This review was written after skating through my second pair of the Adidas Busenitz Pro shoes. I really love these shoes, but I need to set the record straight about how these actually feel to skate.
Over the past 15 years since this shoe’s release, some of the highly visible reviews are from authors who never even tried skating in them.
So let’s clear that up.
About the Adidas Busenitz Pro
The Adidas Busenitz Pro is pro skateboarder Dennis Busenitz’s best-selling and first-released pro-Adidas skate shoe on the Adidas Skateboarding lineup. Busenitz collaborated with Adidas to launch the shoe back in 2006 as a skateboard-friendly redesign of the popular Adidas soccer shoe, the Samba. Two years later, in 2008, the Adidas Busenitz Pro was released.
The main upgrade with the Busenitz Pro version is that it became a cupsole skate shoe, and it started to reinforce the heel with a plastic heel stabilizer. The rest of the shoe’s features remained the same. (So look for the plastic on the heel to tell the difference.)
Today, the non-Pro version of the Adidas Busenitz shoe is typically referred to as the Adidas Busenitz Vulc, while the Busenitz Pro version is the cup-soled iteration.
There are also a few newer variations, like the Busenitz Vulc II, which is a vulcanized version that also includes the plastic heel stabilizer.
The important detail to remember is that you are likely buying the cup-soled Busenitz Pro version as long as the word “Vulc” isn’t specifically called out in the shoe’s product title.
Main Feature of the Shoe: The Balance of Boardfeel & Impact Absorption
I grew up skating the 90s puffy cup sole skate shoes. I like the idea of a vulc and being able to feel my board, but just prefer cupsoles for having some impact protection. I was looking for a cupsole shoe that offered an above-average level of boardfeel, and that’s the Addidas Busenitz Pro.
The Adidas Busenitz Pro has been the perfect halfway point between skating a vulcanized shoe and a cupsole shoe.
Review Rating of the Adidas Busenitz Pro
| Considerations | Rating Out 5 | Score Out of 100 | Weight (Importance to Score) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How Well They Skate | 4.75 | 95 | 15 |
| Comfort | 4.40 | 88 | 10 |
| Fit | 4.75 | 95 | 5 |
| Breathability | 4.40 | 88 | 5 |
| Flick for Flip Tricks | 4.85 | 97 | 10 |
| Boardfeel & Grip | 4.90 | 98 | 10 |
| Durability | 4.85 | 97 | 10 |
| Impact / Shock Absorption | 4.25 | 85 | 10 |
| Insoles | 3.80 | 76 | 5 |
| Break In Period / Easy to Get Used To | 4.40 | 88 | 5 |
| Value for Price | 4.75 | 95 | 5 |
| Style / Look | 4.75 | 95 | 10 |
| Weighted Score | 4.62 | 92.35 |
4.62 Review Rating Out of 5
The Adidas Busenitz Pro skate shoes earn a 4.62 rating for their comfort, durability, and balance of offering stability and impact absorption, all with some boardfeel. These shoes are perfect for anyone who is looking for a high-performance skate shoe that feels somewhere between a vulcanized and a cupsole shoe. If you need some impact protection but don’t want to sacrifice your level of boardfeel, you’re going to love the Busenitz.
Overall, I loved these shoes and look forward to skating my third pair.
Size / Model I Skated In
I skated the Adidas Busenitz Pro in a men’s size 8.0. At the time of writing, I just finished skating in my second pair of these shoes, and any pictures in this review you see for the brand new looking white pair, well, those will be my third pair.
How the Fit Felt
These feel very true to their size, but maybe a hair narrow. That said, they mold comfortably to your foot in around five skate sessions.
Pros of the Adidas Busenitz Pro
Here are some of the things I grew to love about these skate shoes.
They Are Durable And Last 40% Longer Than Other Skate Shoes.
This is a very durable skate shoe. While most skate shoes usually last me around 3 to 3.5 months, the Adidas Busenitz Pro consistently lasts me around 40% longer by pushing its lifespan closer to 4 to 5 months of consistent street skating.
I’ve had two pairs of the Busenitz now, and I’ve gotten the second pair to last even longer than the first by adding a light layer of nail glue (yep, you read that right) over the stitching in the ollie, kickflip, and heelflip zones.
The shoe’s suede is so incredibly durable that the rubber outsole often wears out before the upper part of the shoe does.
They Have An Outstanding Level of Boardfeel for a Cupsole Shoe.
This shoe skates similar to a vulcanized shoe, but it’s actually a cupsole that offers some decent shock absorption. The Busenitz blends the skate-friendliness of being able to feel your board with the padding, cushion, and grip of a more well rounded skateboard shoe.
To me, this is an excellent shoe for skaters looking to transition from vulcanized to cupsole construction or vice versa.
They Are Comfortable
Everything about this shoe is comfortable. They’re equally as comfortable to skate in as they are to walk in. As they break in, that comfort continues even more so.
The Shape of the Shoe is Perfect for Kickflips
The Busenitz feels as if it was made specifically for its flick. The shape of the shoe isn’t too round nor too pointy; it’s right in between.
The midsole has a textured rubber that grips up until the point of flicking your flip tricks, which makes my switch flips just work.
They Offer Great Ventilation for a Cupsole Skate Shoe
I always get sweaty feet when I skate, and the first thing I noticed with the Adidas Busenitz was that they find the balance between being padded and still offering enough breathability to get through the session. To me, they just aren’t as warm as most other padded cupsole shoes.
If you’re looking for a cupsole skateboard shoe that can take an impact and still work well for flat ground tricks, there’s always going to be some trade-off between the amount of padding and breathability. The Busenitz Pro finds the balance point here.
It’s important to remember that these shoes are based on the Adidas Samba, a soccer shoe they’ve Adidas has been perfecting since 1949. Those 76 years of research truly come to life when you skate the Busenitz. When you wear these, you notice how dialed in they are in their performance, down to the ventilation offered.
Setting the Record Straight About Breathability for the Busenitz
Another popular reviewer claimed this shoe isn’t very breathable. I don’t agree with that take at all.
The Adidas Busenitz is a very breathable skate shoe compared to most other cupsole skate shoes.
That “non-breathable” comment was actually taken from a running shoe review site. Nobody should be comparing the Adidas Busenitz’s features to the features of the Brooks Ghost.
The Busenitz are not running shoes. The Adidas Busenitz Pro is a high performance skate shoe that is designed to be durable, skate exceptionally well, and offer some shock absorption, all while still offering the skater a generous amount of boardfeel and ventalation.
A running shoe, on the other hand, can get by with having far less material on the upper part of the shoe because it doesn’t need to withstand griptape. It just needs to hold up while you run and sweat in it. There’s no way to compare the two styles of shoes the same.
So, when you compare the Adidas Busenitz to, say, the very padded cupsole shoe, like the DC Lynx, you’ll find the Adidas Busentiz are far more breathable than others in their same category.
The Tongue is Customizable
The Busenitz has one customization feature that makes it unique. It comes with a stylish long tongue. It works really well to keep your pants out of the way. However, they also give you a guideline with printed instructions on how to trim it down, too.
I grew to like the shorter tongue so I cut mine down to the lower size. I never had any issues with it freying or reducing the shoes lifespan, either.
The Fresh Look of Adidas
There’s an undeniable fresh look that comes along with skating in an Adidas shoe.
Even when they’re beaten up, and you’ve torn through the classic stripes, they somehow still seem to look good. The Busenitz always gave me that perception of “I feel like I look cool in these,” and that perception translated into me being a little more confident on my skateboard.
It makes me think of that old Deion Sanders quote that the Bomb Hole podcast always seems to reference: “When you look good, you feel good; when you feel good, you play good; when you play good, they pay good.”
Lastly, there is something about the freshness of having an Adidas shoe to skate in that feels fresh. They always seem to look good even when they’re beat up, and that perception of feeling like you look fresh seems to make me skate better.
There’s that Deion Sanders quote the Bomb Hole podcast always cites: “When you look good, you feel good, when you feel good, you play good, and when you play good, they pay good.”
Cons
Here are some things I didn’t like about skating the Busenitz.
They Can Be Expensive
This shoe isn’t the cheapest, but you get what you pay for. You get a performance-driven skate shoe that will last you longer than most other shoes.
My pro tip here is to wait for the sales. If you’re patient, you can find these in the $30-$40 range for some of last season’s colorways. Adidas hasn’t really changed the shoe from year to year (it’s already pretty great), so just wait for the old colors to go on sale and scoop up a great deal.
The Insoles Are Firm
The Busenitz’s insoles aren’t the best. While the shoe itself is extremely comfortable, the insoles aren’t. They’re a bit firm.
In both pairs of the Busenitz Pros that I’ve owned, I swapped the insoles for softer, more comfortable ones. Currently, I’m using the insoles from my eS Silos. Those insoles a little softer and help with absorbing impacts. In addition to being firm, the insoles in the Busenitz offer a little too much arch support for my flat feet.
I’d still say the Adidas Busenitz is a great shoe for skaters with flat feet. However, you’ll probably want to take my advice and just replace the stock insoles with ones that work better for you.
What if You Don’t Have Flat Feet?
Even if you don’t have flat feet, I’d still recommend swapping the insoles for ones that are more comfortable. While the insoles offer a lot of arch support, they are firm and will take some time to get used to.
They Aren’t the Lightest Skate Shoes
While they build on 76 years of the Samba’s performance soccer shoe technology, the Busenitz is still not the lightest skate shoe out there. My men’s size is 8.0, and they weigh .882 lbs (400g) per shoe when new, even with the long tongue.
For comparison, my men’s size 8.0 Etnies Marana, with its reinforced toe cap and larger Michelin tire outsole, still weighs less at .776 lbs (352g).
I attribute the added .106 lbs (48g) weight difference to a few important details:
- The upper of the Adidas Busenitz is layered beyond just its surface suede, featuring reinforced stress sections. When you tear through the surface, there is a backup layer.
- The Busenitz has a soft plastic heel stabilizer that wraps around your heel as you skate. While this adds some weight compared to most other shoes, it offers several benefits:
- It improves your stability.
- It adds to the shoe’s shock absorption.
- It acts as a dampening agent to reduce vibrations.
- It reduces the risk of you rolling your ankle while you skate.
Are Adidas Shoes Good for Skateboarding?
Yes, Adidas skate shoes are great to skate in. However, their durability depends on the model of shoe you buy. The pro-model Adidas skate shoes all have the pro skater’s first or last name in their model name. Any of these models are pro-level skate shoes that will last you: The Busenitz, Nora, Tyshawn, Puig, and Felipe. I recommend looking for these Adidas skate shoes over the others.
Do I Recommend the Busenitz Over the Others?
Yes, the Adidas Busenitz worked for me well enough to call it my main skate shoe at the moment. If you’re looking for a shoe that offers a generous amount of impact absorption while still having a lot of boardfeel, you’ll love the Busenitz, too.
I’ll be skating my third pair of them soon.
Where to Buy the Busenitz Shoes?
You can often find these shoes on sale from Tactics or Amazon.
I have no affiliation with Adidas; I’m just a fan of these shoes.
If you’d like to support the reviews I write on this site, please consider purchasing your shoes through either of these two links, as both Tactics and Amazon offer me a referral commission from your purchase. Both links point to the current lowest-priced offer that I could find and won’t cost you anything additional.
Here’s the real pro tip to save on these shoes.
If you search online for “Adidas Busenitz sale” and happen to find these shoes in your size for less than $45, you really should jump at it.
If it’s from a store I don’t have a partnership with, I won’t receive a commission from your purchase, but I know you’ll be stoked to find a crazy good deal.
Keep skating and enjoy.
-Steve
Image Gallery from the Review
Are There Adidas Skate Shoe Fans Out There?
Leave a comment below with your questions, tips, or just show me pics of your shoes.
Steve Weber is the passionate snowboarder, skateboarder, and author behind Board of the World. He understands that most gear reviews focus on having the perfect snow conditions, but his testing methodology is different. Living in Pennsylvania, Steve describes exactly how a board performs when the conditions aren’t perfect. His reviews cover performance on ice, hardpack, and flat-out brick conditions. In other words, he reviews boards for the conditions that East Coast riders actually face.
Bringing 27 years of East Coast snowboarding and 21 years of skateboarding experience, Steve is a 42-year-old intermediate park rider. His recommendations are informed by decades of battling icy conditions, ensuring every review accounts for the board’s performance on the roughest of terrain.
For the last five years, Steve has poured his passion into writing in-depth, unbiased reviews that help riders make informed decisions about the gear they’ll use. He also works part-time at a snowboard shop in Northeastern Pennsylvania, which gives him a direct line to learning about the new gear tech months in advance. When he’s not writing reviews, Steve is often found riding at Montage Mountain and testing out new boards.
Steve’s goal with Board of the World is simple: to help every reader find the right gear so they can have fun outside from the first time they use it.