A fantastic playoff showing by Dame is what really made the Dame 5 special. After Dame hit that swagtastic 30 footer in PG’s face to send the Thunder home, hits on my site for the Dame 5 went through the roof. We’ll have to wait until next May to see if the Dame 6..well if they make the playoffs that is. (I’m 90% sure they get in). Enough about the Blazers, are Dame’s new shoes any good? Maybe that explains their record..I kid I kid. #itainttheshoes
Pros: traction on clean floors or freshly wiped, cushioning, fit, containment
Cons: very tippy especially in the heel which is a deal breaker for me
Best for: guards
Sizing advice: truish to size maybe half a size down for regular or narrow footers. Best to try them on if you can.
Buying advice: err, I got them for $80 something on launch day. Nuff said
Weight:
“Lightest Air Jordan ever, lightest Harden ever”. Well if the previous models were all chunker it isn’t that tough to get lighter. . The Dame 6 at 13.5 ounces is actually lightweight compared to most shoes these days. Most shoes these days fall in the 14.5 to 16 ounce range. The Kobe V and VI were under 11 ounces. Weight isn’t a big deal to me but at least you have a reference.
Traction:
Very similar to the Dame 5 overall with a split between solid and translucent. This set up is not the best ever but it is more than adequate on all surfaces. It does pick up more dust than the best of the best so be prepared to wipe. Overall it is good enough but if you’re a traction ho like me, you’ll want to look elsewhere. I also felt the Dame 5 did a better job overall than the 6.Cushioning
Lightstrike is showing up on more and more bball models as we watch Boost get allocated elsewhere. I like Lightstrike so far but this being my third pair of shoes with Lightstrike, I can tell that it does not have nearly the lifespan that Boost has . There is plenty of spring and cushioning out of the box but I can already feel some deadening of the foam versus a fresh pair like the Harden V4 I picked up for $80 as well. The more experience with Lightstrike I have, the more it feels like fresh Lunarlon to me which is goodish since it is comfortable but bad because we know how long Lunarlon lasts. As I’ve said before if you don’t like the looks of creases this is not for you. These crease easily and quickly.
Same insole as the Harden V4 By comparison, the Dame 5 used Bounce and while Bounce feels good overall, it feels a lot more dense and ironically less “Bouncy” than Lightstrike. However it retains its signature feel much longer than Lightstrike so it’s really up to the consumer and their needs.
Overall I enjoy playing in Lightstrike but durability is a concern. But all that being said, if you’re worried about keeping the spring in your step, buy one for now and buy one later when they go on serious discounts. Back to school Black Friday and Pre Xmas sales are prime time deal ops if you didn’t read my Pricing 101 guide.
Fit
Trueish to size! Way to go Adidas ! Baby steps!
1.25 finger width at the toe box and no heel slip out of the box thanks to a higher cut and a nice plush ankle collar.
Here you can see the ankle collar as well as the standard Foam strobel The Dame 6 is a very traditional tongue system with only four eyelets. Unlike the CLB16, the Dame 6 top eyelet sits plenty far back to pull the ankle back and down. Great job Adidas…3.5 years later. Guess that leather hole punch really worked out!
No movement side to side out of the box so I’m good with the fit overall.
Materials
Mehterials is more like it. I’m pretty sure Adidas was going for a performance first/look how performance oriented we are style with the Dame 6 so the shoe basically looks unfinished on purpose. The suede patches look below average to me and the rest of the shoe is just mesh made of different densities. No issues “performance” wise but I’ve always said materials are just about value. So you’re basically getting a $110 shoe worth of materials.
Support and Stability
As a high low support comes from the fit and heel counter which is more than adequate. Midfoot flex is normal so no Rollie Pollie action like we’ve seen on a lot of newer shoes..stability on the other hand…🤦♂️
you can see the contoured and beveled heel of the Dame 6 compared to the 5. If you follow my IG page, you can see how easily the Dame 6 tips, not only on heel strikes but just standing flat footed it just wants to roll out to the side. I’m not saying it’s unplayable for everyone but for someone like me who can occasionally land on my heel or on someone’s foot, I’d rather play in a more stable shoe. As a refresher, I’ve had two or three third degree sprains in curved outsole shoes so I’d rather just not play in them. I actually tweaked my ankle playing in these even with braces on. Just for reference here are some more comparison shots of the Dame 6 vs the Dame 5 and Harden V4.
You can see the Dame 6 is plenty wide but the curvature really makes the effective width of the outsole much more narrowWhy Adidas decided to change it up, I have no clue but the fix is simple for me…Don’t play in it.
Containment
Zero issues here. My foot sits where the Lightstrike meets the Suede. Well done Adidas!
Conclusion
Cheer up Dame 6, you’ll be find a new home soonEvery Dame 1-5 had a flat wide outsole with excellent stability but Adidas decided to change the design on us and give us a narrow rounded heel and midfoot this time around. I know plenty of people will have no issue with this design but unfortunately for me, I am not one of those people. Other than the outsole design, the rest of the shoe plays very well in every category. Traction could be a little better on dusty floors, but hey, the Moda Center is pretty free of dust.
Should you pay full retail ? By know your should know the answer but for additional proof, I paid 78 bucks on LAUNCH DAY. Paying retail for Adidas or UA and Nike GR’s is just silly; the only shoes “worth” retail are limited edition Jordan retros or collabs. Remember how Adidas discounted the Dame 5 after the shot over PG? I’ve never seen an epic performance like that turn into a discount code prior to this past spring. Of course Adidas did it again with the Harden V4 after he dropped 60 a few weeks ago. Hey Dame and James, keep getting buckets so we can get discounts !bet y’all get can’t 100 like Wilt!!
Discounts for great play from your top athletes? Nike execs must be rolling with laughter.Once again please don’t let my personal preference dissuade you from purchasing the Dame 6. It’s a good shoe overall but just not for me. What good is a shoe I if I’m rehabbing?
Second Team Rating..it’s almost Christmas I’m feeling generous.
schwollo.com 
Very much agree with your review. The heel makes it unplayable to me which is a shame because it’s a solid shoe otherwise.
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💯
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Yeah it’s gonna be a no from me dawg.
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The next colorway, the black and white have a 100% solid outsole…
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Yes I’m aware. I’m sure it will play simile to the Dame 5 w solid outsole . Very similar pattern and rubber
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adidas seem to be all in with this lightstrike stuff, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get a shoe with it. I like my cushioning to be durable, so I hated lunarlon since it lasts, seriously, like 2 weeks. I feel like got bamboozled.
Something I like about boost is that its very durable. It loses some bounce, but I still got a Drose 6 that I beat into the ground that still feels pretty good. All my boost runners I wore til they had holes in the outsoles still feel pretty nice.
They seem to be going with lightstrike in their sigs, but they they still have several boost models coming out like the zoneboost, the byw x 2, and the pro boost (which is boost/lightstrike combo, so its my existensial crisis) so I’ll be looking at those. For me, boost and (good) zoom are still the best impact protection cushions out there.
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Yea same here. I still have 3 pairs of Harden Vol 2s that feel great still. Lost a little bounce and height but they still feel amazing and keep me comfortable. The Lightstrike cost savings with less durability has me hunting for some Vol 3s on the low on OfferUp, etc.
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Yep. Previous years models always way cheaper too.
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Are you going to review the Lebron 17s?
Also maybe if you get new tennis shoes could you review those, like the Vapor X’s or Cage 3’s or even throwback like Vapor 9.5 or Lunar Ballistec, or the Energy Boosts?
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No to the Lebron 17s. Just too high for my tastes. Vapor X very good tennis shoe all around softer than the vapor 9.5 and 9 although cheaper feeling. Cage 3 is nice also a bit firm but i only borrowed. I tried the first energy boosts and they weren’t great ..boost too thin and just didn’t feel right on court. the newer ones I haven’t tried but they look promising . I think bounce feels better or more appropriate than boost on the tennis court for some reason. I like a firmer feel on tennis courts I guess.
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Coming from someone who’s had previous sprains, what are some shoes that are good for sprain-prone ankles? Higher-cut ones like the Kobe 1 Protros or the KD12s?
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I’m a firm believer in a flat stable base shoe yes on the Kobe I.kd 12 is a little more narrow but pretty good. Harden V4 is also fantastically stable, any other the previous Dames as well. Get a BOSU ball or those unstable discs to wake up those ankle muscles. Did miracles for me this year!
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Thanks for this! Sprained my ankle in the Curry 6s when I landed on someone’s foot, then resprained them in the same shoes this time while just jogging… now I’m having war flashbacks when I wear them lol
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Ha I tend to shelf shoes I hurt myself in for a few months or more so yea flashbacks are real!
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If it is that tippy i don’t want to think what will happen if i add my custom insoles in there?smh
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In your Dame 5 review you said that those have great arch support. How do these compare? Ok for people with PF?
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Yea not overly flexible. The dame 5 had a little arch support curve under the arch while the 6 is flat like most shoes out today
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Yeah they look a bit terrible when we compare them with Dame 5. I think Dame 5 was the best in this series overall.
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Hi there. I wear a size 11 for harden 3 and it gives me about a finger width of room while in your review you had a thumbs length. It sounds like I would be fine W 11 on these? Thanks!
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All depends how tight you want them and what kind of socks. Size 11 in dame will fit as well a 10.5 albeit a little tighter
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Appreciate the perspective. I tried on the 10.5 and my toe will jam so I’m going to stick w the 11. Thanks again and be safe. I’m waiting for gyms to open back up. You been balling?
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Nope just staying in shape until then !
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I should have read your review before playing in these. Unsure whether it was the dusty court or just the way I land on my feet but I sprained my ankle. Usually I wear Curry’s that tend to have FANTASTIC traction but I thought I’d try something else for the cushioning this season as I have flat feet and tight calves. Now I’m sitting here after game 1 injured and out for 4 weeks. 😦
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That sucks I know and hate that feeling . Some shoes work great for some but curved heels just don’t work for me.
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