Details
Brand
Adidas
Heel To Toe Drop
N/A
Breathability
8/10
Latest Version
Yes
Terrain
Road
Type
Cushioning
Key Features
• Round laces• 3 pod Boost midsole for added support and cushioning• Suede upper• Embroidered piping on the upper• Translucent rubber outsole
Upper
The dual mesh upper on the Adidas Crazy BYW is unstructured, adding to the flexibility and comfort of the shoe. There is also some suede fabric present in the upper as well as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) detailing. The upper is form-fitting, hugging the foot in just the right places while the toe, enforced with a ribbed neoprene fabric, adds some support. Reviewers mentioned that the fabric on the upper was really soft to touch.
Midsole
The midsole of this shoe features three different “boost pods” that will offer support and cushioning to areas of the foot that typically see a lot of impact. Adidas’ Boost tech is their most responsive cushioning and a pair of shoes made for the court can really benefit from this kind of feature. The midsole is decoupled which allows the forefoot and heel to move separately. This is a bit different than other available shoes on the market but it should ultimately help with athletic performance.
Outsole
The outsole of this shoe is made from translucent rubber, found both at the heel and forefoot. This helps give the wearer more traction and grip on different types of surfaces. This is an especially desirable feature in the performance version of the Crazy BYW since the main purpose would be to wear it on the basketball courts.
Breathability
Thanks in part to the mesh upper, there is a decent amount of breathability available with this shoe. Basketball players everywhere can rejoice in the fact that they won’t be leaving the court with uncomfortably wet or smelly feet if they don a pair of these performance kicks for their game.
Comfort
“Feels like walking on clouds” is a comment noted more than once by reviewers of the Adidas Crazy BYW. It makes sense considering that the shoe itself looks like it’s situated atop a cloud! Putting your foot in a pair of these is like getting a hug from an old friend, thanks in part to the comfortable knit upper. The shoe features a one-off lacing system as well as round laces which help to ensure a secure fit. That said, some reviewers mentioned that it felt as if the shoe didn’t have much give to it at first but after a few wears, it loosened up and felt more comfortable. There were also reviews that mentioned this shoe not fitting certain types of feet very well, namely narrow or wide feet.
Style
As trends seem to have a way of doing, the clunky shoes your dad might have worn when you were a kid are coming back in style and the Adidas Crazy BYW shoes are a prime example of this. Take a good hard look at this shoe and you can see the retro style practically oozing out of it. Though the ‘clunky shoe’ trend has come back around within the last few years, some people might just be naturally averse to such different looking footwear. The bold mid-top style featured here is a definite throwback but can easily be paired with casual clothing if you purchase the lifestyle option of this shoe or with athletic clothes if you decide to level up and get the performance style instead. And, good news for the folks who do love the style of this shoe, our research has shown that new colorways are being dropped frequently so you will be able to purchase this in different colors soon.
Durability
Some reviewers questioned the durability of these shoes. One even went as far as to say that he had to pull out his super glue in order to adhere the sole of his shoe back together. We thought that this may be a one-off experience and perhaps the product of just one poorly put together shoe, but upon further research, we noticed that there was more than one review commenting on the glue.
Protection
Because of the breathable mesh upper, your feet will stay protected from sweat and the translucent rubber outsole will help you gain more traction on certain types of terrain. A rubber outsole provides slip-resistance and also more flexibility right out of the box. That said, there doesn’t seem to be much else that this shoe offers in terms of protection.
Responsiveness
In 2013 Adidas revealed its brand new Boost technology that they now use for many of their shoes. The Boost midsole is made from thousands of foam pellets that the company has dubbed “energy capsules” and the three Boost pods found on the bottom of the Crazy BYW shoe really do provide some fantastic energy return (as well as cushioning) for the wearer. Some reviewers commented on how bouncy the heel was and that’s exactly what a basketball player would be looking for if they’re buying the performance version of this shoe.
Support
These shoes don’t offer much in terms of support, at least not as much as one would come to expect from other types of shoes we review on RunnerClick. What the Crazy BYW does offer in way of support is due to the knit upper with its reinforced mesh collar as well as the aforementioned neoprene toe.
Terrain
As previously mentioned, there are two different styles of this shoe available on the market. The first is a lifestyle version, meant to be worn for everyday use. The second option is a performance style that is meant to be used on the basketball court. These are not the kind of shoes you would want to don during a hike or a jog but they would fair well for taking to school, work or to the mall. If you spring for the performance version of the Crazy BWY, you will find that they perform well on the basketball court.
Price
The price tag for the Adidas Crazy BYW is all over the place. They retail for about $260 on the Adidas website if you don’t catch them on sale, but if you’re searching on Amazon, you will find some styles and sizes are as low as $90. Different sizes and colorways are offered at varying price points. Regardless, it does seem like the MSPR for this shoe is pretty outrageous for how little it truly offers the wearer, but that is to be expected with a product from such a reputable company.
Drop
Unfortunately, there is no information online as to what the drop of this shoe may be.
Stability
As previously mentioned, the Adidas Crazy BYW are either marketed as a lifestyle or performance shoe. They don’t offer as much in terms of stability as, say, a running shoe would have to. In fact, many reviewers commented that the lifestyle version offers little to zero stability and feel a little dangerous if they were to try and wear them on the court.
Flexibility
As previously mentioned, the upper of this shoe is unstructured which should add a ton of flexibility. Also, wearers will find that the shoe will adapt to the natural movement of their feet, thanks to the three boost pods found in the midsole. The rubber outsole also helps to add flexibility, minimizing the often annoying break-in period.
Traction
The translucent rubber outsole is practically made for traction. Remembering that the bottom of this shoe is decoupled, both the heel and forefoot sections should, in theory, offer great grip and traction on nearly any surface. That said, some of the reviewers mentioned that they didn’t feel the lifestyle version of this shoe are as grippy as they could be.
Bottom Line
If you’re in the market for a trendy shoe and have a pocketbook that can support spending that may feel a little frivolous, the Adidas Crazy BYW may be a great option for you. These shoes are modern and entirely en vogue right now with the clunky 90’s-esque trend being a go-to for men and women alike this year. The lifestyle version of this shoe is a perfect option for the trendsetter looking to turn heads, meanwhile the performance version seems to be a fantastic option for athletes who want to turn heads on the basketball court. The Crazy BYW lifestyle version seems to be more of a super comfortable trendsetting shoe than anything else. We didn’t do an in-depth dive of the performance options for this shoe as it is entirely different, though perhaps we will review that one in the future.;That said, it doesn’t seem that this shoe really offers as many benefits beyond being aesthetically pleasing and comfortable, at least not compared to the many other options we have reviewed on our website. There seemed to be numerous issues with quality control of this shoe. A number of reviews stated they had problems with the glue coming off of the sole, as well as glue being present on the toe box or in other strange places there shouldn’t be glue on a brand new pair of kicks.;The bottom line is this shoe is decent. It seems to be a very comfortable option, especially if the idea of walking on a cloud sounds appealing to you (and why wouldn’t it?). It does seem to be slightly overpriced for what it offers consumers but if comfort and style are what you look for when it comes to your footwear, the Adidas Crazy BYW might just be for you.
