Adidas Harden Volume 10 review

The Adidas Harden Volume 10 is likely to be your perfect match if:

• you prioritise a stable, planted, and well-supported ride
• you want maximum outsole traction
• you have medium-to-narrow feet and prefer a one-to-one fit

If you like the support and traction of this Adidas hoop shoe, but can't begin to imagine squeezing your foot into its narrow upper, consider the Adidas D.O.N. Issue 7 instead.

And if the Harden Volume 10's tough shell makes you feel claustrophobic, try the Nike KD 18, with its more open, airy upper design.

Like the previous Harden shoe, the Volume 10 relies on a familiar full-length Lightboost midsole for cushioning. Our lab tests showed virtually no difference in the two shoes' shock absorption, recording 105 SA in the heel and 65 SA in the forefoot.

That's a standard level of impact protection for a basketball shoe, which is neither too cushy nor too low to the ground.

However, we did see a small improvement in the Harden Volume 10's energy return, reaching 64.6% in the heel and 67.0% in the forefoot. But even though it's just a few percent more, it was enough to take this Adidas kick to the higher league!

The shoe's midsole feels nice and propulsive on first steps, layups, and jump shots, especially after a small break-in period.

The Harden Volume 10's heel stack stayed below the average, and even got 1.7 mm lower than the v9. Showing 26.0 mm on our caliper, it puts the foot pretty close to the ground, offering a rather pronounced court feel.

Its forefoot stack also sits slightly below the average at 20.0 mm, offering better proprioception and control.

The difference in stack heights results in a moderate heel-to-toe drop of 6.0 mm. You can barely feel the heel elevation here as the foot sits almost parallel with the floor. This also grants a more planted experience.

Pressing an Asker C durometer against the Volume 10's Lightboost foam, we saw no difference in softness compared to the previous version.

At 38.2 AC, it is still a moderately firm compound that feels similar to most other hoop shoe midsoles.

We had issues with the snug fit of the previous Adidas Harden shoe, and the same complaints remained in the Volume 10.

Having created one-to-one gel molds of both shoes' interiors, we used a digital caliper to measure them precisely. And it seems like both shoes were built on the same last, as we got narrow, below-average readings in both.

The widest part of the Harden Volume 10 measures only 89.4 mm, and with no wide versions available, this Adidas shoe is a no-go for wide feet.

The new edition also remained overly tapered, measuring only 65.5 mm at the big toe. This is notably narrower than the average.

What's worse, the shoe's vertical space also decreased significantly!

The new TPU shell sits closer to the toes, leaving a toebox height of only 20.9 mm. Again, below the average for basketball shoes.

It's like Adidas heard our grievances about the previous shoe's mediocre traction and gave it more focus in the Harden Volume 10. Because this time around, we recorded some of the highest friction coefficients in a hoop shoe! At 0.84, it offers a nice and grabby, elite kind of grip on hardwood.

The brand reimagined the shoe's circular tread pattern by making it simpler yet more effective. The pivot points were made much smaller and limited to the center of the shoe's heel and forefoot areas. Its treadlines, on the other hand, were made slightly wider and toothier.

The thicker, bulkier shell of the Harden Volume 10 makes it look much stiffer than the v9. Especially if you look at how its sidewalls bunch up upon flexion.

However, our stiffness test showed the opposite.

The Volume 10 requires a bit less force to bend by 30 degrees (20.8N) than the v9 did (23.3N). However, it's still a fairly stiff shoe, keeping the ride propulsive and supportive. Yet a bit of forefoot flex is beneficial for a more comfortable in-shoe experience and better footwork control.

Unfortunately, the Harden Volume 10 gained some tangible weight over its predecessor, reaching 15.3 oz (434g) in a men's US size 9. That makes it heavier than the basketball shoe average and on par with shoes like the Nike LeBron 23.

This is not the best option if you expect at least some ventilation in your basketball shoes.

Its sock-like spandex bootie wrapped in a tough TPU shell allows no air circulation and is pretty bad at managing heat and moisture inside the shoe.

Examining the perforations on top of the shoe's toebox confirmed that they are merely cosmetic.

That's a major step back from the Volume 9, where the same perforations allowed smoke to rush straight out of the shoe.

We only added an extra breathability point because some smoke escaped through the shoe's tongue, making it 2 out of 5.

Much like the previous Harden Volume shoes, the v10 kept our feet firmly contained inside its sturdy shell. There was not a hint of wobbling on cuts, crossovers, and shuffles as our feet felt sucked into the shoe.

Aside from the visible external structure, this Adidas shoe also packs some essential internal support in the form of a midfoot shank.

All of these supportive components elevate the Harden Volume 10's torsional rigidity, preventing any unwanted foot and ankle rolling.

Assessing its stiffness on a 1-5 scale in our manual test, we readily gave it the maximum 5/5.

The shoe's sturdy TPU shell extends far back to the heel, doubling as a supportive heel counter. The structure it forms is so unyielding that we instantly gave it a maximum stiffness score of 5/5.

We were also pleased to find that the shoe's conforming cuff and generous collar padding prevent it from feeling too harsh against the heel and Achilles.

The platform width of this Adidas hoop shoe is moderate and close to the category average. But it offers a sufficient forefoot outrigger for steady side-to-side moves at 111.8 mm.

The widest part of its heel is also close to the average at 91.8 mm, offering a reliable landing base.

Durability is the least of our worries in the Harden Volume 10, as the shoe is built like a tank. Putting the top of its toebox to our Dremel test resulted in moderate wear, so we gave it a solid toebox durability score of 3 out of 5.

The shoe's inner bootie didn't disappoint either, remaining practically unscathed after the drilling session. That earned it a high heel padding durability score of 4 out of 5.

The outsole rubber of this Adidas shoe also stood up to the challenge, developing a rather shallow dent from the Dremel tip. At 0.9 mm, it is normal wear for a basketball shoe.

Our caliper also confirmed that the shoe's outsole has a solid thickness of 4.0 mm. Paired with the rubber's high abrasion resistance, it promises excellent longevity on hardwood.

However, we would refrain from using the Adidas Harden Volume 10 on the outdoor courts if you want to keep its treadlines and grip intact for longer.

The shoe packs just a standard foam insole with a regular thickness of 3.9 mm in the heel area.

The insole comes with James Harden's personal touch. It is easily removable but can be tricky to replace with a custom orthotic, given its narrow toebox fit.

The heel patches with Three Stripes are mildly reflective in the dark.

The shoe's tongue padding is kept to a minimum with a below-average thickness of 5.7 mm.

Most of the foam appears to be centered in the shoe's heel collar.

The Volume 10 inherits an internal bootie design from the previous Adidas Harden shoes. It creates a highly secure, sock-like containment that prevents any undesirable in-shoe shifting and sliding.

The downside of this design, however, lies in its troublesome on-and-off.

But thankfully, we get two finger loops to assist with that.

The Adidas Harden Volume 10 hasn't seen a price increase in years, and we appreciate that approach. And because v10 is a bit of a win-some, lose-some update to v9, we wouldn't be excited about a higher price tag.