adidas Crazy Explosive Low Primeknit Performance Review

John Wall is missing out on a great shoe.

The Crazy Explosive was supposed to have been John Wall's 3rd signature shoe with adidas, with samples of Wall PEs popping up on eBay and other places on the Internet. Unfortunately, the versatile playmaker didn't renew his contract with the Stripes. Fortunately for consumers, adidas still released the silhouette under a different name and it became a go-to shoe for a lot of NBA players, including Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Lowry, Harrison Barnes, and Kristaps Porzingis. 

I had a lot of fun with these shoes on court. There were some hoop sessions when I wished I had brought a second pair, but the Crazy Explosive Low's positive aspects outweighed the negative.

Fit - 8/10

I have wide feet from forefoot to midfoot, plus a high instep, and getting my size 12s into the shoes posed a bit of a challenge at the start. A finger in the heel helped my feet slide in nicely into the shoe, so keep that in mind when you try a pair on.

The Crazy Explosive Low Primeknit is tight. Literally. It took me a good 30 minutes of wearing the shoe inside the store before I decided to get them (thanks to the staff of Titan 22 Fort for always being patient with me) since I wasn't sure whether I can play in them. A size 12 in these felt like size 11 Dame 3s. Thankfully, they felt comfortable enough after that half hour. 

The forefoot was where I felt the tightness most, but it serves a purpose since it keeps the foot locked down really well. The heel area left a little bit to be desired at first, as I felt some heel slip during the first few runs with the shoe. After breaking them in and redoing how I laced up, the shoe felt one with my foot. I normally like some room in my basketball shoes, especially in the toe box, but the 1:1 fit these shoes provided are swaying my opinion little by little. 

Don't expect awesome fit right out of the box. Break them in for a few hours to help the shoes conform to your feet more to get rid of any unwanted tightness and heel slippage. Get your true size for a solid, locked down feel. Lace pressure is there since you have to lace these babies tight but wearing the right socks helps a lot.

Support - 9/10

Support for low tops is achieved through the right fit and lockdown, both of which the Crazy Explosive Low have. On top of those, there are a few more features that help with support.

The lateral side of the outsole extends to the upper and covers the key areas well, reducing foot roll during lateral movements. Before I had the chance to use the shoes, I was anticipating some pinching or pain in these areas because of how wide my feet are, but I was very pleasantly surprised to not feel anything but the right support. The medial side features a midfoot shank that's connected to the torsion plate sandwiched between the midsole and the outsole, and the shank is a good counter for inward foot rolls. The torsion system, which adidas has been using since the late '80s, gives a good ride through a smooth heel-to-toe transition. 

The lacing system is designed well on the Crazy Explosive Low. While initially apprehensive about lockdown since there are only four sets of lace loops, I found that they're more than enough to keep everything firmly in place. The lace loops actually go all the way into the base of the 
shoe as seen on the photo, and this gives an added layer of support to your feet as you move around the court. One downside for me and my foot type was feeling those straps dig into the lateral forefoot during longer hoops sessions as my foot expanded. Minor nuisance, and negligible with no post-game effects, so not a deal-breaker at all.

Another contributing factor to this shoe's stability despite being low-tops would be the outsole width. My size 12 measures 12.8 centimeters at the widest point of the forefoot and 10.6 centimeters at the widest point of the heel. Having that wide a base and contoured outsole edges ensure a solid foundation, providing a large enough contact spot between the shoe and the court. I play down low on defense and multiple positions on offense; 3 weeks in these shoes and I never felt the need for any more stability than what the shoe already provides. 

Cushioning - 9/10

People have called the Primeknit version of the Crazy Explosive Low the "Ultraboosts for basketball," and the shoe lives up to the nickname. adidas used Boost in a good quantity and design to deliver what is arguably the best Boost shoe for basketball.

It's not as plush as an actual Ultraboost since it's for a sport that requires some firmness for court feel and lateral movements, but the impact protection on the Crazy Explosive feels perfect. Firm enough in the forefoot for court feel and takeoffs, yet soft enough in the heel that running up and down the court feels really good, especially for my aging body.

I didn't really feel the forefoot cushioning at first during the first couple of times I used them, but I could tell that the shock absorption was adequate from my landings and the absence of knee pain after games. The overall setup is, I'd say, pretty moderate and falls between the Harden Vol. 1 and the Rose line.

The insole is nearly as thin as an Ultraboost insole and it helps you feel the Boost cushion more. I like how adidas really put a lot of thought into the design to ensure that the different pieces work together in harmony to provide one of the best cushioning setups out there. 

Overall, I'd say it's an all-position shoe in the cushioning department, the perfect balance that allows players of different builds and playing styles to enjoy Boost in its best basketball form.

Traction - 8/10

Traction is often the most important feature of a shoe for majority of basketball players, as it greatly affects on-court performance more than the other footwear elements. In this department, the Crazy Explosive Low does an above-average job.

The outsole is made of translucent rubber in what people have come to call the coral pattern (although personally they remind me of brains). The grooves are deep enough that dust doesn't become a major issue and the raised sections are wide enough to be durable.

It's been a habit of mine to not clean shoes while I'm testing them to see performance under worst-case (or worst-dust) scenarios, and in the three weeks that I tested the Crazy Explosive Low, the traction held up pretty well. A few instances of lost footing on defense (no ankles broken, thankfully), but overall the grip is pretty good. Painted cement, wood, outdoor—I didn't slip much or that often regardless of the playing surface. A quick wipe helps though I never found myself doing it much. 

One possible issue could be the durability. The outsole is very pliable and a bit soft, so don't expect the outsole to last if you use these on rough concrete or blacktop. On smoother surfaces, they'll last you a while based on the wear (or lack thereof) on my pair. 

Overall - 8.5/10

The Crazy Explosive Low is making me consider switching to tighter fits simply because of how they performed during the three weeks of testing. The elements I wanted most—cushioning, traction, and fit—were present, and adidas did a great job in creating the right balance between these aspects.

Let me put this disclaimer before I move on to my next point: my feet destroy shoes faster than the average person's. Okay, with that said... I wish they used better materials on the inner lining. Both left and right shoes had patches of wear in the heel from the initial slippage. I'll continue to play in these since they're fun to play in, but likely not as often to somehow preserve the shoes for the collection. 

Final thoughts: Primeknit and Boost continue to be an awesome combination and the Crazy Explosive Low is another piece of evidence to support that. The CEs are a solid all-around shoe that offers good impact protection, support, and traction, and a shoe I've recommended to friends several times because of its great on-court performance, not to mention its striking looks. 

Yes Mr. Wall, you're really missing out on an awesome shoe.

- MF

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Photos taken with an iPhone 7. Props to Titan Fort for the awesome service as always. And don't forget to check out Titan's Love Court in BGC.