Our verdict

A blast from the past that's ready to last! That could be the slogan of the classic 1998 Ozweego. We loved every step in this plush and wide companion, as it kept us on our feet and walking all day long. Its retro vibe, combined with some futuristic details the brand has been adding throughout the years, made us completely fall in love with it. In our lab, we discovered it has kept some of Adidas' best technologies, as well as the big and loud vibe the Ozweegos are known for. Stylish, roomy, lightweight and, on top of it, affordable. This Adidas Originals official member is just a 10 out of 10!

Pros

  • Unbelievably comfortable
  • Long-lasting outsole
  • Surprisingly lightweight
  • Great for all-day wear
  • Very stable and ideal for wide feet
  • 90's retro vibe with futuristic details
  • Compliment magnet
  • Lots of colorways
  • Budget-friendly

Cons

  • Lack of quality materials
  • Not the most breathable

Audience verdict

95
Superb!

Who should buy

Apart from chunky lovers and 90's style fans, you should also go for the Ozweego if you are:

  • Looking for a lightweight and comfortable pal to stand or walk around all day long.
  • In need of a stylish and affordable pair that is ready to break some necks.
  • A Yeezy vibe enthusiast, but you don't wanna spend all your savings (just yet).
  • A wide feet person who loves the extra room and stability.

Who should NOT buy

Honestly, we couldn't find many cons for this shoe!

But, as its not the most breathable pair out there, let us give you some other options. If you're looking for something stylish you can wear in summer's hottest days, go for the well-ventilated New Balance 237. If you're a hardcore Adidas fan, then we believe the Adidas Stan Smith should work as well.

If you need some new kicks with a classic style and a retro vibe that are made with durable materials, we think you should check any of the 3 big S: the Adidas Samba, the Adidas Spezial, or the Adidas Superstar.

Adidas Ozweego 6

Breathability

When we review shoes, we make sure we tell you in which seasons you should wear them. Some of them should stay in your wardrobe when Mariah Carey is everywhere, and some others shouldn't see the light when the Summertime Sadness hits.

To see how well-ventilated the Adidas Ozweego is, we pumped it full of smoke. Our main purpose is to check how much of it the shoe lets out.

As you can see in the video, at the beginning the smoke only escapes from the tongue. Nevertheless, right at the end, you can see the toebox actually letting some air out too.

Thus, we rated it as a 3 on a 1 to 5 scale where 5 is the most breathable. This is an average score, which means you can enjoy these big boys all year round. Nevertheless, it might be too toasty on really hot days, and an ice cube on very cold ones. Keep it in mind!

As that last bit of the video was a really nice surprise for us, we decided to check the shoe's upper transparency. As you can see, it was all in vain, as there are no ventilation holes at all.

Adidas Ozweego_001

Our microscope was sure of it. As you can see, the material is tightly woven, check it out!

Adidas Ozweego Breathability_15

Not a single hole or pore. Just a white bunch of thick threads! So it's safe to assume that this pair will be good enough for winter. If you want to wear it when it's colder, grab a pair of cozy socks and keep your feet happy!

Test results
Ozweego 3
Average 3.1
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Leather/Suede quality

As Adele would say, we set fiiiiire, to the... Adidas Ozweego this time.

This is our test to check if the materials are genuine or not. So we grabbed our blowtorch and decided to heat this up a little bit.

We found out it was all authentic. You see, whenever a material is synthetic/fake, it starts burning into flames after a couple of seconds.

Test results
Ozweego Real leather

Toebox durability

These sneakers' upper is made using a mix of leather and mesh. Leather is supposed to be a durable element, especially if it's real/authentic. And according to our breathability test, this shoe's mesh has no ventilation holes and is tightly woven, so... is the Ozweego a toughie, or a softie?

Let's ask our Dremel!

Even though its toebox's materials seem to be singing fly me to the moon in the video, the results where not that dramatic.

Adidas Ozweego Toebox durability

The leather part put up a bit of a fight, and in the mesh zone... well, the durability is not as good, but we can't actually say it's bad either. Let's not forget that some sneakers get their uppers completely devoured! Consequently, we've given this pair's toebox durability a 3 out of 5, where 5 means a Dremel that doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

If you're looking for a couple of toughies, check the Adidas Gazelle out. Our tool was just like a toy when we tried to deal some damage to it!

Test results
Ozweego 3
Average 3.9
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Toebox durability
5

Heel padding durability

Well, even though this Adidas and the Dremel didn't end up in very good terms in the last test... apparently they gotta fight for this love!

Turning our attention to the heel collar, we checked if our tool had any compatibility with it. After seeing the previous results, we did have our reservations. Just being honest, here!

But look at that!! Uhm... excuse us, Ozweego, since when have you become such a strong lover?!

Adidas Ozweego Heel padding durability

You can BARELY see the damage there! So we've decided to give it a 5/5 in our heel padding durability test. A well-deserved A+ score!

Test results
Ozweego 5
Average 3.4
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel padding durability
5

Outsole hardness

We grabbed our durometer and pressed it against this pair's sole. At 85.5 H, the Ozweego got an average reading here. Good news is that this level of hardness usually means a good mix of durability and grip!

Adidas Ozweego Outsole hardness

As Hannah Montana would say, you get the best of both worlds with these baddies!

Test results
Ozweego 85.5 HC
Average 85.2 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
72.9 HC
Outsole hardness
90.5 HC

Outsole durability

We couldn't wait to see if the rubber outsole of this pair was as durable as we thought. And our Dremel was knock, knock, knocking on the Adidas Ozweego's door.

After the 22-second-long drilling session was over, we lifted the tool to check the damage. With the help of a tread gauge, we measured the depth of the damage at 0.8 mm.

Adidas Ozweego Outsole durability

This score is pretty close to the average of our lab-tested sneakers, but it's true that this pair has proved to be slightly stronger. This means that it will last longer.

Thank you, Adidas!

Test results
Ozweego 0.8 mm
Average 1.0 mm
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

As you have probably noticed by now, the Ozweego's bottom has white and blue parts in this colorway. The white part is the exposed foam, and the blue part is the outsole, so that's what we measured here,

Our caliper returned 5.1 mm, which is also pretty standard for sneakers.

Adidas Ozweego Outsole thickness

As Gloria Gaynor would say, that means that this pair will survive for quite some time!

Test results
Ozweego 5.1 mm
Average 5.5 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Outsole thickness
12.5 mm

Weight

When we first saw these kicks, we loved how Adidas went for a non-sleek classic. Like, if for example we compare its volume with the Superstar's, which is also iconic, we can easily notice their vibes are completely different.

So we did think it would be a heavy pair at the beginning, but when we put it on... not at all!

Adidas Ozweego Weight

With 12.7 oz (360.0g), the Ozweego is incredibly light!! Our feet couldn't be happier about it, and it let us walk around town literally the whole day.

We really found these big boys very comfortable, and it seems that the only chunky thing around is its soul!

Test results
Ozweego 12.70 oz (360g)
Average 13.83 oz (392g)
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
8.50 oz (241g)
Weight
22.61 oz (641g)

Cushioning

Heel stack

We did say we loved walking in this, right? Well, with its durability, lightweightness, and now heel stack, the Ozweego will definitely be with you in every step of the way.

Our caliper measured its stack to be 32.2 mm at the heel, which is higher than average.

Adidas Ozweego Heel stack

This contributes to its all-day wear capabilities, as the midsole is quite cushioned. Its underfoot support let us enjoy these pretty little companions for hours and hours, so we were comfortable AND stylish!

This plushness should mean the shoe is heavier, but as our scale said, not today! Nevertheless, it does equal a lower sense of the ground below. If you're looking for some grounded sneakers, you'll definitely love the Adidas Gazelle and its 23.3 mm stack height!

Test results
Ozweego 32.2 mm
Average 29.6 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
16.9 mm
Heel stack
50.5 mm

Forefoot stack

Following its comfortable heel, the forefoot of this pair gets even higher.

According to our caliper, its stack height comes in at 24.7 mm! Your feet could be literally singing untouchable, untouchable to the ground once you put these soft pals on!

Adidas Ozweego Forefoot stack

Trust us, this is something that you'll love as much as we do. When we were walking around or when we had to run to catch a bus (which happens more often than we'd like to admit), our feet felt comfortable and happy.

Adidas Ozweego 8

It's true that the Ozweego is inspired on running shoes, but please just keep it to occasional sprints to save you from "you're late" scoldings! If you're looking for something to run, run, run, run, runaway baby, as Bruno Mars would say, have a look at these Adidas running shoes.

Test results
Ozweego 24.7 mm
Average 18.6 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
10.6 mm
Forefoot stack
28.3 mm

Drop

Based on our measurements, this shoe's drop is just average at 7.5 mm.

Adidas Ozweego Drop 17

As you can see in the picture, there's not much of a difference between the forefoot and the heel heights. The Ozweego is focused on comfort, so both parts are equally plush.

Test results
Ozweego 7.5 mm
Average 10.9 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
4.6 mm
Drop
22.6 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

At 26.8 HA, our durometer told us that this its midsole is softer than average. As this pair shines because it can keep you up and walking all day long, we already guessed it wouldn't be a brick underfoot.

Adidas Ozweego Midsole softness 26

The hardness of the outsole (the blue material you can see) makes it possible for the midsole to be soft without risking the shoe's durability.

This type of combo is something that, as the song says, we L-O-V-E! It makes your feet feel comfortable and, at the same time, you don't need to worry about your midsole dying because of the pavement's abrasion.

Test results
Ozweego 26.8 HA
Average 29.2 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 55 sneakers
Number of shoes
15.0 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
60.0 HA

Insole thickness

These big boys' insole is not very thick, but it's not like they needed it to! At 3.4 mm, it's 59% thinner than average.

Adidas Ozweego Insole thickness 23

If it weren't for our caliper and lab tests, we would have never said it was so thin! As our feet were really happy with the Ozweego's plushness, we didn't think its insole would be so paper-like.

Test results
Ozweego 3.4 mm
Average 5.2 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
3.1 mm
Insole thickness
14.2 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

Usually, the higher the platform, the more unstable a shoe becomes.

Or... not?

Adidas just knows how to play the game, and even though the Ozweego has a quite high midsole compared to other worldwide famous sneakers of this brand, such as the Adidas Samba, we did not feel unsafe wearing it.

Adidas Ozweego 15

Its heel is quite high, and the tongue, lacing system, and materials of the upper contribute to how stable we felt wearing these baddies.

Torsional rigidity

In order to explain a little bit more why this shoe kept our feet in place, we performed our torsional rigidity test.

Grabbing it with both hands, we bent and wrung it with no mercy, but it wasn't easy!

Such levels of resistance made us give it a 4 out 5, where 5 is the most rigid. We think this is another very good strategy from Adidas. The midsole is soft, plush and comfortable; but the upper is more rigid and stable.

Adidas Ozweego 13

If you are all about comfort and you're looking for a stable and pliable pair, the Adidas Spezial will make you believe in love after love.

Test results
Ozweego 4
Average 3.4
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

Heel counter stiffness

In order to keep your feet in place but comfy, the brand didn't go for a very stiff heel counter.

As you can see in the video, it did resist a little bit to our manual manipulations, but it's still moderately flexible. It scored a 3 out of 5, so our feet felt locked down in our walks but it wasn't too restrictive.

Adidas Ozweego 14

Test results
Ozweego 3
Average 3.2
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
1
Heel counter stiffness
5

Midsole width - forefoot

Who wants some more good news? Cause we sure do!

We were about to sing if you're happy and you know it clap your... "cal" when we measured the Ozweego's midsole width in the forefoot at 121.0 mm with our caliper!

No, we're not kidding. And yes, we have evidence.

Adidas Ozweego Midsole width in the forefoot

See? WOW. You must be as astonished right now as we were in our lab!

This really makes THE difference. A wide platform means a stable shoe, safer landings even if we're just going out for a drink, and way more room for wide feet!

Test results
Ozweego 121.0 mm
Average 108.4 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
95.1 mm
Midsole width - forefoot
121.0 mm

Midsole width - heel

Adidas, it the Ozweego was music instead of shoes... we'd give it a Grammy!

Once again, its midsole width in the heel is way higher than average. At 98.9 mm, it makes sure it keeps things comfortable. Even though this might make you think that your heel could slip when walking, we did not experience that at all. Not even once!

Adidas Ozweego Midsole width in the heel

Test results
Ozweego 98.9 mm
Average 82.9 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
67.7 mm
Midsole width - heel
103.1 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

In our stiffness test, we found that 26.1N of force is required to bend this shoe 90 degrees.

It's not the most flexible shoe in the world, we but we can't say it's like a rock either! We could walk easily with it, as it was able to adapt to the natural flexion of our feet relatively easily. This is a key point for its long-lasting comfort and forgiving ride.

Test results
Ozweego 26.1N
Average 22.9N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
5.8N
Stiffness
60.5N

Grip / Traction

Remember we were saying that the bottom of this shoe has two different colours? We're gonna explain what that's all about now. So, sorry Amy Whinehouse, we're not going back to black, we're going back to blue!

Adidas Ozweego Lug depth

Right, are you ready? Yeah? Let's go then!

As you can see, we have white parts and blue parts here. In the latter, we can see grooves and lines (which might occasionally trap a pebble or two). That's the outsole, which protects the foam from the abrasion of the city floors. The blue pods made sure the Ozweego's grip was top-notch, and the whole pattern provided us with excellent traction over a variety of surfaces, even the wet ones!

Size and fit

Toebox width - widest part

The Ozweego's toebox follows the whole shoe's melody, which goes something like gimme more, gimme gimme more, just like Britney Spears' song!

At 105.0 mm, even our caliper would open its mouth if it could. Our medium-width feet were already in love with this pair, and wide-foot folks... you've found your sole-mate!

Adidas Ozweego Toebox width at the widest part

Test results
Ozweego 105.0 mm
Average 98.8 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
91.6 mm
Toebox width - widest part
107.7 mm

Toebox width - big toe

But we were a little bit worried, though. When you look at this shoe, you see that it becomes narrower towards the toecap, which means less room for your toes.

Nevertheless, once again our caliper showed us these kicks don't disappoint!

Adidas Ozweego Toebox width at the big toe

At 79.0 mm, it should be wide enough even for people with big toes.

We're loving that, Adidas!

Test results
Ozweego 79.0 mm
Average 74.7 mm
Compared to 69 sneakers
Number of shoes
63.7 mm
Toebox width - big toe
83.0 mm

Tongue: gusset type

The Ozweego's tongue is non-gusseted, which means there's nothing keeping it in place, look:

Adidas Ozweego Tongue: gusset type

Sometimes, these types of tongues move from one side to the other, but this one... just kind of scrunches a little bit. But nothing that would make us lose our minds!

Adidas Ozweego 10

Test results
Ozweego None

Comfort

Tongue padding

As it's quite padded, of course this tongue wouldn't move around. At 9.2 mm, you can forget about lace biting or any uncomfortableness coming from the laces!

Adidas Ozweego Tongue padding

The whole shoe is quite plush, so the tongue couldn't be the one that got away!

Test results
Ozweego 9.2 mm
Average 9.0 mm
Compared to 70 sneakers
Number of shoes
0.7 mm
Tongue padding
38.4 mm

Heel tab

We are OBSESSED with how Adidas played with the retro-chunky look of this pair and the futuristic touch of a plastic wire going around the shoe and acting as a finger loop.

Adidas Ozweego 11

Even though it looks awesome, we didn't actually need it to put these baddies on, as the shoe's opening is quite big and its whole structure is wide. If you ask us, it also looks slightly flimsy, so we wouldn't pull much if we were you.

Test results
Ozweego Finger loop

Removable insole

The Ozweego is a soft and plush pair, but as we've mentioned before, it's got a thin insole. No worries, though: it's removable! Also, as its structure and upper are roomy, you'll have no problems fitting your own orthotics.

Adidas Ozweego Removable insole

PS: Adidas... that detail of the stripes in the insole? 11/10.

Test results
Ozweego Yes

Misc

Reflective elements

You are the one shining in these baddies, not them!

Adidas Ozweego Reflective elements

Test results
Ozweego No

Background

There are loads of Adidas shoes that started by being specific for a sport and then move on to rule the streets. The Adidas Samba is a good example, as it started as an indoor soccer pair!

The Ozweego was originally released in 1996, and it was born as a running shoe. As years went by, this model evolved and adapted to the urban style, but it never forgot about its roots. Not only did it keep some of the running oriented technologies, such as the EVA midsole with Adreprene and Adiprene+ for shock absorption and cushioning; but also its retro 90's style. To make it fit today's city fashion, the brand gave some futuristic details to its chunky self.

Adidas Ozweego 9

All in all, you can trust this old but new pal to keep your feet comfortable, stable, safe, and happy.