Who should buy the Adidas Exhibit A
The Exhibit A is a fairly notable offer from Adidas that will surely appeal to guards and other players who like a shoe that:
- helps you feel light and quick
- keeps you low to the ground
- feels stable and supportive
Those who are on a budget will also find this Adidas low-top quite easy to love.
Who should NOT buy the shoe
If you prefer cushioning that's more plush and bouncy, then it’s better to check out the following alternatives to the Adidas Exhibit A:
- Adidas Boost foam: Adidas Trae Young 1, Adidas Harden Vol. 6
- Adidas Bounce Pro: Adidas Dame 8
Traction that you can rely on
Hoopers say that the outsole and the diamond pattern in it bite clean courts quite consistently. It is very effective in stabilizing quick turns and sprints.
Like many basketball shoes, the sticky sole attracts quite a lot of dust. This makes occasional wiping necessary to maintain grip. The testers are talking about 1-2 wipes per game.
As one expert reviewer sums it up nicely, the grip on Exhibit A is “not stop-on-a-dime but more of a stop-on-a-nickel.”
Exhibit A is light with lots of court feel
The shoe features Lighstrike in the midsole. This tooling is lightweight, firm, and provides lots of court feel.
“I don’t remember an Adidas shoe that was this light since the BYW 2.0," says an avid basketball player. Others agree that it’s the kind of shoe that doesn’t feel clunky, helps you feel fast, and makes you forget that you are wearing shoes at all!
The shoe weighs 12 oz (343 g), while the average across basketball shoes is 13.3 oz (377 g).
Cushioning is sufficient but not abundant
This Adidas basketball shoe uses a full-length Lightstrike foam to create a pretty light base. It is also more on the firm side and has a stable, low-to-the-ground setup.
For that reason, most basketball aficionados found the shoe’s cushioning “a little underwhelming.” They also would not recommend it to heavier players or those who play a significant amount of time due to the lack of impact protection. One of the reviewers also griped that the shoe’s “flat forefoot slaps the floor,” wishing that it had more cushioning and curve to it.
Lockdown ensured
The Adidas Exhibit A delivers lots of support and stability. The shoe “has everything you want in terms of support,” in the words of a playtester. The reviewers also highlight the following features:
- a close-fitting upper
- supportive TPU overlays all over the shoe
- prominent heel overlay (kind of looks like a Stormtrooper, as noticed by one expert)
All those help to provide foot containment. There have been no complaints about any form of slipping inside the shoe.
There is an overlay around the lacing system, and this helps protect the material there from ripping if you like to crank down your laces.
Meanwhile, the wide base with an outrigger creates a very stable platform.
Upper is cozy but the heel collar ruins it
According to reviewers, the shoe has a soft mesh upper that conforms to the foot from the start and requires no break-in period. There is not much padding on the tongue and collar but they feel pretty good around the foot.
On the downside, the heel sculpting received more than a few complaints. It has two pointy pieces which dig into the Achilles, causing irritation.
For indoor use only
Despite having two layers in the outsole, most reviewers still don’t consider the Exhibit A durable enough for regular outdoor use.
A great deal for the price
With the asking price of $110, the Exhibit A belongs to the more affordable range of Adidas basketball shoes (the average price of which is $120). It is also noticeably cheaper than basketball shoes across all brands (average price - $134).
Here is what the experts say in reference to the price:
- “you can’t really beat that”
- “pretty cheap”
- “a steal for the price”
Environmentally-friendly construction
This basketball shoe rises above other Adidas sneakers because it's partly made of recycled materials, making it consistent with the company's commitment to reducing waste.
Facts / Specs
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