The final third instance of my Adidas’s three-headed monster is here: bringing you my Adidas Dame 3 review in 2020! I’ve picked 3 classic beasts on the court: the Air jordan, the Crazy Explosive 2017 Primeknit, and now the Dame 3.
Why? They’re remarkable shoes, they beat their 2020 counterparts in terms of value and they’re the three only shoes that I’m still regularly playing in 2020, that are older than 2018.
I think you get the idea by now – newer is not always better, so in this review, we’ll see why the Dame 3 is still a very good shoe today in terms of their fit & comfort, performance, versatility, and value for the money.
Let’s begin!
Model: Adidas Dame 3
Build: Mid-Top
Weight: 15.5 oz / 439 g. (size 10)
Retail Price: $115
Cushion: Full-length BOUNCE
I. COMFORT & FIT
It is year #4 with me and these together on the court, and the Dame 3 fits like a glove just as it did from day one. The shoe is very comfortable, and one of those instances where I completely forget I have something on my feet while playing, and fully focus on the game along with the shoe providing me quality performance in all areas.
That is amazing and not a lot of today’s shoes manage to accomplish this.
Fancy tech names, butter-soft materials that are marketed as premium are all good, but a lot of times certain things are just in the way – whether it’s too much rigidity, or you got some kind of gimmicky strap that bothers you, or anything else that might seem very cool ends up being just an annoyance.
The Dame 3 manages to stay away from all that and provide the best fit, security, and one-to-one feeling, without any gimmicks or unnecessary features.
I’m a very prominent wide footer and these fit exactly right for me while going true to size. So just like the previous D Lillard 2, regular/narrow footers will want to go down half a size for a perfect, snug, and secure fit.
It seems like Adidas never really figured this sizing issue out, as their models released today are still inconsistent in terms of sizing between different releases.
Regardless though, you can’t deny the fact that this is one of the best options to go for a wide footer, and the shoe fits really well for pretty much any foot shape. Think of it as more of a sturdy and tighter fit than on a very soft and thin knit material shoe.
It’s not too much to a point where it’s too stiff and uncomfortable, but it’s extremely secure and accompanies the foot’s natural shape, without losing the comfort aspect.
Amazing job, nothing else to be said!
II. TRACTION
The traction on the Dame 3 is a multi-directional blade pattern, and it’s totally awesome. Despite the shoe being solid in all areas, I feel like the traction stands out the most as it’s ridiculously good.
This is one of the only shoes I have for a long time (they’re almost 4 years old) and the traction never lost a single step. You’d think that it’s normal for the rubber to eventually chip away and deteriorate from wear and tear, and you’d be completely correct.
Not the case for the Dame 3 however – this is one of the primary outdoor shoes that I play to this day and I never felt like the traction got worse, or got more prone to dust. I’m not exactly sure as to why this is not the case with today’s shoes anymore, as most of them are indoor-only models, and could likely never serve this well for 4 years.
These don’t really squeak much even on a clean wood floor but the bite itself is unreal. I legit feel slightly faster and more explosive as I can strike into the ground as hard and fast as I want and the shoe would still bite the floor with the same traction, leading to quicker acceleration.
The Dame 3 is still the top 3 best tractions in a shoe EVER. ‘Nuff said.
III. CUSHION
Full-length BOUNCE caged in a TPU carrier is on the Dame 3 and despite it being not as fun or bouncy to play in as on the Crazy Explosive 2017, it’s an amazing cushion setup that gets the job done in terms of pure performance.
It’s the best-balanced setup of the three classics, the Rose 6, this one, and the Crazy Explosive 2017. And those are very versatile setups, to begin with!
Sure, but how can it get more versatile than already very versatile you ask? BOUNCE foam contorts pretty much just as much as BOOST, but BOUNCE is a tad bit firmer, which means you’ll still get tons of impact protection, you’ll still feel very responsive and the midsole will still return energy effectively.
But all while doing so, the shoe feels even more responsive, quicker, and provides more court feel than BOOST on the CE 2017 and the D Rose 6.
Yes, you’ll feel a bit less bounce, it won’t be as fun but it will be just as effective. For just about any player you can imagine.
This is a fantastic setup and I’m super glad BOUNCE is still Adidas’s active foam choice for their current releases, and this shoe shows you why.
IV. SUPPORT
Since I’ve already mentioned the Dunk is tank-like, you already know support is going to be super strong.
Everything is in check – a heel counter, a midfoot shank, a great fit, midfoot lacing system encaged in TPU, the upper is very strong and supportive and your foot sits deep into the carrier, making the ride that much more stable.
To finish it off, the shoe’s base is flat and wide, making both great for wide footers, and also very stable for everyone in general.
I love this setup and every time I play in these, I jokingly feel like there’s no chance of rolling an ankle in these. There are containment issues, my foot always was in place, lockdown is great as well.
I do have some occasional heel slippage, it doesn’t happen too often in it’s very minor, but something to keep in mind. This will depend on the size you go for and your foot shape, so it might or might not happen to you!
Overall, there’s nothing else to be asked from the Dame 3 in terms of security – it ticks all the boxes.
V. BUILD & MATERIALS
The upper of the Dame 3 is mesh fused with TPU – Adidas’s called it FUSEDMESH (duh) and despite it not looking premium or smooth and soft like a knit, it works wonders from a performance standpoint.
I don’t think I’ve heard one person say these look dope but despite the interesting aesthetics – the material is high-quality, it’s extremely reliable, and adds lots of structure to maintain containment and a great overall fit after all those years.
Ventilation or any kind of real flex from the material will not be present, so take it or leave it – I’m taking it. I’d take performance and durability over a softer feel or ventilation any day of the week. The Dame 3 is one of the most durable shoes I’ve ever had and for what used to be a $115 retail price, this is technically a steal.
VI. OVERALL
There’s no denying that the Dame 3 is one of the kings of recent basketball shoe releases.
I legit didn’t hear any real complaints from any user who tried the shoe. Now, of course, some things will depend on the size you choose and your foot shape, but in terms of pure performance, versatility, and bang for your buck value, there’s hardly many shoes better than the Dame 3.
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