After a truly amazing Dame 5, the 6th model needs to really do something spectacular to even match what the 5 brought. For those who are not looking to break the bank and get themselves a quality pair of hoop shoes, I bring you my detailed Dame 6 review, where we’ll find out if it’s worth your money.
I’ll be breaking down the shoe’s fit & comfort aspects, evaluating the performance on the court, seeing if it’s worth the price, and comparing it to the previous Dame 5.
SPEC SHEET
Model: Adidas Dame 6
Build: Low-top
Weight: 14 oz / 397 g. (size 10)
Retail Price: $110
Cushion: Lightstrike
Grab the Dame 6 here:
🛒 AMAZON 🛒 STOCKX 🛒 GOAT
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Also, if a user clicks on any other product links and purchases a product, I earn a small commission.
I. COMFORT & FIT
I pretty much had zero issues on all the previous Dame models, and this one seems to be following this path.
There’s some really nice padding inside the shoe around your ankle and in the heel, the upper is pretty flimsy and kinda all over the place, but the shoes are definitely comfortable.
They got four eyelets to adjust the fit and they work well for me, the laces never loosened up too much to cause annoyances, and ventilation feels improved from the 5th.
The Dame 6 finally uses a classic construction with a separate tongue and a webbed lacing system, as opposed to the one-bootie setup so many shoes love to use today.
This can be both a good and a bad thing, but for the Dame 6, I didn’t feel loose or insecure or anything, my foot sat nicely inside, plus it’s much easier to put on compared to an internal bootie construction.
SIZING ADVICE: CLASSIC ADIDAS QUIRKS
We all know the weirdness when it comes to Adidas’s sizing, but since I’m a wide footer, I picked these up true to size, and the fit is great.
Regular or narrow footers MIGHT need to go down half a size, but again, some users say the fit is fine even going true to size.
This is one of those times where it would be best to try them on first. But if you want to just go for it, go true to size.
II. TRACTION
I would highly recommend getting a solid rubber pair instead of a half translucent one, as I’ve heard people with the solid version experience better and more consistent traction.
I happened to play in the more common split pattern which is mainly translucent, and I can say they performed relatively well.
I would have to admit the Dame 5 did grip the floor better mostly, and these ones are very quick to pick up dust, so be prepared to wipe them off every few plays, especially if you play on a dated court.
On clean courts though, these perform just as well as anything else.
I’d say I didn’t experience awful grip as I saw Nightwing from WearTesters did, so this will really come down to the version you will buy, your weight, playstyle, and the court.
I happen to be a fast, explosive, drive-first guard, so I really do need strong and consistent bite at all times, and these did the job for me 90% of the time.
Pair that with the dust picking up all the time, and the Dame 6 pretty much does not make the list of 10 best tractions on a shoe in 2020.
Don’t get me wrong – it’s got good traction but it’s not consistent 100%. If you play on an excellent court, I think you’ll be completely fine though.
A NO-GO FOR OUTDOOR PLAY
As for outdoors, I would have to agree with most other people – the rubber here is really not durable and will break down quickly.
I played outdoors on a synthetic rubber court for a few days and I can already see a few cracks in the rubber, plus it’s getting a bit annoying to constantly wipe them.
III. CUSHION
After a killer BOUNCE cushion setup on the Dame 5, the 6th release uses the new Lightstrike, which is among the first in the basketball line. I can say it’s not revolutionary or spectacular by any means, but I still liked it quite a bit.
It’s still a very versatile setup as I felt a good amount of impact protection mainly in the heel, and the forefoot area wasn’t dead either.
Court feel was still present and I wasn’t sinking into the midsole at all, this felt like a classic, responsive Dame shoe experience, which is a good thing.
I’d say these are just a tad bit more on the bouncy side as opposed to a more firm side, but the balance is still there and pretty much any player would find these suitable in my opinion.
One thing I must mention, even though I haven’t experienced this yet, as I’ve been playing in them for about 3 weeks, this Lightstrike midsole is known for durability issues.
A few reviewers and people who left opinions have stated that the cushion deteriorates pretty quickly and you might find yourself with sub-par impact absorption as well as not as strong bounce as before.
The clock is probably ticking for me as well, as much as I don’t like it to, so best to keep that in mind before buying.
Overall though, this would be a setup almost the same as on the Dame 5, just a bit more bouncy, and less durable.
IV. SUPPORT
You got your standard features in place – a TPU heel counter, a webbed lacing system for more lockdown, the fit is definitely contained and consistent, and the shoe’s base is pretty wide.
That all sounds nice, and that stuff works, though the biggest concern is the shoe’s rounded base, which may cause instability laterally.
I’m really not sure how I felt about that, to be honest. Sometimes I would feel completely fine, I was doing my thing, driving hard, stopping and popping, and felt secure at all times.
Other times, I would kind of stop and think something’s not quite right here. The shoe does tip a bit too much at times, and there’s an increased risk of rolling your ankle with this setup.
They could’ve at least put an outrigger to prevent this but now you’re riding barebones.
I haven’t rolled my ankle in these (yet) but sometimes it really does feel a bit unnatural with this shape of the outsole.
If you tend to roll your ankle quite often, or perhaps you land on someone else’s foot pretty often, or you rebound a lot, this might be something to consider.
I wouldn’t put these among the most supportive shoes, which feels EXTREMELY weird to write, knowing just how amazing Adidas was doing in terms of support with their other releases all the way since 2014-2015.
Get yourself a Curry 6 if you need fantastic security in a compact frame.
V. BUILD & MATERIALS
The shoe’s upper is pretty much all mesh with suede on certain areas. This is a very loose and “all over the place” type of setup, as the shoe looks all types of weird after playing in them.
This is due to the fact it’s not really reinforced with anything to properly hold it, like Fuse or TPU.
I can honestly say I really don’t care about that or the aesthetics, but this simply screams poor durability, as the seams don’t look too reliable, plus there’s nothing to hold the upper together.
I wouldn’t take these to an outdoor park as I got a feeling they would break down very quickly.
Basically, it looks cheap, and even though it doesn’t play cheap, durability is something to consider.
Once again, feels very weird to say it when it’s by Adidas, but this time you’re actually getting a $110 shoe paying $110 (from a build quality standpoint), as opposed to the usual scenario, where you would pay $110 at retail and get yourself a killer package worth $150-$180.
If durability doesn’t bother you and you don’t really care about the looks, or maybe you like how it looks, then I guess you can bypass all of this.
VI. OVERALL
The first Dame shoe in many years that caused some concern for the line’s future. Feels a bit sad to say this but then again, I really don’t think this will be the pillar going forward.
I definitely loved how the shoe fits and most people can feel safe getting them true to size, the Lightstrike cushion doesn’t disappoint either.
Traction is nice though it needs some work fixing the inconsistency and the rubber picking up dust like crazy.
The biggest concern for me personally is the rounded shape and a lack of an outrigger & other features that would balance this out.
I really did feel insecure at times, which is something you do not want, especially if you’re playing aggressively.
Take it how you want, the Dame 6 is not a terrible shoe, but new stuff implemented doesn’t always mean better. I can see people playing in these, but I don’t see them in a top 10 of 2019.
Find the final scores of the shoe below!
? GET THE DAME 6 IN 2022 & BEYOND
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Also, if a user clicks on any other product links and purchases a product, I earn a small commission.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
I truly hope you enjoyed this review and found it useful!
If you’re looking for some amazing options for just under $100, I compiled a list of the very best shoes on a budget right here!
The adidas Dame 7 and Dame 8 are out now, so check out the respective reviews!
How do you feel about the Dame 6? Do you have any questions? Perhaps you’d like to share your own experience?
Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can!
I have always been an addict user of Adidas to the extent that I find myself buying their products without much investigation, its no wander it caught my attention first time here. The Dame 5 model was great but if the 6 model was great as well, then I think its really that good. I think I have nothing to say about the comfort. Traction and cushioning is all great. I hope it will work wonders for me. Thanks
Dame 6 is a good shoe but it’s not going to be for everyone. If you’re one of the people who would take security and reliability over a newer shoe, get the Dame 5 instead, as it delivers pretty much the same while securely doing so.