adidas Barricade 2023 Review
After a Hiatus from 2018 to 2021, the adidas Barricade was brought back to life in 2021 with a fresh look and new tech. Adidas delivered us a shoe with support, durability and playability. The new 2023 version not only continues these qualities while but make significant improvements on the shortcomings of the 2021 Barricade. The 2023 adidas Barricade are the Best Supportive Tennis Shoes on the market.
Changes
Appearance
Right away you notice that adidas has cleaned up the look of this shoe on both sides, going with the traditional three stripes on the outside and toning down the medial side of the shoe by removing the text “Barricade" from it. This is replaced with a small but fitting adidas Logo.
One thing we wished adidas kept was the "barricade" text going down the heel.
They have removed the plasticky uppers and replaced it with a fresh mesh, completely transforming the breathability of the shoe. Despite the addition of mesh, the shoe does not lose any durability.
Score: 4/5
Durability
The most noticeable change in durability doesn't come in the sole, which has remained the same as the older version. The change comes in the medial side with a new toe guard. This Herringbone-shaped rubber/TPU added to the toe guard wraps around into the forefoot and allows for supreme toe dragging that has a court feel you similar to what you would find on the bottom of the shoe.
The sole of this shoe still has that same great durability for long-lasting aggressive play on hard courts. As with the Durability the support on this shoe is still stellar.
Score: 5/5
Support
Support on the previous model was solid but left a few things to be desired. Luckily the updated version makes unreal progress in this area. The heel counter holds your foot now more comfortably with gel pads that have a slight cooling effect to them. The tongue gets a small upgrade in padding while incorporating perforations throughout to increase breathability.
If you owned a pair of the 21s you will remember the elastic tie-down eyelets had too much give which led to shoelaces that continually loosened as you played. The 23s add in TPU Reinforcements built into the now stitched eyelets which complete the foot lockdown. How you lock into these shoes at the beginning of the match is how you'll end the match.
Score: 5/5
Comfort
Break-In time is essentially cut down to about one short hitting session, as soon as you slip your foot into this shoe you will feel locked and loaded for night of play. The bounce foam inside is exactly the same as last year but the overall fit from the uppers, toe box and heel counter has transformed this shoe.
According to our friend Zach The Foot Doctor, this shoe plays 50 degrees cooler than the last version. Down from 161.5 F to 113.4 F with the heat gun. All this says is Breathability/ventilation was a huge spec adidas wanted to tackle in this revamp. Ball of foot pain and heel pain players will enjoy this shoe now.
Score: 4.5/5
Playability
After last version weighing in at 14.6 oz, the 2023 Barricade is now one of the lightest stability shoes on the market weighing in at only 14 oz. This makes a huge difference on feeling quick on the court. The double layered herringbone pattern on the sole is still the same as before and grips the court as good as any. You can play confident knowing you aren't going to roll any ankles in this shoe.
The new Toe guard allows for safer sliding on the hard court and along without the loss of traction. If you are looking for that low to the ground feel quick movement you aren't going to find too many shoes that play as well as these.
Score: 5/5
Conclusion
If you are looking for a tennis shoe that offers phenomenal support and durability without costing you quickness, The 2023 adidas Barricade is at the top of our list for the Best Tennis Shoes. More specifically those in need of support or heavy toe draggers this shoe will be a favorite.
Overall Score: 23.5/25
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