By Clinton aka Phoenix Review, for Hoops Sneakers
With added thoughts by Dan aka Hoops Sneakers
I love Donovan Mitchell’s signature line. Inexpensive, comic-book inspired, bold design. It’s everything that I, as a basketball loving nerd with a tight budget, could ever ask for! Assuming it performs well on court, that is!
Traction:
When it comes to the traction the DON line-up has had some issues. The DON 1 used a full-length herringbone and it played okay, but picked up a lot of dust and became inconsistent rather quick. The DON 2 went with a spider-web design that played great on an indoor court, even if dusty, yet struggled to be consistent outside.
Here in the DON 3, the traction is almost identical to the 2. I’d recommend it highly, but only if you’re playing indoors!
Cushion:
Full-length Bounce is gone — this year they’ve “improved” the cushioning system with Lightstrike foam. That worries me for one reason: the Harden 3 was awesome with full length Boost, while the Harden 4 sucked for cushion with the Lightstrike upgrade. Yet hope remains.
That hope lies in how thick the cut of foam is under the heel. It’s much thicker than the Harden, sitting a similar height off the ground as the DON 2.
Truthfully, from a first try on and just holding it in hand, I don’t think the casual hooper would notice a difference between the 2 and the 3. It is different, but ultimately they’re both lightweight yet dense foams that offer really nice impact protection and solid responsiveness compared to other foams on the market. They’re nice cushioning systems, but don’t fool yourself into thinking this is a huge upgrade.
Dan’s thoughts: This iteration of Lightstrike used here for the 3s feels MUCH firmer than anything used in the Dame line thus far. To the touch, this midsole feels JUST like Bounce.
Fit:
Don’t talk to me about your “Adidas size” anymore. I’ve been saying for YEARS that it’s not the brand, it’s the individual sneaker that varies in size — this line alone seems to have set out to prove me right. The DON 1 fit at least a half-size big, the DON 2 fit true-to-size, and this year some people are going to go up half-a-size because the fit is so snug.
For me, I like the fit of the 2 and the 3 a lot. You feel locked-in and supported before you even tie the shoes up. Yet for some, like Dan aka Hoops Sneakers (editor’s note: that’s me!), the fit is TOO narrow to the point of cutting out the elastic that holds the upper together across the laces (pictured above).
If you wore the 2, it’s similar. If you only wore the 1, or you’re used to the size and fit of most other Adidas ball shoes, TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!
Dan’s thoughts: The elastic midfoot band is way tighter than it looks in images. I have already removed it.
I went half-a-size up as a wide-footer, and they fit me PERFECTLY; my toe is just where I want it with a small amount of space to the end — they are not too long at all. I would say they fit snug and you may want to consider up half-a-size, as that’s what I did with the DON 2 as well.
Support & Lockdown:
The aforementioned elastic across the laces really holds you in. Beyond that you’ve got the midsole coming into the upper with a plastic bar running through it.
The toe-box isn’t reinforced, but the construction includes an inner booty; while the heel has some Achilles support moulded into the shoe.
Lateral lockdown on this shoe is going to be insane.
Dan’s thoughts: They do feel very stiff just trying to flex them around in my hand. The TPU support piece that extends to the lateral midfoot is no joke; this is a very sturdy piece of tech. Hoping they break in nicely, but I already know the support in these is going to be A1.
Materials:
CA$145/AU$160 from Nike buys you the PG5, with materials which do the job but feel cheap to the touch and left many people wanting more.
CA$145/AU$180 from Adidas buys you the DON 3, where the materials are premium beyond the price point. The shoe looks beautiful, feels well built and the colourways vary and have some awesome collaborations, something we now expect from the DON line-up.
The materials are thick, so breathability will be low. Worth it though for the durability and support the materials offer. Nike could learn a thing or two here.
Dan’s thoughts: Just like with the 2s as well, the materials are pretty damn nice for the price point. I really like the way the synthetic nubuck-style material around the laces feels — it’s very smooth and buttery, feels extremely close to a genuine material.
In conclusion: We can’t wait to play in this shoe! It appears to be terrific value, low price point, high performance, what a beautiful thing! We’ll get going on the testing and come back soon to let you know if it’s a terrific performer. I’m confident it will be, but hopefully it lives up to expectations!
Dan’s thoughts: There is one thing I want to add — In my opinion, the insole sucks. It’s like Adidas has gone for that Styrofoam-esque sort of insole like what is in the KDs currently to accommodate the Zoom strobel, however it’s still really thin, and sticky on the bottom without being glued down. That means it wasn’t sitting in there flat and was all bent and folded and warped when I got the shoes. I took it out immediately and replaced it with the DON 2 insole, which is a standard thin foam insole but still much nicer than what they put in the 3.
Thanks for reading!
~ Clinton aka Phoenix, for HS, and Dan aka Hoops Sneakers.
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