Reebok Answer DMX review

The Reebok Answer DMX is right up your alley if:

• you are feeling nostalgic for the '90s vibes
• you are a huge fan of Allen Iverson and want the same shoe he wore in the famous Spin Cross commercial
• you want a retro silhouette that can still hoop

The Reebok Answer DMX belongs to the brand's Classics footwear which means that it's not a performance-oriented option. We found it too clunky and lacking the technical edge for a proper court game.

If you need a basketball shoe for real action, our current top picks are Nike LeBron NXXT GEN and Jordan Zion 2.

The Reebok Answer DMX keeps beating records! This time around, it tops the list of stack heights in basketball shoes.

Based on our caliper measurements, there is a whopping 38.4 mm of stack in the heel! That makes it over 8 mm taller than the average.

On foot, this Reebok shoe indeed creates an incredibly cushioned experience. And even though it's not very playable, the Answer DMX will offer tons of impact protection in case you happen to engage in a spontaneous game. 

The Reebok Answer DMX keeps raising stacks in the forefoot too. According to our caliper measurement, it is 24.7 mm tall under the toes. Also taller than the average but this time by 3 mm.

Subtracting the forefoot stack from the heel height, we get a drop of 13.7 mm. This is way taller than the average (by approximately 5.5 mm).

That way, the Reebok Answer DMX is the total opposite of being "low to the ground." Such a massive platform and raised heel is much better suited for casual wear these days.

Retro shoe purists may remember the revolutionary (at the time) DMX moving air tech. It was Reebok's own take on Nike's Air cushioning. The DMX comprised a 10-pod setup in which air was transferred from pod to pod when compressed by the foot. That way, more air was transferred to the part of the shoe where it was most needed.

The modern-day Reebok Answer DMX we are looking at now uses a more contemporary (and much simpler) variation of the DMX.

We can still see air pockets under the heel and forefoot but they are nowhere near the size they used to be. Actually, those round pods you see on the outsole used to be part of the DMX setup but now they only mimic the OG design.

The shoe's primary cushioning is now delivered by the DMX Foam. Using a durometer, we measured its softness at 25.1 HA which is nearly the same as the average for basketball shoes.

Neither too plush nor firm, it's just a well-balanced, no-nonsense type of cushioning.

Complementing the shoe's midsole is a well-padded insole. It shows 4.5 mm of thickness in our caliper, also average for a hoop shoe.

At first look, it may appear that the Reebok Answer DMX is a pointy and constricting shoe. But luckily, our on-foot experience and measurements proved otherwise.

In the widest part of the toebox, our caliper showed 100.5 mm which is about the same as the average.

It isn't a very tapered toebox either. Measuring its width around the big toe, we got 76.5 mm which is exactly the same as the average.

For our medium-width feet, this Reebok shoe offers an ideal fit.

From our on-foot experience, the Reebok Answer DMX's side-to-side stability is unshakeable!

From its sturdy and heavily padded upper down to the wide and rigid platform, everything works well together to make this Reebok shoe amazingly stable for lateral movements.

We gave the shoe's torsional rigidity the highest possible score (5 out of 5) straight away. As our manual test below shows, twisting the shoe with bare hands is nearly impossible.

The ANswer DMX made us forget all about feeling shaky or twisting an ankle!

As burly as it may seem, the shoe's heel counter actually has some give to it.

Assessing its stiffness in our manual test, we gave it 3 out of 5 because it has a pretty average amount of rigidity for a basketball shoe.

It's a very fine balance of ankle hold and pliability for comfort.

This Reebok shoe features an amply wide platform that's neither too narrow nor wide. According to our caliper, it comes in at 108.5 mm in the widest part of the forefoot. That's about 3 mm narrower than average but didn't cause us any stability issues at all.

In the widest part of the heel, however, the Answer DMX turned out to be even wider than average.

Our caliper reading showed 95.4 mm, over 4 mm wider than the average hoop shoe. This definitely contributes to the shoe's overall stability.

Given the shoe's really chunky leather upper and massively thick midsole, we expected it to be on the stiff side. Surprisingly, it wasn't too far off the average.

According to our force gauge, it takes 42.4N to bend the Answer DMX to a 90-degree angle. Only 4% more than it takes on average. We can confirm that there is enough flex to walk comfortably in this shoe.

You don't really need a scale to know that the Reebok Answer DMX is a heavy-set shoe. But we still have to check exactly how heavy we're talking.

Coming at 16.3 oz (461g) in a men's US size 9, this was not the heaviest Reebok shoe in our catalog (hello Reebok Blast at 17.5 oz!). But it is still 2 ounces heavier than the average basketball shoe and that's a big deal when we're talking about on-court performance.

We gotta be honest, the Reebok Answer DMX seemed like it would get zero for breathability at first sight.

But as our smoke-pumping machine test shows, the shoe does let some air pass on the sides of the tongue. It's definitely not enough to keep the interiors ventilated on a warm summer day, but at least it's not a foot oven.

On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most breathable, we rated this Reebok shoe's breathability as 2.

To further demonstrate the shoe's absolute lack of ventilation capacity, we put its half-cut upper against bright light. As you can see, no perforations or mesh sections whatsoever.

But what is the upside of getting an all-leather upper? Its insane resistance to abrasion, for sure!

We chose our most dreaded weapon to test the durability of this Reebok shoe's toebox - the Dremel. Having drilled the toebox material for as long as 12 seconds at a 5K RPM speed, it seems like we only got through the topmost varnish!

The Reebok Answer DMX got its well-deserved 5 out of 5 for toebox durability.

Sneakerheads who blow away dust particles from their kicks need not worry about donning this Reebok shoe outside!

For reference, this is what mesh-upper hoop shoes come out like after the same Dremel test.

On the downside, the heel lining did not perform so well.

After only 4 seconds, we saw the tool create a pretty bad tear on the heel collar material. This was quite surprising after seeing the abrasion resistance of the Reebok Blast's lining. So, it's not like the rand doesn't know how to make durable in-shoe linings.

Unfortunately, we had to give this shoe's heel padding durability the lowest score - only 1 out of 5. This is less durable than the average across hoop shoes too.

But before you become dismayed, let us show what the shoe's outsole looks like.

It is incredibly hard! No, quite seriously, it is the hardest rubber in our basketball shoe roster so far! With a durometer measurement of 91.0 HC, it is firmer than 99% of our lab-tested shoes!

It will surely take months before the outsole starts to show signs of wear.

Which is 100% confirmed by our Dremel test!

Applying the tool for 22 seconds at a pretty high speed of 10K RPM, we were shocked! You can see how the Dremel's cap just remains in the same place where it normally cuts through the rubber like a knife cuts through butter.

And guess what? Our tread gauge shows that the damage is 0.3 mm. Zero. Point. Three. That's not even visible at arm's length!

And what's more, the Reebok Answer DMX uses a thicker-than-average rubber outsole too! Measuring it with our caliper, we got a reading of 4.5 mm.

This shoe is guaranteed to last.

The Reebok Answer DMX offers a pretty basic level of traction which is good enough for a casual game. But do keep in mind that it is not a performance-oriented kind of grip.

Reebok loves them tongues thick.

This is yet another hoop shoe with a generously padded tongue. Our caliper shows 12.5 mm which is 3 mm thicker than average!

Paired with a well-padded collar, the Answer DMX offers a luxuriously comfortable in-shoe feel.

The tongue is partially attached on the sides (semi-gusseted) which prevents it from sliding around just fine.

There is no heel tab on the shoe but it has a wide enough mouth and a convenient lacing system to allow easy on-and-off action.

Using a custom insole or an orthotic won't be a problem with this Reebok shoe. Its insole is easily removable.

The Answer DMX gives off a lot of retro vibes with its style inspired by the classic 90s release from the brand. It pays tribute to Allen Iverson, as seen on the Iverson branding/logos that prominently sit on the tongue, the sole, and the lateral side of the upper.

Originally released in 1997, the silhouette made a comeback in 2018.