Pumped Up Kicks: The adidas #DRose5 Boost

I’ll start with the bottom-line: GET BOOSTED NOW.

As Derrick Rose makes his return (again) to the Chicago Bulls and the NBA, adidas just released Rose’s new signature shoe — the D Rose 5 Boost. Aside from coinciding with the former MVP’s comeback campaign, however, another thing that make the D Rose 5 pretty special is this: it’s the first basketball sneak to have full-length Boost technology, which makes it reasonable for us to expect that, as advertised, Boost should help provide superior energy return and responsiveness without sacrificing comfort.

Thanks to adidas Philippines, I was given the chance to test a pair and review them to have all you sneakerheads well-informed.

Derrick Rose's new shoe debuts just in time for
the start of the 2014-2015 season!

Here’s what I found:

First of all, the D Rose 5 has great STYLISTIC DETAILS alluding to Rose’s context as a native of Chicago.

Here are a few inscriptions you can find in the ankle supports (you’ll have to look closely, but they’re there):

Awesome inscriptions alluding to different aspects of D-Rose's life.

R.A.D. – an acronym for Reggie, Allen and Dwayne, who are Derrick’s brothers.
NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE – an allusion to Derrick’s trying to become a successful basketball player despite the many trials in his life/career.
NO FRESHMAN - an allusion to a rule in his old high school barring fresh
represents the rule at his high school where freshman weren’t allowed to play on the varsity basketball team.
EVERYBODY EATS – a saying from his neighborhood that pertains to his helping everyone succeed.
1.7% – an allusion to the chances of the Chicago Bulls getting the top overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Of course, they DID get that pick and used it on Rose.

Here are a couple more inscriptions that can be found on the toes: Brenda (Derrick’s mom) on the right shoe and PJ (Derrick’s son) on the left shoe:

PJ - Derrick's son.

Brenda - Derrick's mom.

The now ubiquitous D Rose logo can also be found on either heel:

The familiar D Rose logo and the roman numerals for 2014-2015 above it.

Here are the details on the tongues and insoles.

You can actually course your laces through the outer tongue.

R O S E spelled out using three different colors of the Chicago train lines.

On the other inner tongue, you can find the D Rose logo alongside
a partial mini-map of the Chicago train line.

Other Rose-related graphics on one of the insoles.

On the other is Rose's signature. Take note of the soft, gray cushion surrounding the ankle.

Derrick’s signature and nice color combos on the outsole:

Rose's signature embedded in the wavy design of the forefoot outsole.

I love the white-solar blue-gray-red color combo of the outsole, so much
so that I don't think I'll be playing with these on any concrete our outdoor courts.

Here’s Derrick’s #1.

Who's #1? D-Rose of course!

I also looove the speckled solar blue laces!

A hint of magic with these dope speckled laces!

Next, let’s look at the PERFORMANCE factors like tech, fit, traction, etc.:

- I’ve never been head-over-heels in love with ethylene vinyl acetate (better known as EVA), but the material is a good choice for the fit cage mainly because it’s a good counter to the shoe’s lightness and the glossy material of the SPRINTWEB upper (if you’re not a big fan of sheen on your sneaker, then you might want to look at other colorways).

Some will love the glossy SPRINTWEB upper more than others, but its breathability is surely commendable.

SPRINTWEB + EVA fit cage + full-length Boost = D Rose 5!

- Speaking of the upper, its being perforated improves its breathability, which is even more impressive when combined with the breathable material of the tongue and the inner ankle support, which also boasts of cotton-ish cloth that improves comfort.

Smooth and constant airflow is ensured by those perforations.

Even the tongue offers additional airflow and breathability.

The inner ankle support boasts of a tandem of fabrics that provide
great cushion and enhance breathability.

- There’s a distinct difference in the outsole traction zones. The forefoot, which as the D- Rose signature, has a wavy pattern, while the mid and heel feature a semi-transparent square pattern. These should be great for the shoe’s court grip.

- A sizable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plate between the Boost and the EVA fit cage also provides great arch support and helps the shoe spring back a little quicker after bending.

The TPU plate (solar blue) enables a more responsive spring-back action.
Also, notice the Boost going from the heel to the forefoot.

- And now that we’re on the subject of the Boost, I looove the fact there’s significantly more of the material here than on the Crazy Light 4. On the CL4, the Boost is used mainly for the heel portion of the shoe, but in the D Rose 5, it extends well into the forefoot. Simply put, you’ll feel the Boost more in this one than in the CL4. This means that it’s reasonable to expect greater cushioning and game-changing energy return, especially for those second jumps.

This is Boost done right!

Better cushioning, responsiveness, and energy return with the D Rose 5 Boost!

- Of course, all this is improved even more because of how light the shoe is. By my estimation, it’s a little lighter than previous D Rose iterations, but a little heftier than previous Crazy Light versions. In Goldilocks parlance, it’s just right.

It's cutting edge shoe tech that should help D-Rose return to prime form!

So, again, the final word on this is GET BOOSTED NOW. If you’ve always wondered how Boost will affect your court game, then the D Rose 5 is the definitive kick for you.