Executive summary: crazy different looking but pretty good overall. Step in comfort is excellent. Really feels like a high cut Ultra Boost made for basketball with nearly no restrictiveness. However, thin forefoot cushioning is too running shoe like and thin for heavier/denser players. No discernible difference in performance between Primeknit and Mesh.
Free balling has a new meaning
Pros: traction, heel to midfoot cushioning, fit, stability, containment
Cons: some outer ankle pain on cuts, forefoot Boost could use a Boost in volume or density; visible medial Boost is not nearly what it actually underfoot, laces loosen too easily, outsole is not durable and peels easily
Sizing: true to size
Best for: lightweight players that need minimal forefoot cushioning
Weight
Exactly the same weight in both versions at 17.5 Oz.
Traction
I’m really enjoying Adidas’s traction patterns this year. I haven’t been let down by any of their new models. Despite the translucent rubber, it doesn’t pick up dirt and grime like the Hyperdunk FK or Rose 7 PK. Adidas calls it Coral Power Traction since it looks like coral ..because when I think of traction performance, I immediately think of coral (come on Adidas Creative Department!)
I know everyone will ask and I’m going to write a full run down on the three models but out of the CLB16, Rose 7 and CE, these are last not because it’s bad but because the other two are just that excellent. It’s slightly worse on clean and dusty floors as the Rose 6 for reference.
*I forgot to note that the outsole is not durable and peels easily. Does not bode well for outdoors or long term*
Cushioning
This is the highlight and lowlight of the shoe in my opinion. Adidas didn’t mess with this Boost by adding more pellets or making the Boost feel denser. Adidas caged the lateral side with a soft rubber compound to keep the Boost stable on quick movements and landings (hmmm sounds like something I would have suggested).
There is a definite decrease in Boost moving from the heel to forefoot so it doesn’t have that consistent meaty feeling like the CLB16. The addictive Bounce feel is mostly felt in the heel to midfoot while it thins out. If you look at the outsole, Adidas cored out certain areas to enhance the trampoline effect (similar to the Hyperdunk, AJ’s, Super fly).
It does feel very similar to a running shoe’s cushioning which is a good and bad thing. I experienced forefoot pain due to bottoming out at the forefoot but I switched out the cheap insole for the Rose 4 insole (again) and it made it feel a lot better but I still bottomed out in the forefoot. At 180 lbs (hey it’s summer break lay off! ) and size 11’s I thought maybe I way too dense for this forefoot cushioning.
But then being my normal self I took the insole out and noticed this mysterious glow on a sunny day and it got me curious. No, the Green Lantern wasn’t nearby and I have not visited Krypton recently.
What you see is a very thin layer of Boost in the forefoot. I know you can see through the heel as well but it’s not nearly as transparent. I took this as a comparison shot with the CLB 16 Boost is roughly 1/2 to 1/3 of what’s seen on the outside.
And Rose 7
In actuality you are getting about the same amount as Boost in the forefoot as my Energy 2m from a few years ago. So you really are getting the cushioning of a running shoe.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the feel of Boost in running shoes but that cushioning is set up for running, not jumping up and down repeatedly. It’s not uncomfortable or hard like the CLB 14 or anything but it could be better (just watch next year). Also worth noting is the lack of cushioning where the torsional shank is placed in the forefoot or basically 1/4-1/3 of the forefoot. It might be 1-2mm thin.
Had Adidas put the forefoot set up of the CLB, Rose 7 or 6 then we’d be talking cushioning heaven.
Visual tricks aren’t anything new. Look at Nike and visible Air. It gives the wearer a certain amount of confidence and reassurance when you can see the tech. But for actual performance purposes, this doesn’t work for me. I guess the extra Boost on the medial side might help keep the foot contained but I still feel it’s more visual than anything else
If you want a more balanced Boost feel, get the CLB16, Rose 7 with a different insole or last year’s Rose 6.
I played around in both pairs to compare because when you just put them on separately they both felt plush and soft. However, when on foot, the CE is definitely a softer ride overall. Forefoot Boost of the Rose 6 still wins easily and feels more even heel to toe.
Fit
I went true to size and the length and width is perfect for me. Narrow footers might want to go down half a size although the length might be too short.
The internal bootie runs the full length of the shoe and I had a little looseness in the heel the first few games but I just had to retie my shoes and Inwas fine. No heel slippage after a few games but the CE doesn’t have the locked in feel like the Rose 7 or Hyperdunk 2016 but I don’t think it’s supposed to and it still works fine. Free balling remember ?
There are only four eyelets on the CE and it works ok but I still don’t understand why Adidas is trending this way? I still think a standard lace set up is better. More eyelets equates to more friction which requires less time fiddling with my shoes.
Looking at the internal lacing system you can see the top eyelet has straps that go down and down and back to help lock the foot in.
The rest of the eyelets have a similar two strap system to assist with lockdown as well.
Overall the fit is great but could use a better lacing system to keep the heel locked in.
Materials
Primeknit is nice but if weren’t billed as a premium material, I don’t think people would be gushing about it as much. I played in both the regular version and Primeknit and I really couldn’t tell a difference. What’s great about Primeknit is that Adidas can use one material and give it strength or flexibility where needed. It also allows them to make cooler looking textures, patterns, and colors.
There is a nylon backing pretty much everywhere except the forefoot on both the mesh (I guess that’s what I’d call it) and PK versions plus you have the full length internal bootie so you’re not going to feel a difference on your skin with either material (insert condom joke)
The “mesh” version feels similar to Adidas’s old Techfit but softer, thinner and stretchier.
Since they couldn’t knit more strength into the upper, Adidas just added a flexible yet strong TPU for strength.
Here you can see the tighter knitting on the Primeknit all along the same places.
Overall both materials are great with strength and support in the right places.
If you’re a materials whore, you’ll enjoy these. Well done Adidas !
Support and stabilty
With the extra high cut, you’d think the CE would have exceptional support but the upper is flexible and soft so the support comes from the fit and heel counter. I had some outer ankle pain on hard cuts from the heel counter and it got better but never really went away.
The shoe is very stable though thanks to the caged Boost as well as the infinity shaped shank. I believe they made it this way since it is so plush but as thin as the forefoot cushioning is I think a shorter X bar like the Rose 5 would have been better.
The outsole is also very wide and there isn’t an actual outrigger, it’s just a very wide flat outsole. Even wider than the Rose 7 with the outrigger! I never felt in danger of tipping or spraining my ankle.
Well done with Adidas!
Containment
Adidas has my love because they addressed one of my biggest pet peeves with modern shoes and just roll caged the sh*t out of all their shoes this year.
But they also added a thin synthetic or nylon strap that runs across the forefoot. Under Armour did something similar with the CFD 2 low and it works great.
See I’m not crazy, it just took a few years for a company to actually do something about it.
Thank you and well done Adidas!
Conclusion
Crazy Looking and Crazy Comfortable to wear but I’m not Crazy in Love with the Crazy Explosive. I’ve said it before that I’m not a material snob and these feel nice but it’s not like I’m going to notice how Primeknit upper feels versus a broken in synthetic or leather upper when I’m actually playing..and if I am, please bench me. You get the exact same performance out of either pair and as I stated in an earlier post, the mesh version only cost me $98 so that’s a $52 saving versus the PK.
Step in comfort is fantastic and the shoe as a whole is a nice shoe that feels like a running shoe but the forefoot cushioning is so thin and unremarkable feeling that it doesn’t matter how spectacular the heel cushioning feels. If they Boosted up the forefoot like the CLB16, then I wouldn’t hesitate to play in these. If I wore a size 13 I probably wouldn’t have noticed since the overall cushioning would have been thicker. Lighter players that aren’t as dense as I am at 5’10, 180lbs, size 11 should be ok with the thinner forefoot.
Should you buy the Crazy Explosive now?
No, definitely not. Nothing sells out anymore and at $150 the CEPK is on the high side now that Nike started rolling back prices like Walmart. With a “unique” divisive look, no Superstar (Wiggins is a work in progress), no limited runs and no Swoosh, Jumpman or Kanye, I can guarantee these will get cheaper quickly. The non PK is already $98 on Amazon.
Which Adidas Boost shoe should I buy?
I broke down every component of Adidas’s big three so hope this helps.
HeadX3: Adidas Bball comparison
If you want a running shoe feel, go with the Crazy Explosive. If you want an all around performer, go with the Rose 7 like I did. And if you want a low cut Rose 7, go with the CLB16 but try it in store because the fit is tricky.
schwollo.com 
I wish I’d seen this review before buying. The combo of the big heel offset, toe spring and thin forefoot started to kill my mtp joints after going hard a couple of days ago. Not to mention that the traction pattern is starting to peel away already and now I’m sliding a bit. All of the other major reviewers seem to be on the smaller side so I gotta take their word with caution from now on.
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Mine peeled after one day of play.. I should probably note that in the review . Nobody seemed to notice how thin it was which was the first thing I noticed. Had to take them off last night because my forefoot neuromas were throbbing.
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All the other reviewers is not even capable of simple crossover move as well. How they thought of jc crossover 2 as the best shoes of all time despite having mediocre containment is beyond me. Dont they know that you need at least a decent containment to execute it. The only explanation is they only run in a straight line when “weartesting” a shoes.
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Ha ha I don’t get how they overlooked that either but they love materials while I love traction. Regarding skill, there is a place and role for everyone on any team so I don’t knock hoop skills. There is always someone bigger and better so Just have to make do with what God gave you . Mental mistakes drive me crazy though .. What were we talking about again ? Lol
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I still told u, even if I’m 3 days late
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No discernible difference in performance between Primeknit and Mesh.
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Thanks for the info. I need a squishy forefoot otherwise one of my MTP joints pops and pains me, and also the bottom of my forefoot starts to ache after several hours. I had to sell my Curry 2s for these reasons even though I absolutely loved how they played. Killed my MTP joint more than anything else.
I take most reviews with a grain of salt, because as we know (and have seen for example in the AJ29 videos from MJ’s house), lot’s of reviewers aren’t very good at basketball. Lots of reviews seem to be gushing about the cushion in this shoe.. some calling it the best ever. Seemed implausible to me. Personally I think the Rose 6 was too firm in the forefoot, and this seems more firm. My go to right now is a pair of AJ28 SEs that I picked up in the spring new for $78. Love unlocked zoom.. in fact, zoom is the only think I find comfortable so far as an adult.. even in average implementations (loved the cushion in the Soldier 8s even though it wasn’t very pronounced).
I think I’ll still try these on, but I have to imagine they’re going to be too firm for me. Itching for another shoe though, so I’ll probably end up buying a hyperrev 2016 since the last pairs are sub $60 now.. zoooom.
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KD 9? You might like those in the forefoot. The XX8 feels fantastic although I like them a little firmer. Makes my non unlocked zooms feel ordinary. Surprised the Rose 6 didn’t work out but it isn’t springy like the xx8. Xx9 is over rated . Upper is comfy but too much give for me. Hyperrev 16 is a nice blend and if you can find soldier VI try those.
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Great review. I appreciate how you’re really in depth with your reviews. You were dead on about size 13 having thicker boost in the forefoot I wear a 13 in the PrimeKnit version and the boost feels as great in the forefoot as they do in the heel. I personally like the boost setup more in these than I do in the Rose 7 and Crazylight 2016’s. Thanks for all your reviews.
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Lucky big footers! I’ll bet it feels much better. Thanks for reading!
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Best performance tester on internet !
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thanks !
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How is the forefoot cushioning and courtfeel in comparison to curry2 (a very good shoes despite stiff cushioning especially for speedy guards)?
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You can’t really feel the Boost in the forefoot bc of how thin it is and the shank plate in the forefoot. Court feel is very good though since it is so thin and close to the ground
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awesome… especially the trick in the boost was worth reading… well done schwollo!
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Thanks davide!
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Very nice. Thanks! Btw, is your performance review on the Jordan XXXI up next?
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Yep it’s not bad but it’s not great either. Traction sucks on dusty floors so far
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Now I know lol. Thanks!
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Lol
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Does the wider base mean these are inherently wide foot-friendly? Great review btw!
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Wide base doesn’t necessarily mean it is but the CE is wide foot friendly. Thanks !
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I’m surprised adidas pulled off that thin forefoot boost trick. It is doubtful that raising the edges was done for containment so they did it to make it look thicker than it is!? That’s sneaky and disappointing if so
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I’m surprised too
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My theory is adidas went for super low to the ground design because these were originally John Wall’s signature. With his game and shoe history, like the adidas crazyquick, it makes sense for them to make these super low to the ground. That doesn’t justify tricking us with the thicker looking boost though.
Why do you think none of the other major reviewers even mentioned this?
I come here to get the most detailed and honest reviews out there!
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Yea they made it low to the ground for feel which I understand but don’t know what’s up with the thicker look. Don’t know why no one else noticed this .. I think it’s best to gather info rather than treat any reviewers review as gospel. Too bad more people don’t bother reading or using google over YouTube lol. Thanks Zoom for the kind words!
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I’m literally the same size as you. Size 11, 5’11, 180. However I thought the cushion in the forefoot was amazing. In any other shoe I will get pain on the bottom of my right foot, especially up front on my toes. However, in these, after playing it felt like I hadn’t played. Which is great. However I did get a severe cut/blister on the outside of my right ankle from the inner bootie. While playing it wasn’t killing me, just bugging me. But when I got home, it was a pretty bad cut. Any sort of water or anything touching it really stung. I woke up in the middle of the night from the covers touching it. I still have the cut and it’s been over a week since I’ve got the cut or even used the CE. Been sticking to strictly low tops. Had to return them because of that. Sucks, because I LOVED the cushion.
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I thought it played comfortable for awhile but my foot would just bottom out to the point is have to take them off. I got that same ankle pain you did but I didn’t get a cut. It occurs when I move towards the outside hard. The upper isn’t super padded there so that heel counter just digs in. I worked it a bit with hands and it helped but it’s still there
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Out of curiosity, what kind of pain is it in your foot ? Neuromas? Feels like a rock in your shoe ? That’s what I have
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Not sure, I’ve never actually gone to see a doctor like I probably should. but like most guys, I just like to try to ignore it lol. But the pain feels similar to a bruise, I would say. I’m not sure if that helps
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Haha yep sounds like me. You can buy a forefoot pad that sits right behind the metatarsal to elevate the part that aches. Worked for me when I had serious pain
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In your opinion which are a better performer best to room least CE, Rose 6/7? Thanks
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Rose 7, 6, CE
Rose 7 traction easily the best. Actually same order as performance.
Rose 7 has Better balanced cushioning than the CE .
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*best to least
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Have you played in the Jordan XX9 Lows? If so, how do they perform?
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No I haven’t . Don’t like the tippy heel of the xx9 so don’t want to risk it . Should have good heel fit since almost all Nike/Jordans have good lockdown
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What’s good schwollo.
Just want to hit you up with another question, been contemplating copping the rev 16. I also copped the soldier ix lux fairly recently and the zoom felt good and pronounced from just trying in-store. Haven’t played in them tho cos still recovering from a knee injury.
So could you help me decide if it’s still worth it to get the revs in terms of cushioning and as far as being fairly light-weight when in transition, when compared to the soldier IXs, cos NW said that the soldiers have larger zoom units than the revs with a less dense phylon.
Thanks so much man and keenly awaiting the XXXIs review from you.
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Nvm just read a comment in the rev review where u already answered that question….u still planning on copping the ambassador xiii tho?
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No plans
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Hey man, i love your reviews and i just wanna ask what would you pick between the d rose 7 or kd9 or crazy explosive..i am a guard
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What are you looking for in a shoe
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Great comparison! How did you determine that the boost was thinner? I just saw them today in stores, squished the upper to see feel how thick the boost was in th forefoot, and my fingers stopped pretty much at the thickness that you see. Maybe a little thicker cause of the insole.
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I took the insole out and pushed inside out to see where the Boost actually laid from inside the shoe.
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Hello Schwollo, 1st time post and wanna acknowledge your expertise compared to other, lesser reviewers lol. Aslo I would like to know if the tpu cage on the CE’s(non pk) will dig into my foot like the primeknit versions do on the medial side? I’m a 190lbs sz.15 quick cutting guard. and I’m starting to wonder if my weight/shoe size has anything to do with it bcuz nobody mentioned it cutting into their feet on the medial side. Thnx!
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It’s actually the internal heel counter digging in not the TPU. I think it has more to do with how you move than our weight. For example I feel it dig when I’m moving left (or right) and my knee is outside my ankle as in getting low to the ground . Make sense? And thank you !
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Hello schwollo i need your help.I had a surgery on my achilles(partial rupture and haglung) my biggest problem now in a shoe is the forefoot if is to hard i have tendon pain.So i need the most comfortable basketball shoe on the market.is that the case with the CE?or please point me to a different shoe.All the best! I’m a pro basketball player 6 m from surgery trie to comeback and is like 12 practices per week!
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I personally had bottoming out in the crazy explosive so I can’t say that would work. Wasn’t the greatest is the forefoot. I’d look at the Rose 6 (last year) and KD 9 for better forefoot cushioning . Good luck with your recovery !
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I appreciate it!
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No problem !
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I just wanna say that this must be the most detailed review on the net. I’ve seen many other reviews but no one else mentions how the boost on CE is thin on the forefoot compared to Rose 6 or 7. Cushioning is very important to me since I have knee problems. I was going to upgrade from my Rose 6 PK to this but your review saves me. Thanks!
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I think the 6 is definitely a more even feeling than the crazy explosive. No issues ever bottoming out in those. Heel and mid is nice on the CE though. Thanks for reading !
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Porzingin’s PE of this shoe has 6 lace loops. It looks better and probbaly performes better.
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Ha yea I saw that. Makes you wonder why we didn’t get that .
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If I was going strictly on wanting a cushion with “bounce” to it in addition to the kd 9’s which I love, would you say these or the xx8’s which I’ll probably pick up from eBay ?
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XX8 but lots of cases of the air bags popping and they aren’t replacing them anymore. Might even look at Rose 6.
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I just bought these from amazon for $96 bucks and I am really happy with the shoe.
I’m having one issue with it however and thought maybe you could help. I’m torn between a size 10.5 (perfect/just a little tight fit) to a size 11 (more comfortable but a little looser fit)
Btw, I have the non PK version (Neoprene version)…do you think these shoes will stretch out enough for me to keep the 10.5 or keep the size 11 because they will stay the same siize…
The tightness in the shoe for me comes in the forefoot area.
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The 10.5 won’t really stretch more because the upper is already stretchy and elastic. I’d go wth the more comfortable size personally but some
People like a tighter fit. As long as you’re not sliding around in the 11 you’ll be fine IMO
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Hi Sir! Good day! I’m Bobby and I live in the Philippines. First of all thank you for the really great and detailed review! I really learned a lot.
I bought a d rose 7 (mesh) two weeks ago and have already used them twice. I’m a small dude (5’5″) but I jump and run a lot so sometimes I land on someone else’s foot. That’s why support and cushioning is a big deal for me and I use only mid to high top shoes (Kobe IX) I tried d rose 7 and crazy explosive and I chose d rose 7 because of the fit. However during my second game, my right toe hurt and It really bothered me. I really love the Support and cushioning of the d rose 7 (mesh) but This was the first time my toe hurt during the game.
I would just like to ask for your opinion which should I buy to replace my Kobe IX (high)? 1. 2016 hyperdunk high; 2. PK d rose 7; and 3. Crazy explosive.
Again Apologies for the very long comment and for the many queries. Hoping for your kind response. Thank you!
Bobby
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Try the pk Rose. Crazy explosive didn’t work for me and Hyperdunk Flyknit was good but traction is ok had a little heel slip too. Try your pair again first though
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Do you think adding the DRose 4 insole into the crazy explosive will fix the forefoot issue in the crazy explosives ?
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I figured out that the cored out area is where the bottoming out was occurring. I tried a thicker insole but it didn’t work
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I gave this shoe another try because I really liked how different the shoe is from any other basketball shoe, which I really appreciate – despite being left with a pretty bad blister from the shoe I had positive outlook on the shoe and was hoping it might have been just bad luck with a certain pair so I went and bought a different pair in store.
Nope. Thing is when I try them on, I don’t notice the inner padding rubbing again my ankle but when I start to move around just shooting I noticed the inner pad rubbing against my ankles on both feet. I didn’t even bother to play because I knew if I did I would get blisters. So I didn’t even play lol, I left and returned them.
I can also say this shoe is fairly overrated, again I appreciate the shoe for really being very different and I do like how it looks, but from trying the shoe on again, the cushion was just a no go, which is strange because I liked it when I first tried them. You feel a lot slower in them, with your foot sinking into the cushion, you don’t feel that quick response to the court, the boost is so much you feel unstable like you’re on platform shoes. Plus all that boost makes the shoe heavy as hell and makes you feel like you’ve got anchors on your feet.
I will say I really enjoyed the primeknit.
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Very overrated in my opinion. I’m the only “reviewer ” that didn’t like them. It’s a good show but there is more to a shoe than cushioning and a soft upper. Plus only half the cushioning in the shoe was any good.
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I respect the efforts you put into your reviews and I believe every word you said is based on your own experience, but regarding the part of the thickness of the Boost, evidences elsewhere do tell a different story. On another review site the stuffs there saw every pair they review into half and keep records of measurements like lengths and thickness. In their reviews the boost midsole of CE have a thickness of 11.49mm compares to DR7s 10.12mm and CL16s 11.06mm (BTW HV1s 10.55mm), so if you feel the cushioning at the forefoot isn’t enough, it is definitely not because the boost midsole is thinner than other models, rather the density or overall structure may be the source of your problem.
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Thanks for the adult response (seriously it’s refreshing). I saw those on fast pass. I think it’s the density of the forefoot as well as the cored out area that allows me to bottom out. If there was no cored out area I think i would have been fine. CE feels like my running shoe’s Boost in the forefoot. Regardless of the reason, I just didn’t feel much up there in any of the 5 or 6 pair I tried and had to return. You’d be surprised how different the Boost felt from pair to pair which is also a problem with Adidas.
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Hello Schwollo!
In my pair (red pk), boost is OK, very bouncy and no bottoming at all. Amazing cushion! Maybe I’m lucky… Lol
But I have your same issue with heel counter: some ankle pain in extreme lateral cut, due to thin internal padding in the ankle area.
I resolved adding, when playing, some makeup cotton discs in my socks, around external ankle… No more pain!
Two cents mod and issue resolved lol
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How long have you had them ? Might just need break in ?
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Have you tested CLB in Primeknit?
Maybe this setup address sizing and heel lockdown…
I’m very intrigued by Nightwing review
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We will see. Two very different upper designs make for two possibly different fit experiences. Adidas should have given him the regular one to review first not the PK version
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The CE issue never went away.
I have played in CE for about 20 hours and heel counter hurt me like the first time… Lol
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Did you try bending it with your hands? It’s just a plastic piece so might be able to bend it away from your ankle
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In 90’s I have same CE issue with Nike Uptempo 2 and Max Uptempo… Very annoing
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Well that sucks. Those things are padded well
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Yes I try… But nothing changes.
Maybe my ankles have wrong measures. Lol
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Haha could be just that my friend.
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What exactly do you mean when you say “bottoming out”?
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My forefoot hits the floor or fully compresses the Boost due to thinness in the forefoot.
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Thx for the clarification
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If I went half a size down(from my Nike size) in the DRose 6 what do you suggest I do for the Crazy Explosive? Thanks in advance.
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True to size Nike size.
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Where can you buy it in the Turkis and Orange Version Size 46.5 European?
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No i idea sorry
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