Hello and welcome to my Adidas Tactical ADV review.
In this review I will take a look at the Tactical ADV as all-mountain snowboard boots.
As per tradition here at SnowboardingProfiles.com I will give the Tactical ADV a score out of 100 (based on several factors) and see how they compare with other all-mountain boots.
Overall Rating
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Price: $350 (USD recommended retail)
Style: All-Mountain
Flex Rating: Medium (6/10)
Flex Feel: Medium (6/10)
Rating Score: 91.8/100
Compared to other All-Mountain Boots
Out of the 33 all-mountain boots that I rated:
Overview of the Tactical ADV’s Specs
Check out the tables for the Tactical ADV's specs and available sizes.
Specs
Style: | All-Mountain |
Price: | $350 |
Ability Level: |  |
Flex: |  |
Edge-to-edge: | Medium-Fast |
Weight: | Normal |
Lacing System: | Traditional Lacing |
Who are the Tactical ADV Most Suited to?
The Tactical ADV is a great option for anyone looking for a mid-flexing boot for a varied riding style. Even more suitable for anyone looking for something low profile. The Tactical ADV is the most low profile boot I've measured - and I found it fits half a size smaller, so you get an even shorter outersole on your boot to fit on narrower boards.
Not fully beginner friendly, but certainly anyone from low-intermediate and up.
The Tactical ADV in More Detail
O.k. let’s take a more detailed look at what the Tactical ADV are capable of.
Demo Info
Boots: Adidas Tactical ADV
Size: 10 (US Men's Sizing)
Date: February 7, 2020
Conditions: Mix of snow and rain, but snow for the most part all be it wet snow.
Had snowed overnight a little but nothing epic
Groomer was soft packed and mildly slushy in parts. Off groomer was very similar- soft but not deep fresh
Temperature was around 0 degrees. A bit of wind but only noticeable on lift
Bindings angles: +15/-15
Board Demoed With: Rossignol One LF 2018
Bindings Demoed With: Burton Malavita 2017
Outersole Length: 29.3cm (mondo 27.5cm)
Difference between Mondo & Outersole: 1.8cm (the lowest I've measured of any other boot - except the Adidas Acerra, which I measured at a mere 1.5cm more on the outersole vs the mondo.
Backstay Height: 28.5cm
Weight: 1080 grams*
* Average of a sample of boots I weighed was 1006 grams, so a just a little heavier than the average, but pretty close to average. Heaviest were 1320 grams and lightest were 740 grams.
Fit
Width: Like most Adidas boots, the Tactical ADV have a wide toe box. I don't have wide feet but I've heard from a lot of wide footed riders that these are great for wide feet. But even without wide feet, they fit really well, so not an issue for non-wide footers. Overall plenty of wiggle room for toes (length, width and on top), without being loose.
True to Size?: The Tactical ADVs run half a size large for me. So, that means, if you usually ride a 10, then this works best in a 9.5. i.e. going for a half size down than what you'd normally ride in. So, already being low profile, this makes them even smaller - so if you're looking to get on a narrower board and want boots that allow that, these are pretty much the best option by a good margin, IMO.
High or Low Arch: Felt about average to me. I have a flat left foot, and a normal to low arched right foot. I had no issues with the top of my right foot in this boot.
Responsiveness
Nice and responsive for their flex. I found I had the perfect snug but comfortable fit in the 9.5, with good heel hold. All of which helped with the response. But at around that 6/10 flex, they strike a really good balance between being easy to maneuver at slower speeds, but still being able to get quite deep on carves at speed.
Heel Hold
The heel hold was actually pretty decent - better than a lot of traditional laced boots I've tested. This of course comes somewhat down to getting the right fit, but with the right size/fit, they have good heel hold.
Adjustability
Being traditional lace, you have a lot of control over adjusting different sections of the boot independently. So good adjustability in that sense. There isn't anything extra (like heel hold kits, tongue stiffeners, or like an internal boa that allows you to adjust the liner on the fly) - just the laces, plus standard internal lacing and velcro on the sides of the top of the liner - but it works well and just having that trad lacing gives you plenty of adjustability.
Let’s Break up this text with a Video
Comfort
If found these boots super comfortable from the moment I put them on. After heat molding things got even more comfortable. They provided a really snug feeling, with no pressure points, no cramping - just the perfect fit and nice and comfortable from the start.
Shock Absorption
This is the best boot I've ridden in terms of shock absorption. Adidas use their boost technology on these and they stand out above every other boot I've tested, and there is a good range in shock absorption in boots - so it's no mean feat to be the best here.
Board Feel
Given all that shock absorption, I thought he board feel would be worse. It's not the ultimate in board feel for sure, but it's not terrible either. I would say 3.5/5.
Traction
These boots have decent traction without being anything epic.
Reduced Footprint
The best in the business, IMO. They fit best half a size down, which helps straight away, but on top of that they're the lowest profile boot I've measured (along with the Adidas Acerra). It's basically like going from riding a size 10 boot, to riding a boot with the outersole of the average 8.5. So you really can go narrower. It was very obvious strapping in, even without measuring, that these boots were heavily reduced in outersole footprint.
Entry/Exit
Not the easiest to get in and out of, just in terms of the traditional lacing, but was easy enough getting the foot in and out of - just that there's the extra time to do the laces vs something like Boa or Speed Lace. But not a big factor, IMO, espcially when everything else is so good.
Score Breakdown and Final Verdict
Check out the breakdown of the score in the table below.
RATING | Contribution to Final Score | |
|---|---|---|
RESPONSE | 4.0 | 20/25 |
HEEL HOLD | 3.5 | 10.5/15 |
ADJUSTABILITY | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
COMFORT | 4.5 | 13.5/15 |
SHOCK ABSORPTION | 5.0 | 15/15 |
TRACTION | 3.5 | 7/10 |
REDUCED FOOTPRINT | 5.0 | 5/5 |
TOTAL after normalizing | 91.8/100 |
The Tactical ADVs are probably the best boot I've ridden. Certainly the best mid-flexing boot. If you're looking for something mid-flexing with great comfort, next level shock absorption and need a boot that's low profile, the Tactical ADV should be high on your list.
More Info, Current Prices and Where to Buy Online
If you’re interested in learning more about the Tactical ADV, are ready to buy or want to research current prices and sizing availability, check out the links below.
If you want to see how the Tactical ADV compared to other all-mountain boots, or want to check out some other options, check out the link below.
Hi Nate
Have you had any experience with the thirty two tm 2 (Stevens)?
How would you compare them to the adidas tactical adv ?
Thank you
John
Hi John
Thanks for your message.
Yes, I’ve ridden the TM-TWO. I would say:
– TM-TWO is a little stiffer (7/10 by my feel)
– TM-TWO is about the same in terms of response
– TM-TWO has a little better heel hold
– Tactical ADV is more comfortable, IMO (though this is quite subjective when it comes to boots)
– Tactical ADV has better shock absorption, but the TM-TWO isn’t bad, just that the Tactical ADV is the best I’ve tried in that area
– Tactical ADV has a lower profile outersole. This may or may not come into play depending on your specs and your board etc
I prefer the Tactical ADV overall, but the TM-TWO are good boots too.
Hope this gives you more to go off