Home | Reviews | Mtb Apparel and Protection | Shoes

Login  |  Register
Adidas Gradient

MSRP $ 90.00
# of Reviews 14
Average Rating 3.93/5
More Products from Adidas

Submit a Review









Submitted by HUBBA BUBBA a Downhiller from canada duh man
Date Reviewed: August 5, 2005
Favorite Trail:bubba
Duration Product Used:More than 3 years
Price Paid: $2000.00
Purchased At:will wonkas chocalote factory
Strengths:it survived when i threww them off the cn tower
Weaknesses:killed someone when it landed on there head..the spikes are just yoo big
Similar Products Used:ummmm golf shoes
Bike Setup:its a shoe
Bottom Line:its dangerous....
Value Rating:1Overall Rating:1

Submitted by South Knight a Cross Country Rider from Roswell, Georgia, USA
Date Reviewed: October 27, 2004
Favorite Trail:undecided
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $38.00
Purchased At:eBay
Strengths:Screw in toe studs. Run tru to size. Good traction. EZ velcro straps.
Weaknesses:None
Similar Products Used:First time clipless
Bike Setup:Ibex 350 frame w/upgrades
Bottom Line:Great shoe as far as I can tell. great for any mtb rider
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by ilakano a Cross Country Rider from clayton, ca
Date Reviewed: August 2, 2004
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $23.00
Purchased At:Addidas Factory outlet
Strengths:Very stiff sole, responsive. 3 straps allow for customized fitting.
Weaknesses:A little heavy
Similar Products Used:Diadora Geko
Bottom Line:Since I paid only 23 bucks for them, they are a bargain. For some reason, my feet fit the Addidas lasts very well. Lots of comfort with the big toe box and stiff sole.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:4

Submitted by Todd Handelman a Weekend Warrior from Kensington, MD, USA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2003
Favorite Trail:Schaeffer Farms
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $45.00
Purchased At:performance.com
Strengths:very rigid sole, good ventilation
Weaknesses:difficult to get in and out of, you have to completely disengage all three velcro straps just to slide your foot in or out...the price you pay for a secure fit. the grip tabs on the end of the velcro straps fell off...this actually makes it easier to work the hook and loop straps.
Similar Products Used:specialized, green and brown...don't remember what the model.
Bike Setup:1998 GT Rebound, rock shocks jett, cane creek thudbuster suspension seat post, spd pedals, riser bar, end bar/pegs.
Bottom Line:good support and snug fit, but a pain in the ass to put on and take off. No blisters or hot spots.

How complicated can a mountain biking shoe possibly be?
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:3

Submitted by Mike M a Cross Country Rider from NW Arkansaw
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2002
Duration Product Used:Tested or demo'ed only
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:Performance
Strengths:When you are strapped in, you are really in. Definitely won't ever come off if you don't want them to. Decent looks, fit, feel. But...
Weaknesses:The top velcro strap/top of the tounge area is located way too far up the foot for me. Can't hardly bend my ankle without pain. A bit tough to get on (I could live with that though).
Similar Products Used:Ancient Sidi Revolutions, Diadora's and Specialized lace-up road shoes from the mid-eighties.
Bike Setup:Several bikes.....
Bottom Line:Only took 30 seconds to tell these shoes wouldn't work in any way shape or form. The top strap tries to amputate my foot if the angle between my foot and leg is less than 90 degrees. Ouch. Sending them back. Too bad, in every other aspect they seem great. I really liked how secure they felt, no way they were coming off. Some of road shoes I have used would come off like slippers. Seems kind of odd these shoes were so far off since most shoes (non-cycling shoes included) fit acceptably.

There is a reason why Performance has these on sale.

3 flamers for value, 'cause they might fit and work well for somebody.
1 flamer for overall rating 'cause of the one glaring problem with the fit.

This is for the Gradient II's if that makes a difference.
Value Rating:3Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Eric a Cross Country Rider from Woodinville, WA
Date Reviewed: March 11, 2001
Favorite Trail:Pine Mountian Loop
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Price Paid: $100.00
Purchased At:Adidas Store in Seattle, WA
Strengths:Value, flexibility with fit due to laces and velcro closure, stiff and comfortable, reflective strips for visibility at night without looking gaudy, greatlooks
Weaknesses:hard to find
Similar Products Used:Sidi Dominators
Bike Setup:Klein Attitude Comp, SID XC, XTR, Chris King Headset, Bontrager Wheelset
Bottom Line:My Sidi Dominators served me long and well. I was in the market for some new shoes. I read the review it got in Mountain Bike magazine and kept a note of it in the back of my head. When it came time to shop I remembered the Gradients and thought I would try them out. They were hard to find. Performance used to carry them. Luckily, the Adidas Store in Seattle carried them. I tried them on, they fit well and so I bought them. What I like is that you can adjust the fit by fiddling with the laces and velcro closures. My first couple of rides I had a little hot spot on my right shoe. With a little adjusting of the laces the shoes are a perfect fit. It seems the review below mine never took the time to adjust his shoes and hastily made his review. Just like anything you have to spend the break-in time with any product for correct fit. Great shoes. Too bad they don't keep the same color for 2001.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Sean a Cross Country Rider from Singapore
Date Reviewed: January 7, 2001
Duration Product Used:6 months
Price Paid: $90.00
Purchased At:singapore
Strengths:stiff strong body.
Weaknesses:The sole has these 2 rubber thing beside the cleat and its in the way while in the trail when you have to put your legs down... the shoe is also extremely uncomfortable, heavy and alot of padding which makes cleaning and drying of the shoes very long...
Similar Products Used:Northwave team and sidi dominator (or something like that)
Bike Setup:the bike with 2 wheels, a saddle, one handlebar and some gears...
Bottom Line:i guess if you are a hardcore rider this shoe is not for you... when you do heavy offroad, these shoes will sting like crazy... i guess for begineers this would be a very value for money shoes but if you get higher, get northwave or sidi... nike is also not bad...
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:1

Submitted by Phill a Cross Country Rider from Ghent,Belgium
Date Reviewed: November 27, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $80.00
Strengths:Great shoes for a nice price
Bike Setup:Giant ATX 830- Shimano SPD-M545
Bottom Line:This shoes work fine zith ths Shimano-SPD-M545 pedals. I have to say that I tried many different shoes in the shop and that these are fitting very well for their price.
also the grip is very good and also clicking is quiet easy
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by TechniKal a Weekend Warrior from Austin TX
Date Reviewed: October 30, 2000
Favorite Trail:whatever one I'm riding
Duration Product Used:3 months
Price Paid: $99.00
Purchased At:Performancebike.com
Strengths:Good fit (for narrow feet), well built, stiff, comfortable
Weaknesses:A little on the hot side, no little 'thingy' on the tounge to attach to the laces to keep the tounge out of the way when putting the shoe on
Similar Products Used:Lakes, Nashbar
Bottom Line:Good shoe at a good price. All of the places I've had other shoes fail (heel cup, sole near cleat, toe) are reinforced in this shoe. It's also a good looking show without all the gaudy clown colors that seem to be prevelant on a lot of the cycling shoes out there.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Jonathan J a Racer from Wimberley, Texas
Date Reviewed: August 16, 2000
Favorite Trail:almost all
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:Light, amazinglycomfortable, stiff, hold up well
Weaknesses:hard to find
Similar Products Used:Cannondale C soles
Bike Setup:Psycle Werks Hild Hare, full xtr, rolf dolomites disk, hayes.
Bottom Line:I saw the review in one of the bike rags, so I thougt I'd try to find these shoes. They were rated as an incredible value at 100.00. I couldn't agree more. I had to go to Performance to get them, as i couldn't find them in any shop. The fit was dead on, and as comfortable as a high-end jogging shoe. Don't be misled by the comfort. These shoes are stiff and have excellent power transfer. I raced them three days after I got them, and I couldn't believe how they felt. 7 months later, they have held up well. I will buy another pair when I need to.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Wil Gonzalez a Weekend Warrior from Seattle, WA
Date Reviewed: May 3, 2000
Duration Product Used:3 months
Strengths:Fit, Comfort, Styling, Laces & Straps prevent slippage
Weaknesses:Straps are a little too short, but still work well
Similar Products Used:Specialized, Diadora, Shimano
Bike Setup:'99 Specialized Rockhopper XT all around, manitou fork, body geometry saddle
Bottom Line:As my first clipless shoes, I have to say these are the best all around that I could find for the price. Highly recommend them.
Value Rating:4Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Abner a Weekend Warrior from St. Louis, MO, USA
Date Reviewed: March 19, 2000
Favorite Trail:Castlewood
Duration Product Used:Less than 1 month
Strengths:Comfortable
Great fit & looks
Reasonable price
Weaknesses:Hard to find (that may be due to my own ignorance, so I can't count off for that)
Similar Products Used:Nike Inyo Low
Bike Setup:99 Specialized FSR Sport w/ Shimano 434 pedals, but soon to be a 00 Schwinn Rocket 88 Stage 3
Bottom Line:I got these as a replacement for my Nike Inyo Lows which even after a good 8 month break in period, still never fit quite right and made my feet hurt pretty soon after wearing them. I ordered them from Performance for about $109 including S/H and I have no complaints with their service. I'll have to admit I was a little skeptical with the thought of ordering the shoes online... didn't want to end up with 2 pairs of crappy fitting shoes. I get my package, open the box, and here are these two incredible lookings shoes. After trying them on, I was impressed even further. These shoes fit better and were more comfortable straight out of the box than my "broken in" Nikes. I also found out that they work better with my Shimano 434 pedals as well.. with very little adjusting and no fumbling around, I heard this super-loud "CLICK" for the first time. I hope that these shoes have the same durability as other Adidas shoes/products have. 5 flamin' chilis for this awesome shoe.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by BigRing a Cross Country Rider from Flowery Branch GA
Date Reviewed: February 1, 2000
Duration Product Used:6 months
Strengths:solid construction
good fit
laces and straps
Weaknesses:a little hard to get on
straps could be longer
Bottom Line:These shoes are a good solid product. Full lacing plus three straps keep them in place. Very well made. The straps are just a bit on the short side if you have a thick foot. My feet are on the narrow side and the are just long enough to catch with out making them too tight.
With laces, straps, leather flap and a elastic band keeping the tounge inplace they are a little work to get on your feet. But once on they are very snug and well fitting. No heel slip like with my old Diadoras. Sizing is pretty much right on.
Having two replaceable cleets in the front and the back put these shoes above all the others.When the rest are worn to the nub these will have plenty of traction.
In the 100 buck category these shoes have to be the king and probablly better than alot of the hogher priced shoes.
If you are thinking in the 100 dollar range for shoes. Buy these. I highly recomend them.
5 burnt chalupas for good solid performance, engineering and value.
Value Rating:5Overall Rating:5

Submitted by Roland Werth a Cross-Country Rider from Darmstadt
Date Reviewed: October 4, 1999
Favorite Trail:
Frankenstein, Odenwald, Spessart
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Strengths:
very fine handcrafted
good quality
lightweight
Weaknesses:
has low ventilation
Similar Products Used:
Jogging shoes
Bike Setup:
Scott Yecora w/ RST fork modified :
Mavic 517 Wheelset, Ritchey Z-Max Tires, Flite Titanium Saddle, STX-RC crankset w/ 535 pedals, SKS shockboard and SKS xtra-dry mudfenders.
Bottom Line:These shoes are fine to ride. 4 threaded spikes make running in mud easy. The colors are great.
Overall Rating:5






What's New
» BEST OF MTBR - Check out the highest rated bikes, parts, & gear!
» LED BIKE LIGHT SHOOTOUT 3 - We test all the newest products and latest light and battery technology in this comprehensive guide»
» INTERBIKE - See all the latest 2010 bikes, parts, and gear in our extensive Tradeshow Coverage»
Latest Articles and Reviews:


Quick Poll
(sponsored by Moots)
Do you own a GPS?

  yes, dedicated GPS
  yes, smart phone w/GPS
  not yet, but looking to buy
  no

Photo Caption Contest

(sponsored by Maxxis)

Enter here

Contact Us  •   About Us  •   Terms of Use  •   Privacy Policy  •   Advertising
 MtbREVIEW.com  RoadbikeREVIEW.com  OutdoorREVIEW.com
 PhotographyREVIEW.com  VideogameREVIEW.com  ComputingREVIEW.com
 AudioREVIEW.com  CarREVIEW.com  GolfREVIEW.com
Copyright ©1996-2009 All Rights Reserved.ConsumerREVIEW.com, a business unit of Invenda      RSS Feed