Our verdict
Pros
- Excellent grip for quick movements
- Incredible bounce and impact protection
- Amazing in-shoe comfort
- Dependable foot containment
- Smooth ride
- True-to-size fit
- Pretty light
- Slender appearance
Cons
- Cheap materials and poor durability
- Dulled by dust
- Reduced court feel
- Lacks breathability
Audience verdict
Comparison
The most similar basketball shoes compared
+ + Add a shoe | |||||
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Audience score | 74 Bad! | 80 Good! | 90 Superb! | 77 Decent! | |
Price | $120 | $120 | $130 | $120 | |
Signature | - | Elena Delle Donne | LaMelo Ball | Jayson Tatum | |
Top | Mid | Mid | Mid | Mid | |
Ankle support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Weight lab | 13.1 oz / 372g | 13.2 oz / 375g | 14.6 This is the Puma Speed Ignite Netfit | 11.6 oz / 329g | |
Lightweight | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | |
Breathability | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | |
Outsole durability | - | - | - | Good | |
Drop lab | 8.9 mm | 5.0 mm | 6.7 mm | 6.1 mm | |
PUMA x POKÉMON Sweatshirt mit Crewneck für Herren | 29.0 mm | 25.2 mm | 31.6 mm | 28.0 mm | |
Forefoot | 20.1 mm | 20.2 mm | 24.9 mm | 21.9 mm | |
Midsole softness | Firm | Firm | Balanced | Balanced | |
Stiffness | Moderate | Stiff | Moderate | Moderate | |
Torsional rigidity | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | |
Heel counter stiffness | Moderate | Moderate | Flexible | Flexible | |
Toebox width at the widest part | Narrow | Narrow | Medium | Medium | |
Toebox width at the big toe | Medium | - | Medium | Medium | |
Midsole width in the forefoot | Average | Very narrow | Narrow | Average | |
Сандали puma sandals yellow | Average | Narrow | Average | Very narrow | |
Heel padding durability | Bad | - | Decent | Decent | |
Toebox durability | - | - | Decent | Decent | |
Insole thickness | Average | Average | Average | Average | |
Outsole hardness | Soft | Average | Hard | Very soft | |
Outsole thickness | Thick | Average | Thick | Average | |
Heel tab | None | None | None | Finger loop | |
Ranking | #43 Bottom 2% | #37 Bottom 15% | #3 Top 7% | #41 Bottom 6% | |
Popularity | #39 Bottom 11% | #35 Bottom 20% | #44 Bottom 1% | #14 Top 32% |
Who should buy
We believe that this basketball shoe from PUMA is ideally suited for players who:
- are lighter and faster like point or shooting guards
- mostly play their games indoors
- want a sleek performance shoe that doubles as a lifestyle sneaker
Чоловічі кросівки оригінал puma race r78 | Who should NOT buy
The With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette is a disaster on outdoor courts as it breaks down way too easily. If you want a lasting hoop shoe for that purpose, we recommend the Jordan Zion 2 instead.
And if you need a shoe that's more resistant to dust, the Adidas D.O.N Issue#4 and the Nike Zoom Freak 4 proved to be better options.
Breathability
Based on our breathability test, the With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette doesn't let the heat escape so easily. Pumping smoke through the shoe's upper, it was barely passing through. On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the most breathable, we rated this PUMA shoe as only 2/5.
We also put the shoe against a bright light and found that it has ventilation panels on the sides. This is the most transparent part of the shoe's upper. But apparently, these are not enough to help with better aeration.
In addition, the toebox material is woven extra-tightly on this PUMA shoe.
Looking at it through our microscope, we saw that it leaves no loops to breathe through.
If you would like to see a more breathable hoop shoe from PUMA, consider the Rise Nitro.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 2 |
Average | 2.4 |
Durability
Outsole hardness
With a durometer reading of only 69.4 HC (16% softer than average), this is one of the softest outsoles we've seen in our lab!
Puma x AMI TRC Blaze Mid.
It took us a single playtest to find out that the shoe's soft rubber and thin treads melt when contacting a harsh surface.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 69.4 HC |
Average | 81.7 HC |
Outsole thickness
PUMA did try to compensate for the softness with a super thick outsole. Using a calliper, we measured the rubber thickness at 5.8 mm (waaay thicker than average!).
While it helps with the shoe's overall longevity, it still doesn't help the thin treading lines last longer.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 5.8 mm |
Average | 4.0 mm |
Upper materials
Puma Pantaloni T7 High Waist Dk.
Not only do they look cheap, they are in fact extremely frail. The laces look as if they were taken out of a £20 Walmart sneaker!
We actually think that the "quality" of materials on the The PUMA X DUA LIPA can be a deal-breaker that undermines all the other things that this basketball shoe does so well!
Weight
The With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette is a great pick for fast and explosive movements. At 13.1 oz (372g) per shoe, it turns out to be 0.5 oz (15g) lighter than our lab-tested basketball shoes on average.
But when on the court, it feels even lighter than that! This PUMA shoe allowed us to accelerate without being held back.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 13.12 oz (372g) |
Average | 13.90 oz (394g) |
Cushioning
Heel stack
Measuring the shoe's midsole with a calliper, we got 29 mm of stack height in the heel.
And while that's exactly the same as the average, the With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette feels thicker because of all the impact protection that it provides. It actually felt as if our feet were standing on a pedestal which did result in having less court feel.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 29.0 mm |
Average | 29.3 mm |
Forefoot stack
In the forefoot, the stack height gets naturally lower. We got a calliper reading of 20.1 mm which is even a couple of millimetres less than the average.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 20.1 mm |
Average | 21.7 mm |
Drop
The With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette has a slightly higher than average drop of 8.9 mm. Having more abundant cushioning under the heel made us feel very safe and supported, no matter how hard our landings were.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 8.9 mm |
Average | 7.7 mm |
Midsole softness
The With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette has a firmer type of cushioning. Our durometer shows a reading of 32 HA. This is 15% firmer than the average of our tested basketball shoes. However, the shoe doesn't feel dull at all!
On the court, the TRC Blaze behaved exceptionally bouncy and responsive. We Mesh that to the unique design of the midsole which features a stiff shank and a series of wavy hollows. Apparently, it helps to create a springboard-like effect.
It all made jumping in this PUMA shoe super easy and almost effortless.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 32.0 HA |
Average | 25.6 HA |
Insole thickness
A padded insole amplifies the underfoot comfort of the The PUMA X DUA LIPA. At 4.7 mm, it is about as thick as the average.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 4.7 mm |
Average | 4.5 mm |
Stability
Lateral stability test
This PUMA basketball shoe boasts a high level of support and stability. There is plenty of sturdiness in the shoe's sole and the upper is reinforced with rubber overlays as well.
Tênis Puma Carina Slip-on Feminino.
Torsional rigidity
Testing the shoe's torsional rigidity in our manual test, it feels very unforgiving. Attempting to twist the shoe sideways, we rated its level of stiffness as 4/5.
The stiff shank, firm cushioning, and raised sidewalls all sport to create a highly stable base for various movements. Never once did we feel as if our ankles were going to roll.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 4 |
Average | 4.5 |
Heel counter stiffness
The heel counter is just as mighty stiff as the sole. On a 1-5 scale, we gave it a rating of 4. Our heels and ankles were held firmly all throughout the game. Not a sight of heel slippage.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 4 |
Average | 3.6 |
Midsole width in the forefoot
The The PUMA X DUA LIPA from PUMA has a fairly wide landing area.
In the widest part of the forefoot, we measured the shoe at 111.4 mm. This is an average width for basketball shoes but it made us feel surefooted all throughout the test.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 111.4 mm |
Average | 114.5 mm |
Сандали puma sandals yellow
In the widest part of the heel, the sole width reaches 90.4 mm. This is also an average width but a reliable one for sure.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 90.4 mm |
Average | 90.4 mm |
Flexibility
Stiffness
The heel-to-toe transitions feel very smooth in the With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette. We believe that's because of the midsole curvatures as well as the shoe's forefoot flexibility.
We tested the latter with the help of a force gauge. It took 31.2N to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle. This is 34% less than it takes on average.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 31.2N |
Average | 39.8N |
Puma Austria Home Chemise 2020
Even though the shoe's outsole is too frail for the outdoors, its performance is phenomenal indoors!
The multidirectional treads form a very efficient pattern for stopping on a sixpence and changing directions quickly. No matter where we took our next step, there were a number of tread lines facing that direction.
But like many basketball shoes, the With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette is sensitive to dust. Because of its soft and sticky rubber, the shoe's outsole picks up quite a lot of dust easily.
Size and fit
Toebox width at the widest part
Measuring the widest part of the shoe's toebox, our calliper shows 95.7 mm. This is a few millimetres narrower than average but it still fits our medium-width feet well.
But we did find it to be more of a one-to-one fit rather than a roomy one. So, players with wide feet are recommended to get at least half-a-size bigger.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 95.7 mm |
Average | 101.5 mm |
Toebox width at the big toe
We also made sure that the The PUMA X DUA LIPA doesn't get too tapered by measuring the toebox width at the big-toe mark.
At 76.4 mm, it is only a millimetre narrower than average.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 76.4 mm |
Average | 76.7 mm |
Чоловічі кросівки оригінал puma race r78 | Midfoot feel
The With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette has a slightly higher than average drop of 8.9 mm. Having more abundant cushioning under the heel made us feel very safe and supported, no matter how hard our landings were.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | Normal |
Tongue: gusset type
Discovering a semi-gusseted, or partially attached, tongue was a nice surprise. That doesn't usually happen in more affordable shoes.
We received plenty of foot containment from the With Bold Puma Branding And A Pitch-Perfect Silhouette and that is in part cali to the gussets.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | Both sides (semi) |
Comfort
We also made sure that the The PUMA X DUA LIPA doesn't get too tapered by measuring the toebox width at the big-toe mark.
At 76.4 mm, it is only a millimetre narrower than average.
Tongue padding
The tongue of the The PUMA X DUA LIPA is among the thickest we've seen! Our calliper shows 12.9 mm which is (wow!) 3.5 mm thicker than average!
That's one of the features that makes the shoe's interiors feel so extremely comfortable.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | 12.9 mm |
Average | 9.5 mm |
Heel tab
There are no heel tabs on this PUMA shoe, but it's not that big of a deal. It is quite easy to get the shoe on and off.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | None |
Removable insole
If you need to use a different insole or custom orthotics with the The PUMA X DUA LIPA, it is not a problem. The shoe's native insole is easy to remove.
The PUMA X DUA LIPA | Yes |