The Best Adidas Skate Shoes (Rated By Skateboarders)

1. Adidas Busenitz Pro (Best Overall)

As one of the most stylish, comfortable, and fun-to-skate shoes you’ll find from Adidas, the Busenitz is definitely the most common Adidas shoe you’ll see at the skatepark. These shoes kick butt for skating flat ground and low-impact features like ledges and rails since they keep a consistent flick and have great board feel.

The one-piece suede toe cap of this shoe helps to keep the wear consistent without any extra panels to rip off the shoe. Instead, the toe holds up super well even after weeks into skating. Unlike other shoes that look beat to hell after a week of skating, these still keep a fresh look which is a nice bonus.

The heel and middle of this shoe are extremely supportive, and the blocky heel makes heelflips flick really well. I found that this support made my ankles feel less tired overall compared to more floppy skate shoes like Lakais that I’ve skated previously.

The tongue is very similar to a soccer shoe, but it’s well-padded with a bit of extra ankle protection that most skate shoes don’t have. Although it is a personal preference, you can trim the tongue of this shoe down, and there is a trim line to help mark where to cut. It seems to be a mixed opinion from the skaters I talked to, but some prefer the lower-cut tongue to give the shoe a more low-profile feel.

Despite the support and padding in the upper, this is quite a thin cupsole shoe. The insole is also pretty uninspiring in terms of impact protection, which makes these shoes not super fun to skate drops with. If you regularly skate high-impact features, then definitely get a better set of insoles before you skate these.

Although this shoe isn’t the most durable option from Adidas, they are super fun to skate and perform the best overall compared to the other shoes in this list. If you are skating drops and stairs all day, I would avoid these shoes, but if you’re a more technical skater, you’ll love these shoes as much as I did.

---

2. Adidas Nora (Best Vulcanized Shoe)

The Nora is the second-ever pro-model shoe from a female skater (next to the Vans Lizzie) and is hands down the best-vulcanized skate shoe you can get from Adidas. With a vulcanized shoe, you get a better board feel than a cupsole, and the flick feels a little more responsive since the overall shoe tends to be more flexible. Since this shoe has an extended rubber toe, plus double-paneled suede around the toe, the flick and ollie points take their sweet time to wear through.

These fit true to size and hold your heel in really well. They feel great to kickflip in but feel a bit dainty for heelflips, so that takes some getting used to. Around the side panel and heel is a recycled mesh material that I thought would wear through quickly but is still holding up well. Compared to other mesh materials I’ve seen in other skate shoes like Vans and Nike, this seems to be one of the more robust options.

Most vulcanized skate shoes are pretty trash in the padding department, but the upper of this shoe is an exception. That extra padding on the tongue of the Nora’s makes you feel a lot more confident to commit to a trick you’re trying to learn. Mixed with a thin sole that has great board feel, you can’t go wrong with this shoe.

Where you can go wrong with this shoe is skating drops or anything with high impact. Since the shoe is vulcanized and the insoles are pretty mediocre, you’re pretty much guaranteed a heel bruise when sessioning a bigger feature. If you primarily focus on flat ground, ledges, and flat bars, you’ll love these shoes. Otherwise, consider getting some better insoles.

---

3. Adidas Puig (Most Durable)

There are two models of the Puig known as the Puig indoor and the Puig signature model (mentioned here). The main difference between the two is that the Puig indoor is vulcanized, while the Puig signature is a cupsole. The Puig indoor model is also lower profile and more lightweight but has less support and overall durability than the signature model.

Because of that, for the few extra dollars, the Puig signature is better value for the money overall. Out of the box, these shoes are pretty stiff but break in after a few sessions to have a playful feel that’s great for flicking tricks. The insoles are like all the other Adidas skate shoes, thin and underwhelming, so despite being cupsole, the insoles should be upgraded if you’re skating drops.

The toe of this shoe is built like a brick wall with layered suede and Adituff (aka rubber-backed suede), and it took around eight weeks of regular skating until a slight hole formed. With a bit of shoe goo, these shoes will easily last you months of regular skating. The only area that began to rip was the seams of the suede near the white stripes.

A nice addition to these shoes is that the laces are hidden with an internal lace system. The only lace that broke was the top lace since it’s exposed, but you could get away with not using that eyelet and probably never rip your laces in these. Something that’s pretty much impossible to say about other skate shoes.

These shoes fit true to size, but if you have wider feet, going up 1/2 a size is a good idea. Since the toe box isn’t too narrow, the shoe’s more accommodating to a wide foot.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a pretty thin cupsole that doesn’t have great impact protection. When skating drops and stairs, heel bruising is inevitable, but upgrading the insoles can help. Besides that, these are great technical shoes with amazing board feel, support, and padding that last surprisingly long.

---

4. Adidas Matchbreak Super

As one of Adidas’ most affordable skate shoes, this shoe might not have all the bells and whistles of the other skate shoes we’ve mentioned, but it still feels awesome to skate in. With a vulcanized sole, this shoe has some of the best board feel with a consistent flick that just makes tricks feel right. The extended rubber toe around the foxing tape helps make these shoes last a bit longer, but it does round out fast and wears away to the suede.

Luckily the toe is reinforced with a rubber underlay, so it still takes a few weeks until a hole starts to develop. After the foxing tape wears down, the flick does feel quite different and less responsive. That took some getting used to, but I wouldn’t say is enough to write off the shoe.

Compared to other vulcanized shoes out there, this upper is well-padded, and it cups your heel nicely. The soles are relatively thin, so walking around in these in your day-to-day isn’t great after hours of wear, but you can certainly get away with it.

The only complaint about the upper is that the tongue feels long and can’t be easily cut down like the Busenitz. It can rub your ankle weirdly and just feel a bit annoying overall. However, after messing around with the lace tightness, I found it could be made less annoying if your upper laces were left looser.

As for the grip, it feels great out of the box and stays grippy on the board even as the shoe wears out. However, since the tread becomes almost non-existent around the ball of your foot, pushing can become slippery on some smoother concrete at the skatepark.

Overall, this is a fun shoe to skate that’s quite responsive. They fit very snugly, so if you don’t have narrow feet, consider going up 1/2 a size.

---

5. Adidas Tyshawn Pro

The Tyshawn Pro is one of the bulkier, more supportive, and overall more protective shoes on this list, with a feeling of being locked in when you skate them. The outsole is noticeably stiffer and helps protect your feet pretty well when landing primo. Even while skating drops, they do a good job at protecting your feet overall compared to the thinner cupsoles from Adidas.

Out of the box, these shoes are extremely stiff and take their sweet time to break in. It took around 4-6 hours until these shoes felt broken in and natural to flick tricks with. That’s around double the time of less stiff skate shoes you’ll find. However, that’s a trade-off for a more robust shoe.

Being a mid-top shoe that’s all suede, these get quite warm on hot days. Although warm, these shoes are incredibly durable, too, with rubber-backed suede around the toe and less stitching overall, so seams and panels don’t start falling apart.

A nice touch to these shoes is the satin-like ankle collar that stretches nicely when taking the shoe on and off. Most mid-top shoes can be a bit of a pain to put on without undoing the laces, but the ankle collar of this shoe was a welcomed change.

The only annoying part of this shoe was how easily the laces ripped. There aren’t any lace enclosures and how the eyelets are on the shoe made them a prime target for getting destroyed on my grip tape. The other point that I didn’t like about these shoes is that if the soles got remotely wet (from walking on dewy grass or a patch of wet pavement), they got extremely slippery to walk or push with.

Ultimately, this is a killer shoe if you want the most robust and protective shoe you can get from Adidas. However, because it’s so stiff, this shoe isn’t ideal for beginner skaters and will be better enjoyed if you’re an intermediate to advanced skater.

And yes, they fit true to size.

---

Do Adidas Fit True To Size?

Yes, Adidas shoes typically fit true to size across all their skate shoes. I typically wear a 10 US, which worked for most of the Adidas I’ve worn. However, I do have a narrow foot, so if you would consider yourself to have slightly wider feet, I would suggest going up a 1/2 size in the Matchbreak Supers and the Puigs.

What Makes Adidas A Great Skate Shoe?

The most stand-out feature of Adidas skate shoes is how well-padded and protective they are compared to other skate shoe brands. The uppers are typically thicker and give your feet a locked-in feel that’s nice to have when learning new tricks. If you’re coming from a thinner shoe brand like Vans or New Balance, Adidas will take some getting used to. However, that extra security can be nice to help try a little harder, along with extending your skate sessions without having tired feet.

A few key features that make Adidas a good brand of skate shoe are:

• ADIPRENE: A soft EVA cushioning is put into the heel of the insoles to help offer better cushion and slightly improve impact protection.
• Long Lasting Tread & Grip: The outsoles of Adidas shoes are quite stiff and hard, making the grip stay consistent across most shoe models.
• Great Overall Foot Protection: The uppers of all Adidas skate shoes are thicker with a well-padded tongue to protect your feet from tricks gone wrong.
• ADITUFF: a rubber backing of the suede around the box to extend the shoe’s lifespan and prolong the time it takes to blow a hole.

So Which Adidas Skate Shoe Should You Choose?

If you are having a hard time choosing which shoe to get, I would recommend the Adidas Busenitz as the best all-around shoe for tech skating, ledges, and rails.

However, if you want to skate bigger features or want more support out of a skate shoe, I would recommend the Adidas Tyshawn Pros.

Shoe	Specs	Our Rating	Where To Buy
	Adidas Busenitz Pro	Have good impact absorption for an Adidas shoe Have well-padded and supportive in the heel and midfoot Look killer for skating & casual wear Super lightweight	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Adidas Nora	Are super lightweight with amazing board feel Has a durable toe with double-pieced suede Well padded around the tongue & supportive in the midfoot Is made of 50% recycled materials	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Adidas Puig	Has lace protectors Rubber-backed suede to improve durability Keeps a consistent grip with long-lasting tread Has great board feel for a cupsole shoe	Find At Tactics Boardshop
	Adidas Matchbreak Super	Rubber-backed suede around the toe making them more durable One of the cheaper Adidas skate shoes Very comfy and stay relatively stiff Classic Adidas style for skate & casual wear	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop
	Adidas Tyshawn Pro	Bulky overall but are great for heelflips Rubber-backed suede makes the shoe last Has a satin-like collar making the shoe easy to take on and off Protects the foot well overall	Check Price On AmazonFind At Tactics Boardshop