Last season, Adidas created the Ball 365 to cater to outdoor ballers. I was really excited last year about this shoe coming out but it was only available overseas and thanks to Adidas’s wanky sizing, I really didn’t want to spend $150 plus on a shoe that could be way too big or way too small. I guess I wasn’t the only one since no “reviewers” reviewed them.
Thankfully the new season is here and everything is on sale so I felt I could justify the risk for almost half the price. In hindsight I wish I didn’t.
Pros: traction, cushioning, decent fit, stability, containment, durable outsole
Cons: thick layers and use of Climawarm will suck for outdoor use during summer months, super thin tongue and dumb design leads to discomfort, some heel slip, rides a little high off the ground, pricey for what you get
Sizing: take a wild guess.. typical Adidas or is it atypical Adidas?
Best for: outdoor players who have to have Adidas
Buying Advice: buy something else
Weight:
Adidas likes to keep them over one pound I guess. Similar weight to the Rose line or CLB16.
Traction
Now this application of Continental rubber makes sense. During my test of Continental versus Regular, I felt Continental would be more durable especially outdoors so it makes sense to put these on the Ball 365. Works great outdoors and indoors as well. Not really much wiping required even on dusty floors indoors. This is the best part about the Ball365
Cushioning
Bounce wins the award for consistency. It has that distinct feel across a lot of different lines of shoes. These feel a little firmer than the Lillard 4 but still feel like Bounce.
I think this set up is great for outdoors even though it sits a little higher up than I’d like.
Sizing
Good thing I’m a good guesser..Before you read this, which way do you think sizing went ? True to size go up half a size go down half a size other? Tough question to answer isn’t it? Fix this issue Adidas.
Well I went half a size up just based on pictures and I was right. There is a lot of padding in the Ball 365 and it runs shorter and narrower than Adidas hoop shoes in general. I had a finger width of space from my biggest toe to the end of the toe box which is my preference and what podiatrists actually recommend.
Fit
In all honesty I wanted the mids but I couldn’t find a pair in my size for a good price. However these lows do a decent job in regard to fit. I had serious heel slip to start but after some workouts and runs the heel fit got better but never got truly locked in. The laces don’t sit high enough or far enough back for me and I really didn’t feel like poking more holes in shoes. Plus the design as a whole didn’t help either (more below). Yes, my feet are very fickle when it comes to lows that’s why I like mids because I usually have zero issues like this with them.
The lace “eyelets” are similar looking to the Rose 8 but the string is actually one continuous piece. If you break it you’re SOL
I could have gone down half a size and it would probably would have improved the fit but then the shoe would have been too tight.
No issues with movement side to side since these run pretty narrow. Overall, I find the fit to be slightly below average due to the heel fit. Miss would probably do a a better job on this department.
Materials
The Ball 365 is mostly just mesh similar to the Fusemesh of the Lillard 3. Nothing great but it feels right as an outdoor material. There is some protection around the toebox for toe dragging which is a plus but if you don’t drag on this spot get ready for some fraying or holes. More coverage across the forefoot would be ideal.
There is also a thick underlay of cloth which I believe is Climawarm but it doesn’t impede flexibility. It’s there to keep your feet warm during winter months while keeping them ultra moist during summer. Yuck
Climawarm -when you really want a bacteria farm growing in your shoes.
I get it’s called the Ball 365 as in 365 days a year but during the hot swamp as* summer this is not what you want at all. And during the winter months, your feet don’t need Climawarm because your feet naturally get hot. Trust me I’ve played hours upon hours of tennis during the winter months and keeping my feel warm was the very last thing I was worried about. Maybe next time throwing in a headband or ski mask would be better than Climawarm as a material in a shoe with no ventilation. One of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever seen unless I’m going skiing or hiking in the freezing cold.
Design
So yea ..about those TPS reports
Maybe I just need a explanation from engineers but this space makes no sense and give me lace pressure irritation and pain. I mean really why? Ventilation ? You have a super thin tongue covering the space so it can’t be for that.
This little thin tongue let’s me feel all the lace pressure I could ever want. And why is the tongue on top of the shoe ? It just looks like n extra piece of fabric.
That space doesn’t help with the fit either so it really makes little sense. Basically my foot foot acts as wedge some every time I run my ankle can push further and further into the “V” cutout making the fit worse with each step. If you’re going to keep my feet warm, a traditional tongue or bootie set up would have worked much better while keeping my feet nice and toasty.
Support and Stability
Support comes from the heel counter and fit so I had no issues with support. Those nubs do nothing except give the appearance of durability and to prepare you for battle with the Whitewalkers. See the Ball365 would be great when #winterishere #gameofthronesdork
Actually the real reason the nubs exist is to add accessories to the shoe but I thought we were done with shrouds and lace covers back in 2001.
Stabilty is good as well with an outsole similar to the Lebron 16. No tippiness in the heel either. Nice job overall Adidas!
Containment
Good containment since my foot sits well below the raised midsole. Sorry this is so brief, just want to finish writing this review.
Conclusion
I really liked that Adidas made an outdoor shoe basketball shoe since not everyone plays indoors. The Ball 365 should really be called Ball 245 because I would not advise wearing these during summer months due to the thick underlays and Climawarm.
IF I ignore the heat retention and weird painful cut out that led to Crazylace pressure and heel slip, the Ball245 is an okay shoe and feels sturdy for the outdoors. But at a retail price of $120 (I think) not including shipping costs, you’d be better served buying older models with Continental rubber for half the price like adidas nmd or Lillard 2. I usually don’t feel sorry about buying a shoe at $80 but this isn’t even aesthetically pleasing to me so pretty much just a big L. I could have bought two Lillard 3’s at the outlet for less than I paid for these and had a better fit, ventilation, and looks. Oh well live and learn and move onto the next one. I hope this review saves someone some money!
Thankfully the new season is here and everything is on sale so I felt I could justify the risk for almost half the price. In hindsight I wish I didn’t.
Pros: traction, cushioning, decent fit, stability, containment, durable outsole
Cons: thick layers and use of Climawarm will suck for outdoor use during summer months, super thin tongue and dumb design leads to discomfort, some heel slip, rides a little high off the ground, pricey for what you get
Sizing: take a wild guess.. typical Adidas or is it atypical Adidas?
Best for: outdoor players who have to have Adidas
Buying Advice: buy something else
Weight:
Adidas likes to keep them over one pound I guess. Similar weight to the Rose line or CLB16.
Traction
Now this application of Continental rubber makes sense. During my test of Continental versus Regular, I felt Continental would be more durable especially outdoors so it makes sense to put these on the Ball 365. Works great outdoors and indoors as well. Not really much wiping required even on dusty floors indoors. This is the best part about the Ball365
Cushioning
Bounce wins the award for consistency. It has that distinct feel across a lot of different lines of shoes. These feel a little firmer than the Lillard 4 but still feel like Bounce.
I think this set up is great for outdoors even though it sits a little higher up than I’d like.
Sizing
Good thing I’m a good guesser..Before you read this, which way do you think sizing went ? True to size go up half a size go down half a size other? Tough question to answer isn’t it? Fix this issue Adidas.
Well I went half a size up just based on pictures and I was right. There is a lot of padding in the Ball 365 and it runs shorter and narrower than Adidas hoop shoes in general. I had a finger width of space from my biggest toe to the end of the toe box which is my preference and what podiatrists actually recommend.
Fit
In all honesty I wanted the mids but I couldn’t find a pair in my size for a good price. However these lows do a decent job in regard to fit. I had serious heel slip to start but after some workouts and runs the heel fit got better but never got truly locked in. The laces don’t sit high enough or far enough back for me and I really didn’t feel like poking more holes in shoes. Plus the design as a whole didn’t help either (more below). Yes, my feet are very fickle when it comes to lows that’s why I like mids because I usually have zero issues like this with them.
The lace “eyelets” are similar looking to the Rose 8 but the string is actually one continuous piece. If you break it you’re SOL
I could have gone down half a size and it would probably would have improved the fit but then the shoe would have been too tight.
No issues with movement side to side since these run pretty narrow. Overall, I find the fit to be slightly below average due to the heel fit. Miss would probably do a a better job on this department.
Materials
The Ball 365 is mostly just mesh similar to the Fusemesh of the Lillard 3. Nothing great but it feels right as an outdoor material. There is some protection around the toebox for toe dragging which is a plus but if you don’t drag on this spot get ready for some fraying or holes. More coverage across the forefoot would be ideal.
There is also a thick underlay of cloth which I believe is Climawarm but it doesn’t impede flexibility. It’s there to keep your feet warm during winter months while keeping them ultra moist during summer. Yuck
Climawarm -when you really want a bacteria farm growing in your shoes.
I get it’s called the Ball 365 as in 365 days a year but during the hot swamp as* summer this is not what you want at all. And during the winter months, your feet don’t need Climawarm because your feet naturally get hot. Trust me I’ve played hours upon hours of tennis during the winter months and keeping my feel warm was the very last thing I was worried about. Maybe next time throwing in a headband or ski mask would be better than Climawarm as a material in a shoe with no ventilation. One of the dumbest ideas I’ve ever seen unless I’m going skiing or hiking in the freezing cold.
Design
So yea ..about those TPS reports
Maybe I just need a explanation from engineers but this space makes no sense and give me lace pressure irritation and pain. I mean really why? Ventilation ? You have a super thin tongue covering the space so it can’t be for that.
This little thin tongue let’s me feel all the lace pressure I could ever want. And why is the tongue on top of the shoe ? It just looks like n extra piece of fabric.
That space doesn’t help with the fit either so it really makes little sense. Basically my foot foot acts as wedge some every time I run my ankle can push further and further into the “V” cutout making the fit worse with each step. If you’re going to keep my feet warm, a traditional tongue or bootie set up would have worked much better while keeping my feet nice and toasty.
Support and Stability
Support comes from the heel counter and fit so I had no issues with support. Those nubs do nothing except give the appearance of durability and to prepare you for battle with the Whitewalkers. See the Ball365 would be great when #winterishere #gameofthronesdork
Actually the real reason the nubs exist is to add accessories to the shoe but I thought we were done with shrouds and lace covers back in 2001.
Stabilty is good as well with an outsole similar to the Lebron 16. No tippiness in the heel either. Nice job overall Adidas!
Containment
Good containment since my foot sits well below the raised midsole. Sorry this is so brief, just want to finish writing this review.
Conclusion
I really liked that Adidas made an outdoor shoe basketball shoe since not everyone plays indoors. The Ball 365 should really be called Ball 245 because I would not advise wearing these during summer months due to the thick underlays and Climawarm.
IF I ignore the heat retention and weird painful cut out that led to Crazylace pressure and heel slip, the Ball245 is an okay shoe and feels sturdy for the outdoors. But at a retail price of $120 (I think) not including shipping costs, you’d be better served buying older models with Continental rubber for half the price like adidas nmd or Lillard 2. I usually don’t feel sorry about buying a shoe at $80 but this isn’t even aesthetically pleasing to me so pretty much just a big L. I could have bought two Lillard 3’s at the outlet for less than I paid for these and had a better fit, ventilation, and looks. Oh well live and learn and move onto the next one. I hope this review saves someone some money!
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