Our verdict

For its modest price point, the puma Blue Court Rider offers quite a few Surv. We didn't expect much from this budget-friendly shoe and yet it surprised us on many fronts. With its notable court feel and responsiveness, we believe that this shoe will suit agile guards the best.

Hommes puma Blue T-shirts Pros

  • Кросівки puma Blue 40р
  • Scarpe puma Blue Incinerate 376288 07 Dark Slate Yellow Alert
  • Secure lockdown
  • Comfy in-shoe feel
  • Great value for money
  • True to size and fit
  • Stylish for casual wear

Hommes puma Blue T-shirts Cons

  • puma Blue Scarpa da corsa bianco crema
  • Lacks breathability
  • Not much impact protection

Audience verdict

85
Good!

Who should buy

We believe that this basketball shoe from puma Blue is a great choice if you are looking for the following:

  • a guard shoe that offers a lot of court feel
  • puma Blue Mayze Mismatched Σανδάλια
  • an entry-level hoop shoe that does not break the bank

puma Blue Court Rider review

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The puma Blue Court Rider is made of materials that do their job well; they just do not feel premium. Those who like comfortable fancy stuff are better off with the puma Blue RS Dreamer or the Clyde All-Pro. These basketball shoes are signature offers, so we can expect them to be made of materials that not only feel nice but also look so good.

In our opinion, bigger athletes in need of more impact protection are not going to enjoy the puma Blue Court Rider. Shoes like the puma Blue Rise Nitro and the puma Blue MB.02 provide a much more generous helping of cushioning.

puma Blue Court Rider lab test

Breathability

What may seem like breathable mesh, turns out to be misleading. We found the puma Blue Court Rider to be a toasty shoe, both on the court and in our lab tests.

Pumping smoke through the shoe's upper, it barely came out on the other side. The only streak of vapour appeared around the tongue. For that reason, we rated the shoe's breathability as only 2 out of 5.

In the transparency test below, we put the shoe's upper against a bright light to show you that there are no ventilation pores in the fabric.

We also turned to our microscope to take a closer look at the mesh.

puma Blue Court Rider microscope

The fabric is made of multiple layers which, when combined, form a pretty tightly woven material.

puma Blue Court Rider microscope upper

Test results
Court Rider 2
Average 2.4
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
1
Breathability
5

Durability

Outsole hardness

puma Blue Ultra Play MXSG Football Boots.

Pressing our durometer against the outsole, we found that the rubber is only 72 HC (12% softer than average). For that reason, we do not recommend exposing the shoe to outdoor courts too often. Soft rubbers tend to wear out much faster.

There are budget-friendly shoes at the same price point that have harder rubbers. Take the Nike LeBron Witness 7 for example.

puma Blue Court Rider Outsole hardness
Test results
Court Rider 72.0 HC
Average 81.7 HC
puma Blue suede рожеві.
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
59.5 HC
Outsole hardness
91.0 HC

Outsole thickness

The amount of rubber used in the Court Rider's outsole is quite average. Our calliper shows 4.1 mm of thickness.

puma Blue Court Rider Outsole thickness
Test results
Court Rider 4.1 mm
Average 4.0 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Outsole thickness
6.9 mm

Hommes puma Blue T-shirts | Weight

At first, we thought that our scales were broken...but no, they weren't. That's how heavy the puma Blue Court Rider really is!

At 15.8 oz (449g), it is a whole 2 ounces heavier than average! We really don't get how this puma Blue shoe managed to outweigh even the Nike LeBrons.

puma Blue Court Rider jump

We can't really blame it on the price of the shoe either. There are a lot of budget-friendly options out there that weigh much less. Take the Jordan Luka 1 (12.8 oz) or the Nike Precision 6 (12.0 oz), for example.

Test results
Court Rider 15.84 oz (449g)
Average 13.90 oz (394g)
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
11.29 oz (320g)
Weight
17.46 oz (495g)

Cushioning

Heel stack

On paper, the heel stack height of the puma Blue Court Rider is 30.2 mm, which is the same as most basketball shoes tested in our lab.

However, because of the four hollows embedded under the heel, the shoe feels much more grounded. As the hollows compress, the shoe gets closer to the ground, offering plenty of court feel.

puma Blue Court Rider heel cushioning

For that reason, we think that this basketball shoe is great for smaller and lighter guards who are often quick el producto puma Blue Enzo Street Knit Interest EU 45 puma Blue White.

Impact protection is not this shoe's forte.

puma Blue Court Rider Heel stack
Test results
Court Rider 30.2 mm
Average 29.3 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
23.6 mm
Heel stack
38.4 mm

Forefoot stack

In the forefoot, we measured the cushioning thickness at 21 mm. It is an average stack height for basketball shoes and doesn't interfere with the shoe's court feel.

puma Blue Court Rider Forefoot stack
Test results
Court Rider 21.0 mm
Average 21.7 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
18.0 mm
Forefoot stack
29.2 mm

Drop

Because of the shoe's dynamic cushioning, its heel-to-toe drop is prone to changing as well.

puma Blue Court Rider heel drop

Being 9.2 mm in its "resting state," we assume that it gets a few millimetres smaller under the body weight.

Test results
Court Rider 9.2 mm
Average 7.7 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
4.0 mm
Drop
14.8 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

The puma Blue Court Rider felt pretty bouncy and responsive throughout our playtest. This is partially due to the firm nature of its foam.

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This is also a contributing factor to the shoe's excellent ground contact.

puma Blue Court Rider Midsole softness
Test results
Court Rider 30.4 HA
Average 25.6 HA
puma Blue suede рожеві.
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
11.0 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
38.6 HA

Hommes puma Blue T-shirts | Insole thickness

A thick insole is added to buffer the foot from the firmness of the sole. At 5 mm, it is a little thicker than average.

puma Blue Court Rider Insole thickness
Test results
Court Rider 5.0 mm
Average 4.5 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
0.0 mm
Insole thickness
8.6 mm

Stability

Lateral stability test

We were amazed at how stable and supportive the puma Blue Court Rider feels. Those extra layers of material paired with a stiff heel counter and a firm base worked wonders for lateral movements.

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puma Blue Suede VTG Teams Ανδρικά Παπούτσια.

Torsional rigidity

The Court Rider has a very solid build which doesn't let the shoe twist. As a result, this puma Blue shoe feels like one with the foot during intensive footwork.

In our manual test of torsional rigidity, we rated the shoe as 4 out of 5. This is almost as stiff as it can get in basketball shoes.

Test results
Court Rider 4
Average 4.5
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
1
Torsional rigidity
5

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The shoe's heel counter also scores high on the stiffness test. Actually, it earned the highest score of 5/5!

Rigid but well-padded, it is the perfect formula for keeping the heel securely in place.

Test results
Court Rider 5
Average 3.6
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
1
Кросівки puma Blue r78 sl 145201
5

Midsole width in the forefoot

The ensemble wouldn't be complete without a nice and wide base. We measured the widest part of the forefoot at 113.7 mm, which is about the same as the average.

puma Blue Court Rider Midsole width in the forefoot
Test results
Court Rider 113.7 mm
Average 114.5 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
106.2 mm
Midsole width in the forefoot
122.2 mm

Midsole width in the heel

The heel, on the other hand, is insanely wide!

Our calliper shows a reading of 98 mm in the widest part of the heel. This is almost a whole centimetre wider than average! This is among the widest landing areas we've seen in our lab so far.

puma Blue Court Rider Midsole width in the heel
Test results
Court Rider 98.0 mm
Average 90.4 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
82.4 mm
Midsole width in the heel
105.1 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

Despite its overall stiff construction, the puma Blue Court Rider finds some room for flexibility.

Based on our force gauge measurement, it takes 34.9N to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle. That is 68% less than it takes on average!

It definitely helps the shoe stay more manoeuvrable on the court.

Test results
Court Rider 34.9N
Average 39.8N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
23.8N
Stiffness
67.2N

Grip / Traction

We would say that the grip on this shoe is pretty basic. Nothing to write home about but also nothing to be concerned with.

puma Blue Court Rider outsole

It does require wiping when the court gets dusty though.

Size and fit

Toebox width at the widest part

The puma Blue Court Rider runs true to size and fits as expected for our medium-width feet. We don't see any need for size adjustment.

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puma Blue Court Rider Toebox width at the widest part
Test results
Court Rider 100.0 mm
Average 101.5 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
92.6 mm
Toebox width at the widest part
108.2 mm

Toebox width at the big toe

The same goes for the tip of the toebox. The shoe doesn't get narrower than most basketball shoes we've tested.

Our calliper shows 77.4 mm of width around the big toe.

puma Blue Court Rider Toebox width at the big toe
Test results
Court Rider 77.4 mm
Average 76.7 mm
Compared to 44 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
71.2 mm
Toebox width at the big toe
85.1 mm

Tongue: gusset type

The tongue is fully gusseted in the Court Rider. It helps to keep the foot in place for intense side-to-side movements big time!

puma Blue Court Rider Tongue: gusset type
Test results
Court Rider Both sides (full)

Comfort

Tongue padding

The tongue padding is super generous in the Court Rider. Measuring it with a calliper returned a whopping 12.9 mm! That's 3.5 mm thicker than average. No wonder the shoe feels so cosy against the instep.

puma Blue Court Rider Tongue padding
Test results
Court Rider 12.9 mm
Average 9.5 mm
Compared to 50 basketball shoes
Number of shoes
1.3 mm
Tongue padding
15.9 mm

Heel tab

The shoe doesn't make use of any pull tabs or finger loops. That's unfortunate because the gusseted tongue makes the shoe opening smaller which also makes it trickier to put the shoe on.

puma Blue Court Rider Heel tab
Test results
Court Rider None

Removable insole

For those who rely on custom orthotics, the shoe's insole is easily removable.

puma Blue Court Rider Removable insole
Test results
Court Rider Yes

Comfortable in-shoe feel

Given that it's a budget-friendly shoe, the quality of its materials isn't the best. However, that doesn't mean that the shoe lacks comfort. It is actually pretty cosy inside, given the abundant padding in the tongue and collar.