Howard's Superman Beasts

On Christmas Day 2010, Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic bettered the Boston Celtics with a score of 86 to 78. While I obviously support the Boston Celtics, I also like the way Dwight Howard moves on the court, especially for such a big sized person in comparison to the rest of the players in the NBA. Since the 2008 Slam Dunk competition, he has been nicknamed Superman, as Howard wore a Superman cape for one of the dunks.

In a tie-in with that event, and with an agreement with DC Comics, the Adidas TS Beast Commander Superman shoe was made. There are many different features in this shoe, and the experience of this shoe starts with the box.

The box is the standard sized Adidas box for a size US 11 shoe, but it is made from a reflective metallic finish, with a white silhouette of Superman on the box, as well as the number "12" (Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic jersey number) embossed on the top lid. The Superman logo is also printed in full colour on the box.

The shoe itself has much detail placed into it. The icy blue look is in reference to Superman's home - the Fortress of Solitude - which is what is written on the outside of the midsole, near the heel. The shoe has Superman logos on it, as well as Dwight Howard's #12 and signature. The shoe also has the words "Up, up, and away!" written at the top of the tongue. The sole is clear, and both soles placed together make up what looks like a Superman logo. The white parts of the upper of the shoe have had a slight holographic treatment given to them, showing a rainbow chromatic effect under certain light conditions. The different Adidas technologies that make up the shoe are mentioned in small snippets of text all over the shoe.

The sole itself is based on the Supernatural soles used in other Adidas shoes. It has a strange feeling for me. It feels very solid and stable in comparison to other shoes I have used, and much more firm, but less comforting that what I have experienced in Nike's Air technology. The ground feel is different from the Adidas Garnett TS Bounce Commanders I own - it does not have the same springy feeling as provided by the Bounce technology. Saying that, the shoe is very responsive, and does provide good feedback to my feet.

Ventilation is good, but not as good as the Nike Hyperfuse. Padding is good, and comfortable, but I would advise to wear tall socks initially until the shoe softens or "breaks-in" to avoid blisters on your ankles. I do like where Adidas is going with their Supernatural soles, and I look forward to more of their shoes with this technology / design in the future.