Bromium II Review
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Contents |
Bromium II Review
overall:overall: 4
comfort & fit: 4
cushioning: 4.5
ankle support: 4
weight:*17.9 oz
list price:
$95
colorways:
white/black/silver (as pictured), black/white/graphite, white/light orange/silver, white/university red/silver, white/maroon/silver, white/collegiate purple/silver, white/collegiate royal/silver, white/forest green/silver
use:
hoops, indoor
position:
all
key technologies:
adiPRENE, adiPRENE+, Torsion, Feet You Wear
release date:
summer 2001
pros:
good or very good in all critical areas, stable feel, good traction
cons:
stitching at base of tongue can rub against foot, cushioning feel is on the dead side company: adidas 5055 N. Greeley Ave. Portland, OR 97217
Buying Advice:
The adidas Bromium II is a super subtle update on the original Bromium that brings few visual or functional changes to the table. Buy it if you're an all-around player who wants a no-nonsense hoops shoe that delivers high levels of performance. Forget it if the stitching at the base of the shoe's tongue bothers you when you try it on.
Subtle Sequel
Given an already winning formula the folks at adidas decided not to stray too far from the original script when designing the adidas Bromium II. Most will be hard-pressed to spot the differences in this sequel, but there are a few worth noting. by Professor K, posted July 25, 2002
Often times when shoe manufacturers develop a follow-up to a shoe they start with a nearly clean slate. Witness the 17 shoes in Nike's Air Jordan line, each of which is very different from the others. The same could be said for the five shoes in Reebok's signature line for Allen Iverson. Adidas, however, tends to take more of an evolutionary approach in the design of successive products in a given line and this is very clearly what the company has done in the case of the Bromium II. So much so that most people probably will not recognize the Bromium II as being any different from the original Bromium, but there are some subtle differences in this latest addition to the Bromium line.
First, in terms of appearance, the Bromium II has a somewhat "swoopier" design. Where the shoe's accent color ran straight down the toe of the original Bromium, it swoops around the toe of the Bromium II (see figure 2). The difference that's probably easiest to spot is the placement of the "TEAM" tag on the two shoes. The original Bromium had the tag incorporated into a lace-loop near the toe of the shoe. The Bromium II instead displays the tag through a small cut-out in the leather upper, though it's still displayed near the toe of the shoe.
figure 1. In this shot of the adidas Bromium II the outsole, which is based on adidas' "Feet You Wear" concept, is clearly visible. The concept influences the design of the midsole as well as the outsole and helps to give the shoe a stable, but still agile feel. You can also just see a piece of the composite Torsion structure peeking through at the arch of the shoe. This provides support at the midfoot and contributes to the shoe's stable feel.
A subtle functional difference related to these visual differences is that the adidas Bromium II employs a lacing system that's just slightly off-center. The swooping swatch of color that runs down the front of the Bromium II is biased just a bit towards the lateral side of the shoe and, since the lacing system runs along that swatch of color, it too is slightly biased towards the lateral side of the shoe -- particularly near the toes. I'm not sure if the design change led to the functional change or vice-versa, but this small tweak in the design of the lacing system seemed to provide an improvement in fit. I experienced a bit of turf-toe when I tested the original Bromium, but did not have any such problems during my test of the Bromium II.
Another possible explanation for this small improvement in fit may be the tongue of the Bromium II, which is just a bit thicker and just a bit stiffer than the tongue of the original Bromium. This slight increase in thickness and rigidity may be what kept my foot more solidly in place within the shoe.
figure 2. Here the most obvious visual difference between the adidas Bromium (left) and Bromium II is visible. As you can see, the swatch of color that extends from the tongue all the way down to the base of the toe is straight on the original Bromium and curved on the Bromium II.
The changes to the tongue, however, also introduced a problem that I did not experience with the original Bromium. The area at the base of the tongue, where the tongue is stitched to the upper, was nearly flush with the inner of the shoe in the original Bromium. But, in the Bromium II, a good deal of excess material protruded into the inner at the base of the tongue and this material consistently rubbed against the top of my toes in both the left and right shoe. The material did not rub hard enough to cause chafing or blistering, but it did rub hard enough to be a constant annoyance. It could certainly be that the pair I tested just happened to be stitched poorly, but I would recommend that anyone interested in purchasing the adidas Bromium II check for this problem when trying the shoe on. If rubbing at the toes feels excessive it's probably best to take a pass on the shoe.
The only other difference I felt between the original Bromium and Bromium II involved the shoes' cushioning. The midsole of the Bromium II, which is EVA-based, felt slightly thicker than that of the original Bromium. Since the two shoes employ the same exact removeable sockliner this added thickness would have to be based in the midsole. The difference was small enough, though, that it might have been due to a variance in manufacturing and I only noticed the difference by wearing the original Bromium on one foot and the Bromium II on the other.
figure 3. Note how high the midsole of the adidas Bromium II extends up around the midfoot and heel of the shoe. This gives the shoe a solid, supportive feel.
Aside from this small difference in midsole thickness the Bromium II provided the same high-level of overall cushioning performance as the original Bromium. The aforementioned EVA midsole is augmented with adiPRENE+ at the forefoot and adiPRENE at the heel and these three elements combined to provide excellent impact protection, though I would have liked a bit more cushioning feel. Still, the only real caveat in the cushioning department is that, even with the adiPRENE+ and adiPRENE inserts in the midsole, I would be concerned about how long the EVA will hold up. I did not feel any degradation in cushioning performance through my five test wearings, but I would not expect cushioning performance to hold up for more than four to six months of intense wear (meaning three or more days a week of serious hoops).
Like the original Bromium, the Bromium II employs adidas' "Feet You Wear" concept. Among other things this means that the Bromium II is built on a special last that more closely conforms to the natural curvature of the foot and employs a thinner midsole that places the wearer's foot closer to the surface of the court. Even with what felt like a slightly thicker midsole than in the original Bromium, the Bromium II provided good court feel. This, combined with the extensive support structures that wrap up and around the base of the foot and the shoe's anatomically contoured outsole, resulted in a shoe that felt agile, supportive, and stable. Also helping in the support and stability department were the Bromium II's solid heel counter and well-padded ankle.
figure 4. A last look at the adidas Bromium II. It's one of only a handful of modern, high-performance hoops shoes available today that features a conservative look. If rumors we've heard are true, though, the Bromium III will break from this mold and feature a more avant-garde look.
All of these elements; good court feel, good stability, good support along the base of the foot, and good support at the ankle allowed me to play with confidence in the Bromium II. It kept me stable when I drove to the basket and absorbed impact forces when I came down from jumpers and big rebounds. Even with the annoying stitching at the base of the tongue I still enjoyed testing the Bromium II, though I certainly would have enjoyed it more without this problem.
So, to sum up, the adidas Bromium II is a very capable all-around hoops shoe. With its good fit, low-profile, good traction (oh yeah, did I mention that it provides good traction), and agile feel, it's a very good choice for players who like to take it to the hole. But the shoe's solid cushioning, stability, and support also make it a very good choice for players who spend most of their time in the post. The only problem I experienced while testing the shoe was chafing at the base of the tongue, which was annoying, but not a show-stopper. The one other area where I think there's room for improvement is cushioning feel, which I'd say was on the dead side. Still, if you liked the original Bromium you'll almost certainly like the Bromium II. And, even if you never tried the original Bromium, the Bromium II is worth a look -- particularly if you're in search of a serious hoops shoe that doesn't look like it's the product of alien technology. It's not perfect, but the adidas Bromium II is a very good all-around performer and a great value considering its sub-$100 price tag.
Who's Worn It
Doug Christie (G- Sacramento Kings), Horace Grant (F- Orlando Magic), Kurt Thomas (F- N.Y. Knicks)
