Adidas CourtJam Control 3 review

After in-depth testing, we can recommend the Adidas CourtJam Control 3 to:

• beginner and recreational players who need maximum stability in a budget-friendly shoe
• people who prefer a sensitive court feel to cushioning
• folks with narrow feet or medium-width feet who don't mind a snug, one-to-one fit

If you have any past injuries, foot pain, or discomfort, please skip the CourtJam Control 3 and consider shoes with better shock absorption instead.

There are better-cushioned yet still affordable options, such as the ASICS Gel Dedicate 8 and the Nike CourtLite 4. The latter also has a much more accommodating fit than the CourtJam shoe.

The CourtJam Control 3's cushioning is hardly abundant. With some of the lowest shock absorption measurements among tennis shoes (86 SA in the heel and 47 SA in the forefoot), this Adidas shoe is tuned for court feel rather than impact protection.

However, the shoe's Cloudfoam+ cushioning surprised us with a fairly responsive nature! The compound showed a modest rebound, with slightly above-average energy returns of 52.7% in the heel and 55.1% in the forefoot.

That made our push-offs feel less delayed and more controlled.

We have yet to see a more grounded tennis shoe in our lab, as the CourtJam Control 3 just set a new record with a heel stack of only 24.3 mm. That's a whole 5 mm lower than the category average!

The shoe's forefoot stack also showed an unprecedentedly low reading of 14.5 mm, placing the ball of the foot and the toes extremely close to the ground.

The heel-to-toe drop, however, proved to be standard in this Adidas shoe. At 9.8 mm, it is exactly on par with the average, placing the foot in an optimal position for tennis movements.

As a regular EVA-based foam, the Cloudfoam+ showed a higher durometer reading of 32.1 HA.

 Firmer than average, it makes the CloudJam 3's platform feel stable above anything else.

To our dismay, the Adidas CourtJam Control 3 felt much tighter than usual straight from the box, but we also can't recommend sizing up, as the shoe is already a few millimetres longer than it should be in our men's US size 9!

The moment we took the solidified gel mould out of the shoe, we knew it was going to show regrettably narrow measurements. Indeed, our calliper measured as little as 87.4 mm at the widest point of the mould, making this Adidas shoe the tightest inthe tennis category.

Its tapered toebox didn't help the situation either, showing another below-average reading of 66.2 mm.

Considering that the CourtJam Control 3 is not available in wide-width options, it can only accommodate players with narrow feet or those with medium-width feet who prefer a very snug one-to-one fit.

But at least the shoe's toebox height didn't disappoint, showing a standard measurement of 25.2 mm.

Although there is a high risk of pressure points in this Adidas shoe, they are less likely to appear on top of toe toes.

Out of the box, the Adidas CourtJam Control 3 offered a very tacky, court-hugging traction that felt ideal for hard stops and sharp direction changes. Our machine recorded its friction coefficient at a high reading of 0.64.

The shoe's universal herringbone tread pattern has pretty deep grooves, which makes it versatile enough for various court types.

The flex grooves and split-sole design of the CourtJam Control 3 provide decent forefoot pliability.

We measured that it takes a standard amount of force (17.3N) to bend the shoe by 30 degrees, which is on par with the tennis shoe average. Not too bendy to compromise stability and not too unforgivingly rigid either.

Despite its fairly simple construction and thin platform, the CourtJam Control 3 is not as lightweight as we initially thought.

Putting it on a scale in a men's US size 9, we got a slightly above-average reading of 13.2 oz (374g). But the good news is that it still falls within the lightweight tennis shoe range.

The shoe's product description promises a 'light and airy' upper, and our tests showed that it's almost true for the CourtJam Control 3.

Given the steady, moderately thick smoke billowing from the shoe's toebox, we rated its breathability a middle-range 3/5.

No other ventilation channels showed up in our transparency test.

A close-up look at the shoe's mesh under our microscope revealed a fairly open structure with relatively large pores that promote consistent airflow.

Stability-wise, the CourtJam Control 3 feels almost like an Adidas Barricade under £100!

With a stout Torsional System in the midfoot and supportive overlays on the upper, we never had to worry about rollovers on sharp cuts and open-stance shots.

A stiff plastic Torsion System shank wraps the midfoot part of the platform from both the inside and the outside.

Together with the shoe's firm midsole foam, this makes the CourtJam Control 3 practically impossible to twist, earning it the highest torsional rigidity score of 5/5.

The shoe's heel counter also showed off its stiffness in our manual test, scoring 4/5. It locks the rearfoot securely in place.

This Adidas shoe relies on broad midsole dimensions for extra side-to-side stability. Measuring the widest part of its forefoot, we got an above-average calliper reading of 116.6 mm.

Its heel also proved to be notably wider than average at 95.1 mm. Although it can feel clunky to some, beginner and recreational players are likely to benefit from the extra contact surface.

The CourtJam Control 3's toebox perimeter is lined with an Adituff overlay to protect the upper when slashing against the court.

Our Dremel test showed that it is decently wear-resistant for the price, scoring a solid 3 out of 5.

But even the shoe's exposed mesh didn't wear out easily, earning a midpoint score of 3/5.

To our surprise, the shoe's interior lining resisted the sandpaper drilling exceptionally well, receiving a high durability score of 4/5.

The outsole of this budget-friendly tennis shoe didn't disappoint either, showing only 1.0 mm of damage after an 18-second Dremel session.

We are also happy to see up to 4.5 mm of outsole thickness on the CourtJam Control 3, demonstrating its ability to withstand long-term wear and tear.

A thin 3.3 mm insole provides little underfoot padding in this Adidas shoe, feeling just as minimally cushioned as the firm midsole beneath it.

The shoe's snug fit is also reflected in its ultra-narrow insole. Although it is easily removable, it can be tough to find a custom orthotic that fits here.

At 6.8 mm, the shoe's tongue provides adequate padding across the top of the foot.

There are no gussets on the shoe's tongue, which means that some tongue shifting might occur.

There are no tabs or loops on the CourtJam Control 3, but the shoe is easy to put on thanks to its wide opening and a slightly extended heel collar.

As a budget-friendly tennis shoe under £100, the Adidas CourtJam Control 3 offers a rather good value for money.