adidas Matchcourt Mid Skate Shoes Wear Test Review
With the rubber toe cap craze still going strong, we had to test out the adidas Matchcourt Mid Skate Shoes. We also wear tested the canvas Matchcourt Lows (video at bottom), but wanted to take a closer look at how the shoes would hold up with a suede upper and a mid top collar. We took the the opportunity to get feedback from one of our longest standing team riders and employees, Nicky P.
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Aside from the rubber toe cap, the Matchcourt Mid has a very basic design. The low profile suede upper sits on top of a very flexible vulcanized construction, allowing natural board feel. Minimal padding in the mid top collar provides a locked in feeling without restricting ankle movement.
The shoe also has more eyelets than most skate shoes, which allow you to better tighten the whole upper around your foot for a more snug fit. The downside is that it leaves the laces very vulnerable to breakage. Nick had to do a fair amount of retying, but that's a standard activity for most skateboarders.
Out of the box, the Matchourts felt flexible and ready to skate, but the toe cap took a few flicks to break in. Once the rubber wore down slightly, Nick thought they felt very similar to a standard suede shoe but offered superior durability.
After a solid month of skating, the rubber toe cap lives on. Some red suede is starting to peek through, but the shoes have many more flicks in their future before Nick needs to start worrying about tearing a hole. Unlike the canvas versions, the ollie area is also holding up well. Although the toe cap was very durable, the canvas shoes needed some shoe goo in the ollie area after only a few sessions.
The outsoles gave Nick all the grip he needed and managed to hold up extremely well. With almost zero noticeable wear, it looks like they'll hold up even longer than the toe caps.
With such a thin, flexible construction, the adidas Matchcourts are ideal for getting techy on ledges, manny pads, flat ground and step ups. The toe cap is also perfect for this type of skating because it adds more grip and has the durability to stand up to the constant flicking of flip tricks. If you like to do higher impact transition and stairset skating, the Matchcourts are still a good option, but you may want to consider upgrading them with a more supportive after market insole.
For more info, check out our adidas Matchcourt Low Wear Test Review:
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Words by Ross Druckrey
Photos by Jordan DeMoss
Video by Jordan DeMoss and Ross Druckrey