Crazy Light 2

 

The Crazylight 2
The Crazylight 2

As its name implies the Crazy Light is a light shoe; 9.6 oz to be precise. Though that is what this shoe leads with, there is far more to the Adidas Crazy Light 2 than its lack of weight.

Upon putting on the shoe, I was treated to a very comfortable inner. There are seams within the inner, but they are not raised and they, nor any other feature, caused me no issue( well almost no issues).  The Crazy Light 2’s fight was good, but definitely not perfect. The upper does a great job of locking my foot in place, both side to side and front to back. The SprintFrame also works beautifully in conjunction with the lacing system and the notched padding on the lateral heel side to kept my heel totally locked down. Heel slip is not an issue in the Crazy Light 2.

The SprintWeb does a good job of providing support and shaving away weight, however to achieve this the material has to have a degree of rigidity and that does inhibits the flexibility of the shoe and at a very noticeable level. I could hear a snapping or popping like sound in the toe box due to the stiffness. The shoe bulges at the midfoot, because there are no flex groves cut along the lacing system, and this does somewhat detract from the fit in this area. No matter how much I choked up on the laces, I could not alleviate this issue. I found the tongue to be another area that caught my ire. It is more about the padding, or the lack thereof, in a critical area. As this is a shoe that emphasizes weight reduction, I expected the tongue to be thin, and it is; the issue is when the shoe is laced up to play, the laces come down on flexion point at the foot and ankle. With the modicrum of padding at this location, the laces dug in and it was very noticeable on the court. It went past the discomfort level and went straight to the pain realm. It was bad enough to where I had second thoughts when it came time to reach for them for a wearing. If you playing in the Crazy Light 2, I strongly advise you to wear thick socks with them, as this could help alleviate this issue.

The Crazy Light 2 is a pretty well ventilated shoe. The mesh portions of the three-layer SprintWeb upper lends very well for air flow and keeping your foot cool. Wearing them on a windy day will give you a more perceptible example of this affect.

The cushioning is provided by an injected molded EVA foam. The shoes come with two sets of insoles, but I opted to roll with the lightweight foam option that was originally loaded in the shoe. The shoe provides solid cushioning, though the feeling is better in the heel than at the forefoot. It compresses so it does aid with stability as well.  It stood up to some of the longer wearings I put it through with flying colors. The Crazy Light 2 is another example of the strides Adidas is making with their foam based cushioning. I thought it had adiPrene at first, until I went back and read over the tech sheet.

 

The circular traction pattern provides very solid traction.
The circular traction pattern provides very solid traction.

The traction of the Crazy Light is extremely good. The contrintric semi circle pattern provides traction in all directions and it exceeded my expectations, given the pattern. It works very well as an indoor shoe, but I would caution against outdoor as the outsole’s combination of soft rubber and shallow traction grooves lends to a short shelf life for the Crazy Light 2.

Overall, the Crazy Light 2 is an improvement over it’s predecessor, the Crazy Light. It is a tick lighter and yet more supportive, which opens it up to a wider audience. It also does well in the areas of stability, cushioning and ventilation. However the stiffness of the upper and the pressure put forth by the laces at the top of the tongue on the foot/ankle flexion points are negatives. If you like very light weight shoes, take these out for a spin; if you like very flexible, non restrictive shoes, or are a larger player, explore other options.

 

AdiZero Crazy Light 2

Colorway Reviewed : Black/Running White- Cable Blue

Weight: 9.6 oz (in a size 11)

Fit: 17/20

Traction: 17/20

Support: 16/20

Cushioning: 17/20

Comfort: 15/20 (painful forefoot flexion paint and laces created painful point through tongue)

 

Pros: Extremely light weight, breathable. Offers solid traction and cushioning.

 

Cons: Uppers is very stiff and cause discomfort flexion points . Laces , when tied up, create a pressure point because of the lack of accommodating padding.