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adidas Dame 4 “Rip City” Performance Review

When the Dame 3 released has been a topic, Damian Lillard’s fourth version signature shoe, the Dame 4. Although I was fortunate got one ,I was amazing for the performance for this one ,and I was amazed at the unique type with special design. Even with a big change in the look, but Dame 4 still has many life stories belonging to Damian Lillard on Dame 4.

Lillard career showed from the shoes.

The “YKWTII” at the heel represents the initial abbreviation of “You Know What Time It Is”, reminding all doubters that Damian Lillard has mastered the game in the fourth quarter of the game. The red Lillard logo above the tongue is a unique imprint from Lillard 1. On the insole there are “Dame Certified”, “Patience”, “Persistance” and “Purpose”. The numbers on the tongue have different meanings, respectively:

35.12 – Let Lillard High School Coach focus on his excellent ability of 35 , 12 score

25.6.4 – Lillard’s outstanding results in his last year of college

6 – the number of picked to  Portland Trail Blazers

0.9 – score the winning goal in the 2014 and win the title of “Dame Time”

0 – Symbolizes the birth from Oakland, Ogden University, and the Oregan Pioneers, and is why Damian Lillard chose No. 0 as his back number.

 

For the material ,In the upper part of the Dame 4, the breathable mesh and elastic material as the unique material, and the inspiration of the sole is said to come from Damian Lillard’s love of music. The bottom used the BOUNCE material again, which is also the favorite cushioning  of Damian Lillard. Compared to Boost, Damian Lillard has said that he prefers BOUNCE material.

 

 

For the traction: when I take on this shoes at the first moment , I just running and try the traction.I just try running back and forth ,because the wave outsole like  a music  is too attractive.

Dame 4 brings me a low profile grip similar to Kobe X that I felt . The softer outsole provide a very good grip like the soft tyres of an F1 car. The movement on the court completely made me feel free to do whatever I wanted. After about four hours of testing, the Dame 4’s outsole will not get too much dust, so you don’t have to wipe it off with your hands to keep your grip.

Grip rating: 4.5/5

 

 

For the Stability:

Although the upper of the Dame 4 consists of a softer breathable mesh and elastic weave, the stability of the Dame 4 is not sacrificed. The black block of the BOUNCE midsole is quite subtly “supporting” the feet, especially in the midfoot area. From the bottom picture, we can clearly see the exaggerated extension of the large black block in the midfoot area, which has made a very good contribution to the stability . For a pair of shoes that are not designed with carbon fiber technology or targeted design, the stability of Dame 4 is quite good.

 

In addition to the midsole design, the Dame 4’s shoelace system also cool. In the absence of complicated design, the lace hole is made of a  frictional rubber material. As long as the shoelace is tightened, the friction will naturally fix the shoelace firmly and provide a firm locking feeling. The sock-style shoes design, although the Dame 4 does not have the same as the Crazy Explosive 2017 PK, but it is not far from the performance.

Stability score: 4/5

 

For the Ankle Support:

Compared to the Dame 3, Dame 4’s ankles extend a lot, when the laces are fastened tightly, I can felt the protection from the laces and the elastic woven upper. Although the ankle protection is a small part of shoes comparable .  I think that the ankle support is enough.

Ankle support score·:3.5/5

For Responsiveness & Cushion:

Since from the Lillard 2, the BOUNCE material has always been the  favorite setting for Damian Lillard. After many performance of the Lillard series, I also had considerable confidence in the performance of BOUNCE. The responsive and performance of Dame 4 did not disappoint me.Compared to the midsole  setting of Dame 3 , Dame 4 gives me a more responsive feeling and a more obvious reaction speed. With the aforementioned grip and stability, the Dame 4 is a pair of shoes that are quite suitable for cut-in players. As for the shock absorption, BOUNCE has always maintained the excellent performance. There is no uncomfortable feeling in the whole field.

Reactivity and suspension rating: 4.5/5

 

For the Durability:

When Dame 4 was released, many friends were worried about the outsole will be soft . In the process of my actual measurement, I also found that the outsole of Dame 4  actually too soft. so the durability of the extremely rough outdoor floor of Dame 4  is not good

Durability rating: 3/5

 

 

The shoe  is comfort.

The upper of the breathable mesh and elastic woven fabric makes the Dame 4 extremely soft, and there is no pressure at all during the bending . maybe the disadvantage of shoes is the shoes will be more stuffy if play long time ,maybe the Stance 599 socks can feel the sultry feeling after wearing for about two hours. In addition, the overall comfort of the Dame 4 is quite standard. In addition, Dame 4’s sock cover design needs some effort during the penetration process, at this time the design of the pull table at the tongue and heel did a good job.

Comfort rating: 4/5

 

Overall ,

I remember a few years ago, when Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard and John Wall each launched signature shoes, I thought it would be the beginning of another golden age of guard shoes. But as John Wall left adidas, Kyrie Irving’s shoes have been not good  and Stephen Curry shoes seemed less new ,however the shoes of Lillard turned against the trend, and each pair of Lillard was better than the previous model. This time, Dame 4 is amazing in terms of reactivity and stability. The first two pairs of shoes that I feel like this are Jordan XXX and Harden Vol. I, At the beginning of the NBA season, Dame 4 has once again have been popularity . I recommend friends who like speed and unique appearance. Don’t miss Dame 4.

Overall rating: 4.4/5