Adidas Adi Ease Weartest and Review

The Adidas Adi ease is a thin shoe that can be either worn casually or when you are spending time at your local park. The traditional ”drei streifen” or ”three stripes” are immediately noticeable just like most Adidas shoes on the market today. Looks aside, the shoes are snug and thin like a traditional vulcanized shoe. Without further ado, let’s get to the nitty-gritty! Here is what Adidas says about the specs:

• Suede upper with synthetic 3-Stripes
• EVA sockliner for cushioning and support
• Comfortable textile lining
• Grippy vulcanised outsole for precise board feel
• Leather and synthetic upper / Textile lining / Rubber outsole

The Adidas Adi ease are thin, slim and fit true to size. Looking down on the shoe, you’ll see the pointy toe box which translates to easier flicks. Additionally, the suede on the toe seems to sit lower, which enhances durability because the vulcanized foxing tape takes most of the beating of the grip tape. 

Overall the theme for this shoe seems to be thinness. While the Adidas Adi ease’s are slim they offer a great fit for skating. Sometimes it feels that shoe brands come out with models with padded tongues that just turn loose as the shoe ages. On the other hand, if the shoe has minimal padding the fit does not change as drastically as padded ones. Personally, I’ve come to enjoy shoes with thin tongue for their better fit and feel. 

The heel of the shoe was very comfortable albeit not that well padded. It was also low enough for your ankle to move freely but not too low so your heel pops out (I am looking at you Nike Janoski’s). Just be careful that your board does not hit your achilles tendon. An interesting find was that the original Adidas Adi ease seemed to lock your heel in better than the 2nd generation ADV version. A number of skaters have actually made the same observation. 

The Adidas Adi ease are made to give you the best board feel and grip possible. Naturally, this does come at the expense of support and impact protection. However, I am completely fine with that! For low impact skating these are very hard to beat. The boardfeel is simply amazing!
I was able to go from street skating to bowls with ease and never felt the need for extra padding. During the occasional flatground games of S.K.A.T.E. I did primo a few times but even then my heels weren’t in too much pain to continue. Sure, I would not suggest you jump down El Toro on these but for regular skating it does not get much better than these.

When buying such thin vulcanized skate shoes like the Adidas Adi ease you have to be realistic of your expectations. These will not be the most supportive shoes on the market. However, what they lack in support they make up for it in boardfeel and grip.

As said before, these are a pretty straight-forward pair of thin shoes. No gimmicks or too much tech so the result feels pretty familiar to most skaters. As far as comfort goes, the only negative thing was the heel cup fit of the newer Adidas Adi ease ADV models. Otherwise the pair is decently comfortable retains its shape for the entirety of its lifetime. The insole gets the job done but is ultimately nothing special. Certainly not on the same level as DC Evan Smith’s or Tonik S models. Cushioning on the Adidas Adi ease is not mind-blowing either but it is adequate for even a full day of skating. 

The Adidas adi ease is a surprisingly durable shoe. I believe the durability comes down to the actual design of the shoe. In this case the low toe box ensures that your flicks mostly graze the vulcanized rubber instead of the suede. With this in mind you can tell that the shoe won’t wear out too much on the traditional pinky toe area. Sure, there is no second layer of suede or other material to shield your socks. For more longevity, I’d suggest you use a bit of shoe goo at the first sight of wearing through. The laces sit high enough that they don’t take the worst beating of the grip tape. Although, just like with any other skate shoe, the laces end up ripping. With the Adidas adi ease I found myself changing the laces less frequently than with most other shoes. 

The sole offers plenty of grip as well as durability. I’d be hard-pressed to find other shoes that provide the same amount of grip for the entire lifetime of the shoe. One interesting thing I noticed is that the sole dies pretty much the exact same time as the upper. No matter how much you use shoe goo for the upper, blowing through the sole is the kiss of death for any skate shoe. 

While the Adidas Adi ease are nearly flawless there are still two things to improve. First, on some models the tongue tended to slip towards the outside of my foot. This could just be a personal problem since I have high arches but an additional elastic strap could be helpful to hold it in place. Second, the heel could use a bit more padding to ensure a more secure fit. The heel counter could even be a tad higher to prevent discomfort on your achilles tendon.  

The Adidas Adi ease are my favorite skate shoes on the market right now. ’Nuff said.