SIZING

The Adidas Puig firs true to size; we recommend going for the size you usually wear in adidas.

DURABILITY

Overall, the durability of the adidas Puig was good, however there were some areas for improvement. Let’s start off with some highlights; there were three main points that helped prolong the entire lifespan of the shoe while skating. First off, the quality of the materials used in the shoe proved to be very high-performance quality, and in this case, you absolutely get what you pay for. In our 10 hours of skating for previous adidas skateboarding models, the shoe’s vulc and suede would wear out and rip through fast, but in the case of the Puig, the shoe was very resilient to griptape abuse and the suede was a hit. The second durability highlight is the shoe’s sole. The sole is very thick, especially in the toe area. It helps to protect the suede toe from griptape contact and provides great flick, which is a huge bonus especially when trying out a new shoe you’re not used to. The third great feature is the lacing system. The hidden lace system proved to be extremely effective and even the seams in the midfoot area did not show signs of wear.

A detail that was very noticeable that didn’t help with durability was the positioning of seams where the toe area connects to the midfoot area and seams of the panel around the laces. As you can see from the pictures,  although the seamster deliberately positioned outside of the critical zone, the seams still ripped and the suede became rather loose fitting. With that said, the suede was still quite thick, so the overall quality of the suede did help prevent the loose suede areas from ripping further. Another flaw of the shoe was the heel collar; even-though the material was very comfortable, the collar gets shredded up very quickly from the griptape, Neither of these affect the overall performance of the shoe, but they do make the shoe look a bit untidy and makes it seem like the shoe has been skated for a really long time.

CUSHIONING

Even though the differences between vulc and cupsole constructions seem to fade off more and more, capsules still take the cake when it comes down to cushioning. The adidas Puig is no exception. The cushioning is above average, thanks to the high sole construction in the heel area and the additional EVA-foam inlay. However, the absence of a foamed midsole in the center and front-area reduce the model’s ability to dampen high impacts in these regions.

SHAPE

The toebox area of the adidas Puig closely resembles that of the Busenitz Pro, with a more rounded tip. The pointed arrow shape of the shoe offers great flick and allows plenty of control while doing flip tricks. The suede is thicker than usual and thus, the shape also holds rigidity throughout the 10-hour test, without any shoe wrinkles. The mid foot and heel run almost parallel and are very slim gutted which helps that the shoe feels very close to the feet.

Boardfeel and Grip

Boardfeel and grip are two more strengths of this model. The thin forefoot area and sockliner in the first third of the shoe create a very close connection between foot and board. As shown in the cut-picture, the sole is very thin in the front and quite thick in the last third, the balance between cushioning and direct contact to the board is executed really well. This is further supported by the flexibility of the sole unit. Due to the thin treaded pattern and the medium thick sidewalls of the sole, the Puig adapts very well to the concave of the board, especially for a cupsole.

COMFORT AND STABILITY

The most important features for a comfortable skate shoe includes weight, ventilation and a well-crafted inner shoe area. The adidas Puig is lightweight and the inner area is crafted very well, although some slight pressure marks on the top area of the tongue, made out of a very inflexible material, were noticeable during the sessions. The only disappointment of the shoe is it’s below average breathability. The model has basically no areas designed to alleviate the feet heat generated from skating. But when it come to stability, the Adidas Puig is by far the best model on the market. The stability is incredible and well balanced, ensuring a secure feeling on and off the board. The heel area is very stiff, due to the sole, which goes up to almost the mid heel area and acts almost as an external heel reinforcement. The padding in the heel area makes the shoe extremely comfortable and also helps secure the heel when skating. The midfoot area keeps the foot in place and prevents any horizontal movements within the shoe. The suede upper did not stretch out at all during the test. This means the sidewalls won’t get too flexible and lose their shape, and the stability of the shoe should maintain it’s full potential over the whole lifespan of the shoe, which is rarely the case with most suede models.

SUMMARY

The third upgraded and sleek new offering from adidas’ Lucas Pro models is highlighted by strong durability in the toe area, excellent stability, and exceptional boardfeel. However, there were some flaws with the comfort of the tongue and certain points of weakness in other parts of the shoe’s durability. If you can cash out for a pair, we definitely recommend trying the new upgrade out.

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Supra

With probably the longest shelves and a shoe for everybody, Supra’s booth generated a lot of traffic. besides the recent releases of 2012 in updated colorways, they introduced a vulcanised version of the “Stacks”, Terry Kennedy’s pro model. The “Hammer”, that will be released in the following weeks was shown in new colorways, too and seems to sell quite good.

The new, vulc-soled Stacks.

The Hammer, Jim Greco’s signature style and inspired by a cut-down Skytop 3.

Lakai

With subjectively the most new models on the shelfs, Lakai definitely impressed. A new Guy Mariano, the first Vincent Alvarez, a Rick Howard boot in smooth brown and anthracite suede as well as the Quite Life capsule collection, there was something for everybody.

The newest Guy Mariano model that successfully combines a clean toebox and sophisticated lines with vintage running elements in the heel area.

The Vincent Alvarez signature style, well deserved and somehow brings back Lakai Manchester memories.

The Rick Howard/Fourstar collab boot was very well received according to the Lakai rep.

Lakai overview

adidas

Mark Gonzales is celebrating 15 years with adidas in 2013 and receives an expanded capsule collection including two new signature styles. Besides that, the Seeley is getting a color treatment by the adidas pros and the pro models of Dennis Busenitz, Silas Baxter Neal and Lucas Puig were presented in great new colorways for fall 2013. Adidas’ apparel offerings get broader and better with every season as well, especially many pieces of the Silas Baxter Neal range stood out.

Three columns, three team riders. Adidas presents great colorways every season, including fall 13.

The Mark Gonzales collection, at least parts of it.

The Adi Ease by Nestor Judkins, his third (?) colorway of the model and always a favorite one.

Other highlights

Praxis footwear had a tiny but stacked booth including an all rubber shoe, definitely an eye-catcher.

For more behind the scenes pictures, the Nike SB 10 years exhibition opening as well as pictures of the “House of VANS” party, have a look at our Facebook page or follow us on Instagram (@weartested).

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“Weird to say, but since the first day, I can feel my board.” This quote of Lucas Puig sums up the newest pro model in the adidas skateboarding range, the Lucas Pro, pretty good.

It’s well known that adidas doesn’t give out pro models to their riders easily. Quality over quantity seems to be the slogan within the Portland-based skateboarding offices. After being on Lakai for quite some years, delivering a – if not THE – stand out part in their video “Fully Flared”, Lucas Puig then switched to adidas in the beginning of 2011.  The decision to bestow him one of those rare signature shoes was obviously a no-brainer, and only one and a half years later, it found its way into skate shops in July. Design-wise, the Lucas Pro is a pleasantly refreshing surprise. After years of simple and homogenous (if not boring) skate shoe designs, adidas took a leap again after the Busenitz Pro to come up with an original, heavily tennis-shoe-inspired silhouette that is indeed a signature style worthy of this description. Apart from displaying both Lucas’ and adidas’ French heritage, the Lucas Pro offers a few more internal sur­prises including “sprint skin”, a material that was also used in adidas’ Lionel Messi soccer boot, but more about that in the following review.

The adidas Lucas Pro fits true to size.

Durability

Contrary to the recent trend of one-piece toeboxes, the adidas Lucas Pro features quite a unique frontal area. From first glance, it seems it could lead to a decreased durability since additional layers on toe boxes often detach due to ripped seams from constant wear, which causes holes within the upper. However, due to a combination of the flat toe box and the large overlapping area where toe and side­wall panel meet, the durability of the upper soars far above average.

A big contribu­tion is also delivered by the relatively thick and high side part of the sole, which is the main contact area between griptape and shoe and thereby disencumbering the more sensitive upper. Throughout the whole duration of the 10-hour test, the edge between the sole and upper did not wear down or develop grooves, a clear indication of strong durability. Unfortunately, the laces tend to rip through quite fast, which is the biggest flaw of the Lucas Pro regarding durability.

On the other hand, the one-piece sidewall with only decorative stitching in the eyestay area contributes further to the overall great durability of the model, since it prevents unstitching. In addition, the fused on stripes prevent flaking of the trademark, a common flaw of other adidas models. Furthermore, the bottom sole has proven to withstand griptape abuse quite well. It was able to provide excellent grip during the whole duration of the test.

Cushion

The adidas Lucas Pro is one of the slimmest and thinnest cupsole models on the market right now. Yet it still offers good cushioning due to the foam midsole.

As can be seen in the cross section, the height difference between the front and heel has been pushed to the limit. The first third of the shoe doesn’t feature any foam, in the middle area it rapidly increases, and in the heel area it is up to 0.45 inches thick. This construction enables it to spread forces evenly throughout and absorb even tougher impacts that occur in the heel region. When bailing with impact to the forefoot, the contact is very direct and can be unpleasant, but it’s an unavoidable compromise in favor of outstanding board feel.

Boardfeel

The front third of the adidas Lucas Pro, which is the most crucial component for the optimized board feel, has been minimized to as thin as possible. Because of that thinness, the contact between feet and board is outstanding and narrows the space for improvement. The flexible sole unit contributes to this as well. At the same time, the foot is supported by the thick heel area to ensure a healthy balance between board­feel in the front and cushioning abilities in the heel. Over­all, the direction of the model is heavily focused on optimized board feel and only secondarily towards cushioning.

Breathability

One of the biggest advantages regarding heat development while skating the Lucas Pro is that the overall thin construction of the shoe refrains from heat isolation. Furthermore it features strategically placed ventilation holes between the stripes on the inwards-facing side, allowing an exchange of heat and cool air. With regard to the un-breathable “sprint skin” material, gaps placed in those areas enable airflow. Apart from that, the sprint skin assures that the side panels do not soak up moist and thereby allows the shoe to dry quicker when taking it off. The very thin and perforated tongue assures that heat development over the instep is avoided as much as possible.

Grip

Contrary to popular belief, cupsole constructions don’t offer less grip than vulcanized constructions. The Lucas Pro is a prime example of a cupsole with outstanding grip comparable to any vulc model. The classic herringbone pattern is medium deep and turned out to be very durable. The highly flexible front area assures very good adoption to the concave shape and thereby maximum surface contact.

The common decrease of grippyness due to wear was not experienced during the 10 hour test and the sole should be able to provide great grip during the whole lifespan of the shoe.

Shape

As mentioned above, the toebox of the Lucas Pro is different at first glance. The front panel, which is inspired by tennis silhouettes, is rather wide in the front third of the shoe compared to the heel area, but tapers fast to a well-rounded peak.

It provides excellent flick and makes it easy to control flip tricks. Overall the shape is as close to the foot as possible with only minimal padding, very much unlike classic cupsoles. It makes it a successful mix of a silhouette typically found with vulc models and a cupsole construction.

Comfort

The Lucas Pro is ready out of the box and probably has the shortest break in time a cupsole ever had. The overall slim and very thin construction comes at a small price though, which is sacrifice of comfort to a certain degree. The laces are noticeable due to the thin tongue, especially when the shoe is laced tight. In addition, there’s stitching in the front, as a result of the toebox design, that is not entirely flat and needs some time to get used to at first. Apart from that, the Lucas Pro is pleasant to wear because of its soft and straight away worn-in feeling. It is extremely light for a skate shoe due to the minimal use of heavy rubber. In the front where abrasion resistance and traction is needed, it features the high rubber outsole. Towards the heel, major parts of the sole consist of foam, which is a lot lighter and reduces the overall weight of the shoe. The sprint skin material that is used in the interior parts of the sidewalls, causes a snug fit and makes the thin construction possible by replacing otherwise needed material layers. It is one of the main reasons why the Lucas Pro offers a natural worn-in feeling without allowing the shoe to stretch out with wear, which is a big advantage in the long run.

Support

Regarding support, a benefit of Lucas Puig’s adidas pro model is the rigid and big plastic heel reinforcement that assures a relatively sturdy heel area, even if it’s very thin. The low cut offers a high degree of freedom for ankle movement though, which partly relativizes this. Therefore it is mainly suitable for people who are not attaching high importance to offered stability, but instead are seeking for a model that does not limit the foot too much. One of the biggest advantages of the aforementioned sprint skin is the decrease of stretching out. Although the sidewalls are thin, the shoe stays in shape and supports the foot as much as possible. Overall, the support the Lucas Pro can offer is more comparable to a vulc model than to a classic cupsole. This can be especially advantageous for people who want to switch from vulcanized to a cupsole construction, but want an in-between model to help avoid a complete “culture shock”.

Summary

The adidas Lucas Pro is a very thin and reduced to the minimum cupsole that feels like a vulcanized construction. It features good cushioning combined with outstanding grip, board­feel and far above average durability while weighing as light as possible.

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