adidas DON Issue 2 Performance Review

 The adidas DON Issue 2 is the second signature shoe for Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell. It arrives after Mitchell averaged 36 points per game in his 2020 first round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. In that series, Mitchell and fellow adidas athlete Jamal Murray ascended to new levels of NBA stardom.

Can the shoe match up to the abilities of the man himself? Let’s find out.

Traction

Indoors, the traction on the adidas DON Issue 2 has been nothing short of awesome. A completely different experience from my time in the adidas DON Issue 1. The traction is very reliable and doesn’t need much wiping — if any at all. If you play indoors, then you may end up having the air jordan 35 in your bag just in case you run into some nasty floors.

Outdoors, however, I didn’t get the best grip. For some reason they lost their bite. This is new to me as I can usually expect shoes that do well indoors to do even better on outdoor courts. Durability usually takes a hit, but grip, which is what is most important when talking about traction, is usually elevated on rougher outdoor surfaces. They’re not horrible outside, but they’re a shoe I’d really lean towards only using indoors.

Cushion

Bounce is back and it’s not as noticeable as it was in the New Balance KAWHI . Once things start to break in, then you can tell you have decent cushion under-foot. However, the plush and rubbery feeling that Bounce usually offers isn’t there with this shoe.

The tooling features adidas’ old Feet You Wear (FYW) system and I believe that’s the reason why the Bounce is a bit muted. FYW focuses on mobility and court feel. Cushion usually contradicts those two attributes. Now, if you’re looking for mobility and court feel, and don’t feel like sacrificing cushioning in order to enjoy those aspects, then you can consider the DON Issue 2 as the Kyrie for adidas Hoops. It will offer you just enough cushion to complement the court feel and mobility setup.

Materials

Lots of lightweight textiles and a few synthetic overlays. Pretty standard for today’s basketball shoes. Nothing here stood out as being great. Nothing stood out as being bad either. Everything is there and it all works just fine. No complaints from me as far as performance is concerned.

Would I have preferred some premium touches? Perhaps. The design isn’t one that screams “wear me casually.” So while I would have appreciated some premium touches, it really doesn’t bother me that there’s nothing premium here.

Fit

The adidas DON Issue 2 fits true to size, although they are a bit on the snug side. Especially at the forefoot towards the base of the tongue. Wide footers may have to go up a 1/2 size or pass on the shoe altogether. Lockdown was solid due to the snug fit. Just make sure you lace them up all the way or the heel may feel a bit floppy when in motion.

Support

Everything you’ve come to expect is there — and then some. Torsional support is great. Heel support is great as well. You sit within the midsole, so lateral movements are well covered from a containment standpoint. Additionally, the base is fairly flat and wide which further enhances stability from heel to toe.

Overall

The stadium fits has been a surprise hit for me on court. While I won’t be keeping them in my outdoor rotation, I’ll keep them in my gym bag for indoor runs.

Traction and fit are very good. Cushion isn’t the Bounce I fell in love with, but it’s good enough when you factor in the added mobility and range of motion received from the FYW system. At its $100 price point, the DON Issue 2 is a very good bang for your buck option. You won’t break the bank and you won’t be sacrificing any performance attributes because of it.