Adidas Dropset 3 review

Don't ignore the Adidas Dropset 3 if you are looking for the following:

• a super stable cross-trainer for weightlifting and Crossfit
• a gym shoe with exceptional breathability
• lots of toebox space for toe splay, swelling, and wide feet

We found that the Adidas Dropset 3 is more biased toward stability and lifting which makes it less versatile for other types of exercise.

If you want a more well-rounded option for HIIT, we strongly recommend the Nike Free Mecton 6 or the Reebok Nano X4 instead. The Nike Air Zoom TR 1 is a great option too if you want a boost of cushioning and Zoom Air responsiveness for cardio.

The Dropset 3's oversized side panels can make it seem tall and platformy but in reality, it is even more grounded than average.

Using a calliper, we measured the shoe's heel stack at 22.6 mm which is a couple of millimetres lower than average.

The forefoot stack turned out to be even lower at 14.8 mm. This made the ground feel more prominent in the Dropset 3 and made its forefoot more flexible as well.

The difference in stack heights resulted in a heel-to-toe drop of 7.8 mm which is a bit taller than the stated 6 mm.

Personally, we didn't experience any issues with this discrepancy. We never felt as if the heel was too high off the ground because this Adidas trainer has so many grounding and stabilising components in its design.

But we must point this out in case you are after a pure low drop in a training shoe.

Just like the Dropset 2, the third iteration employs a dual-density midsole to create a balance of stability and cushioning.

Measuring the firmer portion in the midsole, we got 41.0 HA on our Shore A durometer. This is indeed very firm considering that the average training shoe foam is 50% softer.

No wonder we felt so confident adding more weight to the barbell! The heel of this Adidas trainer is hardly compressible and it gave us a very stable and planted base to push off.

The softer foam, on the other hand, takes up the shoe's forefoot section. It is there to provide cushioning and impact protection for jumping and other plyometric movements.

With a durometer reading of 21.5 HA, it is a whole 90% softer than the shoe's heel foam. However, don't expect a tonne of cushioning because the midsole is quite thin in the forefoot and the clunk of the heel is not very friendly for staying on your toes a lot.

Thus, we recommend looking into Nike trainers like the Free Metcon 6 and the Air Zoom TR 1 for more agile workouts and cardio.

The Dropset 3's insole showed a standard thickness of 3.7 mm on our calliper. It added a touch of padding that didn't mess with the shoe's stability.

And if you are concerned about perforations - no need to worry! They are not felt through the sock.

Adidas promises a wider-than-standard fit in the Dropset 3's official specs.

We can only partially agree with that statement because, on one hand, the toebox of this Adidas trainer feels roomier than your casual sneaker or running shoe.

But on the other hand, it doesn't come across as anything special in the realm of cross-training shoes. Measuring the widest area of its toebox returned 100.4 mm which is exactly the same as the average in this footwear category.

Measuring 79.5 mm of toebox width near the big toe, our calliper confirmed that the Dropset 3's dimensions are identical to the industry average.

However, that doesn't negate the fact that you get plenty of room for toe splaying and swelling as the workout progresses. Athletes with wide feet will also find comfort in this gym shoe from Adidas.

Considering the Dropset 3's spacious toebox, some people may need to tighten up the midfoot fit to avoid undue foot shifting.

Adidas provides that option with as many as three pair of additional eyelets.

We think the Adidas Dropset series deserves a much bigger spotlight on the training shoe market.

Together with the Nike Metcons, we found it to be some of the best options for weightlifting because of its incredible stability.

We forgot what wobbling even feels like as we picked up the load in the Dropset 3. The most obvious stability components in the shoe are, of course, the TPU wall on the lateral side and the firm rubber overlay on the medial side.

Looks like the third iteration didn't change anything from the v2 in this department. So we got to reap the same stability benefits but in a refreshed silhouette.

To our great surprise, the Adidas Dropset 3 kept some torsional flexibility despite the large and stiff sidewalls.

We were able to enjoy sufficient forefoot flexibility without feeling as if we lost anything in the stability department. Assessing the shoe's side-to-side stiffness on a 1-5 scale, we gave it a middle-of-the-road score of 3.

There is a similar case with the shoe's heel counter - it is highly rigid at the base of the heel but has a lot of give in the collar. We were able to push and squeeze it quite easily in our manual test which lowered the stiffness score to 3 out of 5.

And yet, there was not even a hint of heel slippage or foot play inside the shoe! Our heels and ankles felt securely locked inside the Dropset 3 without the unnecessary stiffness that often comes with structured heel counters.

The shoe's GeoFit Sensepods also play a key role in making the foothold so secure. It adds extra padding around the ankle to keep the rearfoot in place.

We were especially grateful for having such a steady heel during single-leg exercises.

Of course, the shoe's stable construction wouldn't be complete without a wide base. And the Adidas Dropset 3 beats records in this regard.

In the widest part of its forefoot, our calliper measured an impressive 116.9 mm. That is about 6.5 mm wider than the average trainer!

That gave us plenty of area to rely on while stabilising our footing during the wear test.

Even though the shoe's heel is not as impressively wide, we measured its widest area to be on par with the gym shoe average - 88.9 mm.

With its softer and thinner forefoot, the Dropset 3 proved to be even more flexible than the average cross-trainer!

It felt a tab bit more forgiving for burpees, lunges, and planks than the previous Dropset. Perhaps thanks to the softer and stretchier upper mesh?

Our force gauge confirmed our initial impression by showing that the trainer needed 12.4N to bend to a 90-degree angle. For reference, the Dropset 2 required slightly more - 16.6N.

But even though it proved to be a whole 45% bendier than average, we can't recommend the Dropset 3 for walking and running (over 1 mile) because of its clunky heel design.

Of course, the shoe's stable construction wouldn't be complete without a wide base. And the Adidas Dropset 3 beats records in this regard.

In the widest part of its forefoot, our calliper measured an impressive 116.9 mm. That is about 6.5 mm wider than the average trainer!

That gave us plenty of area to rely on while stabilising our footing during the wear test.

Tipping the scale at 12.1 oz (343g), the Dropset 3 is about an ounce heavier than average but that's not enough to call it out for being hefty.

We believe that it has a fair weight considering the shoe's focus on stability and lifting. And it is still an ounce lighter than the Nike Metcon 9 (13.4 oz/378g).

Adidas' approach to ventilation in the Dropset 3 is impossible to beat!

First introduced in the Dropset 2, the HEAT.RDY technology features a large aperture right in the middle of the shoe's sole. As our wear tests showed, it expelled the heat from the shoe almost instantly keeping our feet nice and fresh at all times.  

As part of the HEAT.RDY tech, the shoe's insole is also perforated to provide unobstructed airflow straight to the foot.

But let's not forget about the trainer's breathable mesh too. Our smoke-pumping test revealed that the fabric lets the air in and out quite freely.

Even though the material appears to be pretty tightly woven, we discovered plenty of ventilation holes in the shoe's chainlinking through our microscope.

All in all, we think the Adidas Dropset 3 deserves the highest breathability score for its amazingly well-ventilated design.

The only caveat is that the sole apertures make this trainer unsuitable for outdoor wear, especially in the rain.

It's nice to have some toebox reinforcement as you power through a burpee challenge or any other exercise with lots of intense foot brushing against the floor.

The Dropset 3 features a pretty large synthetic overlay over the mesh to keep the fabric safe from wear and tear. Let's see how it stands up against our Dremel test.

The synthetic bit gave up to the sandpaper tip pretty quickly exposing mesh to faster abrasion. Thus, the trainer lost a couple of points getting only 3 out of 5 for toebox durability.

Even though the shoe's inner lining is not subject to external damage, it can wear out just as easily from the intense friction of the foot.

We tested both the collar fabric and the mesh lining with a 4-second Dremel drill...

...and it remained unscathed! That's a solid 5 out of 5 for heel padding durability on our end. 

On the upside, the Dropset 3's Adiwear outsole left us no doubts about its durability.

First of all, we found it reassuringly hard based on our Shore C durometer reading of 84.0 HC. That's a solid hardness for a training shoe outsole and is a good indicator of longevity.

Drilling the rubber compound with sandpaper further proved its ability to resist abrasion. After 22 seconds of applying the Dremel to the same sport at 10K RPM speed, the dent was hardly even noticeable.

Our tread gauge helped us measure the damaged area and it showed as little as 0.5 mm! Impressive result for a trainer.

Finally, we measured the shoe's outsole thickness at 3.2 mm which is within the industry standard.

To sum it up, we can confirm that the Adidas Dropset 3 has a sturdy and lasting outsole that is sufficiently thick, hard, and wear-resistant.

Forceful multi-directional movements felt surefooted thanks to the grippy outsole of the Dropset 3. We felt like our stopping power was enhanced with the stripes of the brand's proprietary Traxion pattern.

The shoe's outsole bit onto smooth gym surfaces from all angles and never slipped even when the floor got wet.

Even if you cinch the laces down as tightly as possible, lace bites will not be a problem. There is a good amount of foam padding in the tongue to keep the lace pressure at bay.

Our calliper measured 7.3 mm of tongue thickness in the Dropset 3 - 2.4 mm thinner than the tongue of the Dropset 2.

The tongue of the Dropset 3 is fully attached to the shoe quarters on both sides (aka fully gusseted). This setup noticeably enhances the foothold and prevents the tongue from sliding to the side as you train.

A large pull tab extends up at the back of the Dropset 3.

You can remove the insole from the Adidas Dropset 3 but keep in mind that its perforations are part of the shoe's HEAT.RDY technology. Replacing it will result in compromised ventilation.

According to Adidas, at least 20% of the Dropset 3 are made of recycled materials. It doesn't seem like much but it is something compared to moth other trainers on the market.