Adidas Harden Stepback 2
Released 1/2021, Low Top, James Harden,Â
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8.3
EXPERT RATING
2 reviews
8.0
USER RATING
16 ratings
The budget model Harden Stepback 2 is arguably better than the signature Volume 5.
Best Suitable For:
Best for guards or wings who want court feel and don't need a lot of compression.
Category Performance Ratings:
Weight & Sizing:
Weight:
light
heavy
Sizing:
small
large
Width:
narrow
wide
Comparison to Similar Shoes:
Adidas Harden Stepback 2 |  Under Armour Curry 9 |  Puma Clyde Hardwood |  Air Jordan 36 Low |  Under Armour Curry 8 |  Nike KD 15 | Add shoe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert Rating | 8.3 | 8.9(0.6) | 8.7(0.4) | 9.2(0.9) | 8.9(0.6) | 9.1(0.8) | |
| User Rating | 8.0 | 9.4(1.4) | 8.3(0.3) | 9.5(1.5) | 9.0(1.0) | 9.5(1.5) | |
| Best Price | $79.99 | $159.99 | $99.99 $120 | $164.99 $185 | $159.99 | $150 | |
| Type of Cut | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | Low Top | |
| Weight | 400g - 420g | 320g - 330g | 460g - 480g | NA | 320g - 340g | 370g - 390g |
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Adidas Harden Stepback 2 Review
Pros:
Great fit
Nice materials for the price.
Cons:
Minimal impact protection
Some heel slippage
Performance of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
The traction on the Harden Stepback 2 is pretty similar to the Volume 5, but performs better. The outsole is durable enough for outdoor use as well.
The cushion setup features Bounce and has great responsiveness and court feel. There isn't much impact protection or compression though.
The materials are really nice for a budget line shoe and feel great on foot.
The fit runs slightly large and it is recommended to go a half size down. The overall fit is great partially due to the half bootie construction.
The support performs well for the most part. The lateral containment and stability are solid, but reviewers had some issues with heel slippage when breaking these in.
Overall the Harden Stepback 2 is a great performer, especially for the price!
See all 2 reviews
Expert Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Rating:Â 8.3Â (ranks #133 of 219)
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.
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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!
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User Reviews of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
User Rating:Â 8.0Â (ranks #165 of 219)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
7
8 - Good
5
7 - Average
3
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
0
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.
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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.
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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 $65 shoe, it's amazing!
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5.5
June 25, 2022
I don’t remember wearing shoes that are so uncomfortable. They gave me blisters and my soles hurt like hell. They were very heavy and the durability was small. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, there are a lot of other better shoes you can wear for the same price.
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8.7
January 13, 2022
This shoe is not the best but for a 65$ this has a great line of functions.
The durability is super good, materials are good.
Traction is ok but on dusty set up is not that nice.
It has bounce cushion which feels very good.
It is a great choice for a budget shoe.
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Traction of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Traction Rating:Â 8.5Â (ranks #108 of 219)
User Traction Rating:Â 8.4Â (ranks #131 of 219)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
8
8 - Good
6
7 - Average
3
6 - Subpar
0
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.
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8.0
January 23, 2021
The traction is pretty good. I slipped out a few times but overall the bite was really good.
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Cushion of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Cushion Rating:Â 7.5Â (ranks #186 of 219)
User Cushion Rating:Â 7.3Â (ranks #164 of 219)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
1
8 - Good
9
7 - Average
4
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.
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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.
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Materials of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Materials Rating:Â 9.0Â (ranks #16 of 219)
User Materials Rating:Â 7.9Â (ranks #151 of 219)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
8
8 - Good
3
7 - Average
3
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.
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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.
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Support of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Support Rating:Â 8.0Â (ranks #166 of 219)
User Support Rating:Â 7.6Â (ranks #173 of 219)
10 - Amazing
0
9 - Great
4
8 - Good
8
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
3
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.
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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.
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Fit of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Fit Rating:Â 8.5Â (ranks #81 of 219)
User Fit Rating:Â 7.7Â (ranks #167 of 219)
10 - Amazing
1
9 - Great
5
8 - Good
6
7 - Average
3
6 - Subpar
1
5 - Poor
2
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.
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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.
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Durability of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
User Durability Rating:Â 8.4Â (ranks #118 of 219)
10 - Amazing
6
9 - Great
2
8 - Good
4
7 - Average
2
6 - Subpar
0
5 - Poor
2
Outdoor of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
Expert Outdoor Rating:Â 100.0Â (ranks #6 of 219)
User Outdoor Rating:Â 68.8Â (ranks #73 of 219)
Good (100%)
10
Fair (50%)
4
Bad (0%)
3
good
January 23, 2021
The durability of the rubber was insanely good.
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Width of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
very narrow
2
slightly narrow
5
regular
7
slightly wide
4
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.
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slightly narrow
January 23, 2021
If you have wide feet I'd suggest going up half a size or maybe even a full size.
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Size of the Adidas Harden Stepback 2:
very small
0
slightly small
2
true to size
9
slightly long
7
very long
0
½ size large
January 23, 2021
I recommend going down a half size.
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true to size
January 23, 2021
I went true to my Adidas size.
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