Do you even protro bro?
Pros: traction, fun cushioning, fit, support, stability, containment, looks dope
Cons: gets hot, shell toe can hurt on hard stops
Best for: Any position
Buying Advice: I didn’t see any marketing for these at all except for some NBA players wearing them. Got them for $70 bucks off adidas which is very fair. Bottom around $40
Weight
15.5 ounces so basically the same weight as the
yeezy 350 and any other modern mid. “Technology” these days
Traction
Nothing fancy no story telling no homage to anything and it still works great after all these years
Sticky as pho noodles when clean or freshly wiped and a little wiping needed on dusty floors. Sign me up !
Great job Adidas !
Cushioning
These have been upgraded from to Bounce and it just makes the shoe way more fun. Adidas was behind in the cushioning game for years and years and years .. and more years until Boost and Bounce so it’s nice to see Adidas refresh a bunch of their older shoes.
It does not feel as plush and soft as the Lillard 2 because Bounce (and foams in general) needs volume to feel great like the Dame 2. I’d say these feel like more like Dame 5 in terms of feel with enough feedback and bounce to make the shoe feel fun (NB are you reading this? ). The PM rides low to the ground like the
nmd r1 Since cushioning is thinner in the forefoot than the heel but there is still enough Bounce to give you some feedback and from heel to toe.
Thank you Adidas, time to refresh everything from 1995–2013.
Fit
These fit a little long ( not Marquee Boost long ) but more like typical Adidas sizing. I had a little more than a finger width but less than a thumb at the toe. Although I went true to size I think most people will want to go half a size down. Despite going true to size there was zero movement inside the shoe or any heel slip due to the higher cut and ability to pull the ankle down and back.
No issues at all with the fit although I could have gone down half a size to cut some space at the toe. Like any good shoe should fit, these are adaptable and TTS fit just fine.
Materials
Close your eyes if you do not like wrinkles .. and someone bring me some strivectin. Patent is stiff to start but as you break it in and allow those creases to form, you’ll have no issues. Keep in mind that the forces from your 150, 175, 200 pound body is more than enough to move a pliable thin piece of patent leather a few millimeters, so don’t give me the “I wish it were Primeknit” cry. It doesn’t matter folks.
However, patent leather around the entire shoe makes for a hot shoe.. I mean literally it gets hot.
There is a reason MJ didn’t cover his shoe in patent leather and that reason would be breathability. I had to take my shoes off to let some air in the first night because since the AC was off (and we kept winning) . If you’re playing just a league game for forty minutes you’ll be fine but if you’re going longer, do yourself a favor and let your dogs breathe.
And yes the shell toe is iconic but like my beloved Soldier VI, it will hurt like a mofo on some hard stops. The trick to fewer toe bruises is to make sure you crank the top laces down so your foot can’t slide too far forward or quickly.
Support and stability
Support is just enough to notice bc of the mid cut and the stiffer patent leather but as you can see above it’s still plenty pliable.
Midfoot support is solid thanks to old school torsion which is really just a piece of plastic right in the middle of the shoe (man I was ignorant back then!). The shoe isn’t as stiff as something with a a hard plastic shank or carbon fiber but it isn’t a rollie pollie either like a lot of shoes these days.
Stability is average. It has a little curvature to the heel but nothing dramatic and I found it more stable than the Omn1 and Dame 6 with my heel test. I do wish it were flatter like most of my shoes but hey, I didn’t design these. Btw my camera angle is bad and makes these look curvier than they actually are.
Overall, no issues here.
Containment
No stretch Patent leather ? No problems here
Conclusion
Updated retros seem to be all the rage these days with Adidas, Nike, and Puma all getting in on the act and I freaking love it. The OG promodel was everywhere back in the day and Adidas did them right by keeping the look true to the OG. A lot of people love to say how great tech is these days but in reality, Nike was so far ahead of everyone that there hasn’t really been any major tech advances that make a difference unless you’re not Nike. Adidas was so far behind with cushioning that updated the Promodel with Bounce just made an average feeling shoe into something special. Compared to any “modern” hoops shoe, the ProModel checks all the boxes.
Good traction ✔️
Fun cushioning ? ✔️
Good fit? ✔️
Supportive and stable ? ✔️ –
Containment? ✔️
All these checks despite being older than a lot of a lot of kids watching YouTube (I’m proud most of my readers are older). I’d easily take these over the Omn1s despite being half the price after discount.
Speaking of pricing, I don’t expect these to move off the shelf since many people will look at these and see an old outdated shoe with whack styling. (you can barely see the “Bounce” label on the back of the shoe) But those who balled back then know the goodness of the Promodel and may even turn back the clock for some.
This is a other shoe that toes the line for me. I love everything about it but the heat buildup, some toe banging, and a very slightly curved heel won’t allow me to give it a first team but I still really enjoy wearing them overall especially for the price. Did I mention these look ?
Second team rating
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