With Adidas introducing their Boost technology in their basketball sneaker line, you have to wonder, "Should we even consider Adidas kicks that don't have Boost in them?" Hope this article helps as I give you my performance review on the Adidas J Wall 1.
Materials: 4.5/5
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| Using mesh for the upper requires no break-in time for this model. |
Adidas used a minimalistic approach for this model and it doesn't mean that you get a low quality shoe. The J Wall 1 proves to us that having a simple silhouette could also be beneficial to us. The use of mesh upper gives you a comfortable fit and with that I didn't require any break-in time for the upper. As you can see from the image above, there are some well-placed synthetic overlays on the toe rand and also on the lacing system for protection. The materials were soft enough that there were no pinching issues but good enough to give you some support. Although mesh is used in here, breathability is nothing crazy (not comparable to CrazyLight 1) because the mesh here have layers underneath it so air won't flow as much as you would expect. But nevertheless, I'm still okay with it.
Like I said, the J Wall used less materials however it is a good shoe performancewise. The usual SprintFrame used in their past models has been replaced by FitFrame although I felt no major difference at all as it is there to give the shoe structure and support. There were some complaints with the SprintFrame before as they tend to give irritation to some players with the frame pinching their foot on medial or lateral side. It is worth noting here that I felt no pinching here as they were able to shave the frame so there were no irritation caused by these but still were able to give you that support and structure that you needed. However, the insole that they used is too thin that I can feel the frame on the footbed. This might cause some discomfort to some players especially when you are just static on the court (just standing). Is it a deal breaker for me? Not really since the discomfort was gone for some reason when I'm moving around. A quick fix for me was I just swapped the stock insole with my CrazyLight 2 insole (the thicker one) and since then there was no discomfort in the footbed at all.
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| The insole is too thin and might give discomfort to some. |
Cushion: 4.5/5
The J Wall 1 uses full-length adiprene+. This has been implemented to their old models and is starting to return to some of their team models. The adiprene+ is good for me since it gave some kind of bounce and helped with impact protection. I felt no joint pains after my wearings and I could say that while this is not Boost foam, this could still get the job done and for a signature model that is worn by John Wall who is explosive and quick, I guess they could be beneficial to you as well if you have that same kind of play style.
Traction: 4.25/5
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| Story-telling traction pattern is used. |
Story-telling traction could be a hit or miss depending on the design. The traction pattern used has that zig-zag like pattern with a large map of the States with some iconic areas in basketball. While this gimmick did not hurt at all, it was pretty okay nonetheless. Majority of my playing time was spent outdoors where dust is present and I could say that it held up okay for me. You are good with your cuts and lateral movements as well as with your quick stops. Of course, these will all depend on the condition of the court so you might do some wiping from time to time if dust is present heavily. The rubber used is not that soft so it would do fairly okay outdoors as well.
Fit: 4.25/5
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| FitFrame is helpful and is more visible in the heel area. |
Fit is true to size and with the mesh upper giving you that snug fit. I love how the shoe fits me. There is enough wiggle room for me since the material is soft but not to the point that the shoe is too roomy. Support is handled by the FitFrame which is more visible in the heel area medially and laterally. There was an incident where I landed on someone's foot and of course, there was a big possibility of an ankle sprain there. However, the FitFrame was able to support my foot inside, containing it so that it would not roll horribly. Sure I still tweaked my ankle a bit but it could have been worse.
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| That grey flap on the lacing system gives you a more secured fit. |
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| Outrigger is also visible here. |
Lockdown is also provided by that grey flap on the lacing system which helped the shoe hug your foot. Because of that flap, I felt more secured and once you tighten your laces, you have that good lockdown. There is also an outrigger to help you prevent from rolling over when doing some curls or cuts as it gives you a wider base on the forefoot area.
Price: 4.25/5
For a signature model, I can't even ask for more considering the tech that they have placed in there. Also, I got this shoe discounted since I was able to purchase this on my birthday month using my Adidas 3 Stripes card. People get to enjoy a signature model that is almost the price of team models in other brands, a good deal if you ask me. This is still available at Adidas Trinoma for Php 5995.
Conclusion:
The J Wall 1 is a good performance shoe. The use of mesh upper gives the shoe a big thumbs up in the comfort department since no break-in time is required. With adiprene+ returning in their basketball line, this would be a good choice as well for their future models that would replace their basic EVA. The only thing that could be a bummer for some I guess would be the thin insole that could give discomfort to some. But if you are using some inserts or you have extra insole that you can use, then you might consider changing them for more step-in comfort. Like I said, having a signature shoe with this kind of tech is a good move from Adidas and giving us a chance to experience a good-performing basketball shoe without burning a big hole in your pocket.
ANALYKIX GRADE: 4.35/5
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