Adidas Harden Stepback 3
Released 1/2022, Low Top, James Harden,
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Performance Ratings
8.2
EXPERT RATING
4 reviews
8.7
USER RATING
22 ratings
Performance Summary
The Adidas Harden Stepback 3 is a solid performance basketball shoe for players on a budget.
Pros
Solid, reliable traction
Comfortable budget materials
Cons
Not the most breathable shoe
Best Suitable For: Recommended for guards that heavily rely on footwork
Category Performance Ratings
8.5
Traction
Textured outsole rubber. Excellent indoor grip and quick stops. Picks up dust and benefits from wiping.
7.8
Cushion
Full-length Bounce foam with midfoot shank. Bouncy, responsive ride with decent impact protection and improving feel.
8.0
Materials
Soft textile and synthetic upper with simple overlays. Comfortable and conforming but not very breathable.
8.0
Support
Midfoot shank, molded heel counter, and wide base. Solid heel lockdown and lateral stability without a torsional plate.
8.5
Fit
Boxy forefoot with a conforming upper. Runs true to size for most but can feel snug and some prefer a half size up.
83%
Outdoor
Thick outsole rubber and a darker compound in high-wear areas. Durable for outdoor use and traction holds up.
small
large
Sizing
Runs true to size for most. Consider a half size up if you want extra toe room or have wide feet.
narrow
wide
Width
Fits medium to wide feet well. Narrow footers may need thicker socks or a size adjustment.
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
 Adidas Harden Stepback 3 |  Li-Ning Way of Wade All City 13 Encore |  New Balance TWO WXY V3 |  Adidas D.O.N. Issue 7 |  Nike LeBron NXXT Gen |  ANTA Kai 2 | Add shoe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert Rating | 8.2 | 8.9(0.7) | 8.7(0.5) | 8.7(0.5) | 8.7(0.5) | 8.5(0.3) | |
| User Rating | 8.7 | NA | 8.9(0.2) | NA | 9.0(0.3) | 8.9(0.2) | |
| Best Price | $79.99 | $149 | $119.99 | $89.99 $120 | $129.99 $160 | $99.99 $140 | |
| Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
| Weight | 410g - 430g | NA | 350g - 360g | 400g - 400g | 350g - 360g | NA |
15 likes
from KicksCrew
$65.00
19 likes
No stores found
19 likes
No stores found
Expert Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Rating: 8.2 (ranks #264 of 383)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
1
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.6
April 13, 2023
The Adidas Harden Stepback 3 showed great results during our tests. The traction and cushioning will be solid for guards and wings.
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8.4
July 26, 2022
I was presently surprised with the Adidas Harden Stepback 3. They might be the best budget shoe in recent memory, especially for shifty guards that rely on heavy footwork.
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7.8
August 16, 2022
The Adidas Harden Stepback 3 is a comfortable budget shoe. The traction was reliable, and I enjoyed how the materials felt.
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7.8
December 22, 2022
I had a good time playing in the Adidas Harden Stepback 3. The traction performed nicely, the cushion was responsive, and I enjoyed the fit. I do wish impact protection was better, though.
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User Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
User Rating: 8.7 (ranks #164 of 383)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
13
8 - Good
8
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.3
December 27, 2022
The shoe is overall pretty good, the traction and outdoor performances are really good even when you're playing on a paved road. I have a wide feet and i sticked true to size which i think was a good idea. But i don't know if it's my wide feet or not that's causing me to feel a burn below my toes whenever i stay idle for a couple of minutes. Basically, i really recommend this shoes if you're on a budget. You might wanna go up half a size if you got a super wide feet, if not, stick true to size.
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8.8
January 11, 2024
I really liked the Stepback 3!!! An incredible shoe for the price.
The traction is EXTREMELY GOOD on both courts and it's very durable.
The cushioning isn't amazing, because at times my heel hurt a bit and after 30 minutes of playing with it, my feet hurt a bit.
Although it doesn't have amazing cushioning, the material, the lock and the stability help with court feel and safety, which is why it's so much fun to play in.
The fit is great for me due to the large base in the forefoot.
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8.8
April 15, 2023
I love the dell of the materials and the cushion. The traction is incredible outdoors but completely horrid indoors if not warmed up. Playing in these indoors was completely unbearable for me I was constantly slipping. Outdoors is the complete opposite however. The traction, cushion court fell fit and bounce are all on point. I would only recommend it for outdoor though.
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7.9
May 1, 2023
i’ve been using these as outdoor, good mostly except for the very side of the shoe that u can tell has shown some wear after around 2 months, decent shoe. heel
compression isn’t great, very caged, but the bounce foam kinda nice. pretty good for only £49
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7.8
December 17, 2022
solid budget shoe the only problem i have with the shoe is that cushion is mid and foot hurts after long time period, traction can sometimes slipout after dust build up
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Traction of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Traction Rating: 8.5 (ranks #208 of 383)
User Traction Rating: 8.7 (ranks #190 of 383)
10 - Amazing
5
9 - Great
8
8 - Good
12
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.0
April 13, 2023
The traction provides excellent grip, and dust pickup is not an issue.
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9.0
July 26, 2022
The outsole tread is my favourite part of the shoe. It grips well when going side-to-side.
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8.0
August 16, 2022
The traction feels tacky and performed well.
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8.0
December 22, 2022
After breaking in the traction, it started to perform well. You stop nicely on clean courts. It does pick up dust quickly, but it doesn't affect performance if you wipe it.
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Cushion of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Cushion Rating: 7.8 (ranks #309 of 383)
User Cushion Rating: 8.3 (ranks #209 of 383)
10 - Amazing
4
9 - Great
6
8 - Good
8
7 - Average
7
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
9.0
April 13, 2023
The Bounce foam evolves and provides impressive cushioning with the more you play. It's well-balanced. I had no issues with impact protection when dunking.
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8.0
July 26, 2022
Adidas built this midsole with performance in mind. The full-length Bounce foam is comfortable, and the shank makes the shoe bouncy.
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7.0
August 16, 2022
The step-in comfort felt nice but could be better.
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7.0
December 22, 2022
Adidas uses full-length Bounce to offer a solid court feel but not much compression.
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Materials of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Materials Rating: 8.0 (ranks #241 of 383)
User Materials Rating: 8.8 (ranks #91 of 383)
10 - Amazing
6
9 - Great
7
8 - Good
12
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
April 13, 2023
The materials are simple and inexpensive. Breathability could be better.
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8.0
July 26, 2022
The materials remind me of the Trae Young 1, and the shoe offers similar comfort. The downside is they aren't the most breathable pair.
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8.0
August 16, 2022
I like that the materials aren't heavy. The shoe isn't light, but it's well-balanced.
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8.0
December 22, 2022
The materials are soft, and they conform to your foot well. There's no break in time for the shoe to feel comfortable.
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Support of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Support Rating: 8.0 (ranks #288 of 383)
User Support Rating: 8.9 (ranks #117 of 383)
10 - Amazing
6
9 - Great
9
8 - Good
10
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.0
April 13, 2023
Heel lockdown is good. There's no pronounced outrigger, but the base is wide enough to keep you stable. There are no torsional plates, though.
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8.0
July 26, 2022
The lockdown and stability are solid in this shoe.
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8.0
August 16, 2022
The ankle support feels solid for a budget shoe, but the comfort from the support features could be better.
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8.0
December 22, 2022
Lateral containment is not an issue. I was also good to go with lateral stability.
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Fit of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Fit Rating: 8.5 (ranks #94 of 383)
User Fit Rating: 8.8 (ranks #123 of 383)
10 - Amazing
5
9 - Great
10
8 - Good
10
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
9.0
April 13, 2023
The shoe has no issues accommodating different foot shapes. It's well-padded and comfortable on your feet.
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9.0
July 26, 2022
The forefoot is boxy and ergonomic, but the shoe can accommodate a lot of foot shapes.
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8.0
August 16, 2022
The shoe fits too snugly for my liking. I prefer a bit more room when I play.
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8.0
December 22, 2022
The shoe fits me well.
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Durability of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
User Durability Rating: 8.8 (ranks #102 of 383)
10 - Amazing
5
9 - Great
11
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
1
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
Outdoor of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
Expert Outdoor Rating: 83.3 (ranks #59 of 383)
User Outdoor Rating: 92.1 (ranks #39 of 383)
Good (100%)
19
Fair (50%)
2
Bad (0%)
1
good
July 26, 2022
The darker rubber is more durable than the lighter rubber, but the traction will still perform well outdoors.
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fair
August 16, 2022
The rubber looks like it will last.
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good
December 22, 2022
The rubber is thick enough to take outdoors.
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Width of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
very narrow
1
slightly narrow
1
regular
16
slightly wide
5
very wide
1
regularly wide
July 26, 2022
Narrow footers might need to wear thicker socks. Medium and wide footers shouldn't have many issues.
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slightly narrow
December 22, 2022
Go up half a size if you have a wide foot.
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Size of the Adidas Harden Stepback 3:
very small
0
slightly small
4
true to size
20
slightly long
1
very long
1
true to size
April 13, 2023
The Harden Stepback 3 runs true to size.
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true to size
July 26, 2022
I recommend going true to size.
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½ size small
August 16, 2022
I would go half a size up.
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true to size
December 22, 2022
I went true to size and enjoyed the fit, but if you don't like your toes close to the front of the shoe, go up half a size.
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