night.

That being said, we're far from recommending this pair to play outdoors, as abrasive surfaces would dangerously wear away the small lines of its pattern.

The Dame X features a regular foam insole that reaches 3.7 mm at the heel.

If you need or want to, you can change this insole and its low-key design to one of your liking.

Even though we're well aware that reflective elements are only for the expensive pairs, we almost got teary-eyed when we saw the Dame X lose its shiny privileges in comparison to the previous version.

The extremely thin tongue of this shoe most likely aimed to reduce its overall weight. When we measured it, our caliper returned only 4.5 mm. But don't worry, this didn't jeopardize the comfortable fit this shoe offers, as we didn't have to deal with any lice bite!

The Dame X loses the bootie-fit of its predecessors, now featuring a two-sided semi-gusseted tongue that didn't fall short in containment.

The tongue wasn't the only piece that lost some material to get a more cost-effective design. This X pair doesn't have a finger loop anymore, but as it also let the bootie structure go, our feet had plenty of space to get in, so we didn't really feel like that extra aid was needed.

One of the most attractive aspects and a key feature of this hooper is its incredibly affordable price. Even though it unavoidably had to make some notable sacrifices to reach this incredibly tempting price point, this new takedown pair has proved time and time again throughout our tests that it's an ideal match for beginners!