These shoes are advertised as the “top of the line in functionality and style”, however, we come to find that the adidas shoe is lacking in several departments. While the shoe sports a totally new design for 2008, it is a design shared by ALL of the adidas “specialty” athletic shoes. As an example, check out the Adistar shooting shoe on Amazon. The only difference in the two shoes in the heel construction. This leads me to believe that these shoes could not have been created with “weight lifters in mind”, rather a universal design that would fit into several athletic categories.

The AdiStars have a visible wood block heel, a single, extra wide hook and loop strap and a TPU welded mid-sole make. While they fit great on narrower feet, I do not recommend ANY Adidas weightlifting shoe for people with wider than average feet. The toe area is very tight and will be uncomfortable regardless of how much you loosen the mid-sole.

My last complaint with the AdiStars is this: They are extremely hard to find and only carried by a handful of US distributors. They also have a minimum advertised price of $199 so don’t expect to find them new for cheaper than that.

Ultimately, due to the restrictive cost and shared design, the AdiStar do not make the recommended list. Any of the high rated brands on this site would be a better buy then these shoes.

Features:

• Well made
• Mesh material allows for better ventilation
• Great styling

Problems:

• The most expensive pair of mainstream weightlifting shoes
• Do not fit wide feet well
• Non-unique design

Rating (0-5):

• Quality – 5
• Comfort – 3.5
• Style – 5
• Price – 2
• Functionality – 4