Adidas Harden Stepback 2
Released 1/2021, Low Top, James Harden,
Add to Favourites
Performance Ratings
8.3
EXPERT RATING
2 reviews
8.0
USER RATING
23 ratings
Performance Summary
The budget model Harden Stepback 2 is arguably better than the signature Volume 5.
Pros
Great fit
Nice materials for the price.
Cons
Minimal impact protection
Some heel slippage
Best Suitable For: Best for guards or wings who want court feel and don't need a lot of compression.
Category Performance Ratings
8.5
Traction
Same pattern as Harden Vol. 5, multidirectional-style with durable rubber. Excellent bite on clean courts, light wiping on dust.
7.5
Cushion
Full-length Bounce midsole. Firmer and thinner than typical Bounce, very responsive with great court feel but limited impact protection.
9.0
Materials
Full textile upper with soft, premium-feeling materials. Looks and feels upscale for $80 and holds up well in regular use.
8.0
Support
External heel counter and half-bootie construction provide good lateral containment and stability; some users reported heel slip during break-in.
8.5
Fit
Runs narrow with a snug half-bootie fit and no dead space in the toe. Break-in loosens fit; lockdown improves after wear.
100%
Outdoor
Durable rubber delivers excellent outdoor longevity. Outsole holds up well and traction remains usable on rough courts.
small
large
Sizing
Many reviewers recommend going down half a size, though some stayed true to their Adidas size. Consider half size down if unsure.
narrow
wide
Width
Fits narrow to regular best. Wide-foot players may need a half to full size up depending on foot width.
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
 Adidas Harden Stepback 2 |  Li-Ning Way of Wade All City 13 Encore |  New Balance TWO WXY V3 |  Adidas D.O.N. Issue 7 |  Adidas D.O.N. Issue 6 |  Nike LeBron NXXT Gen | Add shoe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert Rating | 8.3 | 8.9(0.6) | 8.7(0.4) | 8.7(0.4) | 8.3(0.0) | 8.7(0.4) | |
| User Rating | 8.0 | NA | 8.9(0.9) | NA | 9.2(1.2) | 9.0(1.0) | |
| Best Price | $79.99 | $149 | $119.99 | $89.99 $120 | $129.99 | $129.99 $160 | |
| Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
| Weight | 400g - 420g | NA | 350g - 360g | 400g - 400g | 360g - 370g | 350g - 360g |
69 likes
from 2 Resellers
$85.00
49 likes
from 2 Resellers
$87.00
4 likes
from 2 Resellers
$100.00
35 likes
from 2 Resellers
$110.00
46 likes
from 2 Resellers
$115.00
Expert Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Rating: 8.3 (ranks #226 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
0
8 - Good
2
7 - Average
0
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
0
8.4
January 23, 2021
The Harden Stepback 2 retails for $80 and I would definitely recommend it. You get solid all-around basketball shoes that perform better than the much more expensive Harden Vol. 5.
More details
8.2
January 23, 2021
For only $80 retail, the Harden Stepback 2 is a great performer. They are a little bottom heavy and I had some heel slippage issues, but other than that, I really like this shoe!
More details
User Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
User Rating: 8.0 (ranks #292 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
8
8 - Good
10
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
8.4
November 20, 2022
I loved it, I played in this shoe only outdoor's for 10 straight months and they were amazing, the traction is pretty good, the cushion is the only real downside, the impact protection was bad, support is decent like I had very few issues with the support of the shoe but is not great either, materials and fit especially for that price were both amazing, really comfortable and really good court feel, the durability is awesome, hold it up pretty well for 10 months only on outdoors.
More details
6.8
March 13, 2022
The most notable problem are the piss poor laces which are so thin they are an absolute pain to tie. This would be fine if the fit wasnt so damn loose around the heel. Everywhere else its a great fit for people with wider feet such as mine. It is also unable to be used indoors at a high level after much outdoor use. The rubber will quickly be pealed off and worn down.
More details
8.4
July 17, 2022
Its a very good shoe especially for dunking.Its also a responsive shoe but not for fast players cause its a bit bulky and heavy.I liked that shoe and i would recommend it for both harden fans and players who are not fast but want a shoe in a good price.The only negatives are that it is a heavy shoe and i experienced some heel slippage.
More details
8.8
October 25, 2021
This shoe is a budget shoe that has one of the best performance in the harden line. It has great traction, materials and fit. This shoe is likely to be for Guards to play on, however it's a narrow shoe so if you have a regular feet or flat feet you should add at least half a size or one. Overall, for a $65 shoe, it's amazing!
More details
8.8
January 12, 2023
Amazing court feel I don’t exactly know what kind of sole they used but it feels super close to the ground. The support is okay(I wear braces) One of the most comfortable basketball shoes I ever played with but they wore off after a while so I switched to Lukas. Still missing these tho
More details
Traction of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Traction Rating: 8.5 (ranks #210 of 381)
User Traction Rating: 8.3 (ranks #239 of 381)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
11
8 - Good
9
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
2
5 - Poor
0
9.0
January 23, 2021
I'm pretty sure the Stepback 2 uses the exact same traction pattern as the disappointing Harden Vol. 5. Here the traction was actually really good. Great bite on clean courts, and a little wiping required on dust.
More details
8.0
January 23, 2021
The traction is pretty good. I slipped out a few times but overall the bite was really good.
More details
Cushion of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Cushion Rating: 7.5 (ranks #337 of 381)
User Cushion Rating: 7.4 (ranks #306 of 381)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
9
7 - Average
9
6 - Subpar
3
5 - Poor
1
8.0
January 23, 2021
The cushion features full-length Bounce and is a little firmer compared to other shoes using Bounce. You get a lot of court feel and responsiveness, as well as decent impact protection and bounce out of this setup.
More details
7.0
January 23, 2021
The Bounce cushioning midsole is really thin and not as soft as usual. The court feel is really good, but there is not a lot of impact protection or compression.
More details
Materials of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Materials Rating: 9.0 (ranks #16 of 381)
User Materials Rating: 8.0 (ranks #245 of 381)
10 - Amazing
2
9 - Great
9
8 - Good
7
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
2
5 - Poor
1
9.0
January 23, 2021
The full textile upper was pretty nice, especially for the price. The materials are soft to the touch and conform nicely to your feet. I liked these materials a lot better than the materials of the Volume 5.
More details
9.0
January 23, 2021
For an $80 shoe, the materials are really nice. The look is pretty premium and the materials feel great on foot.
More details
Support of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Support Rating: 8.0 (ranks #295 of 381)
User Support Rating: 7.6 (ranks #309 of 381)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
5
8 - Good
12
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
5
5 - Poor
1
8.0
January 23, 2021
The support is pretty good. The external heel counter helped lock down my heel and the lateral containment is decent. It has pretty much everything you want support wise.
More details
8.0
January 23, 2021
I had absolutely zero issues with lateral containment which was kind of surprising. Lateral stability was nice even without an outrigger. One thing I struggled with a little was heel slippage when I was breaking these in.
More details
Fit of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Fit Rating: 8.5 (ranks #99 of 381)
User Fit Rating: 7.7 (ranks #311 of 381)
10 - Amazing
2
9 - Great
7
8 - Good
7
7 - Average
4
6 - Subpar
2
5 - Poor
3
8.0
January 23, 2021
This shoe is pretty narrow in the midfoot and forefoot area similar to other Harden models. The materials broke in well and loosened up a bit after some use. There is no dead space in the toe box and overall the fit is good.
More details
9.0
January 23, 2021
The Harden Stepback 2 fit me like a glove and with no dead space in the toe box. The half bootie construction makes the overall fit really nice.
More details
Durability of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
User Durability Rating: 8.2 (ranks #221 of 381)
10 - Amazing
7
9 - Great
4
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
5
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
2
Outdoor of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Outdoor Rating: 100.0 (ranks #17 of 381)
User Outdoor Rating: 71.4 (ranks #118 of 381)
Good (100%)
13
Fair (50%)
6
Bad (0%)
3
good
January 23, 2021
The durability of the rubber was insanely good.
More details
Width of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
very narrow
2
slightly narrow
8
regular
9
slightly wide
6
very wide
0
slightly narrow
January 23, 2021
If you're a wide footer you could do true to size or a half size down depending on how wide your foot is.
More details
slightly narrow
January 23, 2021
If you have wide feet I'd suggest going up half a size or maybe even a full size.
More details
Size of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
very small
0
slightly small
3
true to size
15
slightly long
7
very long
0
½ size large
January 23, 2021
I recommend going down a half size.
More details
true to size
January 23, 2021
I went true to my Adidas size.
More details
Share this article:
Sharing is caring:
Sneaker Geek App
Get the "SneakerGeek" app and always stay up-to-date with new shoe releases!
