The love affair between skateboarders and basketball sneakers has existed since the earliest days of skateboarding and the courts are still a huge influence on the skate-specific footwear of today.

The adidas Skateboarding Matchcourt High RX2 takes cues from the iconic adidas Top Ten basketball shoe, whilst increasing the amount of ankle and tongue padding found in a standard Matchcourt shoe. The higher collar on this particular model provides firm ankle support without restricting movement due the shoe’s slender profile, whilst the varsity-inspired white-navy-red colour palette is reflective of the shoe’s original athletic origins.

Further stability is provided by the upper, which is constructed from durable and premium full grain leather with a lightweight textile inner lining allowing your feet to breathe through the tough material.

“if you’re looking for a skate-specific high-performance high top shoe with a strong sneaker legacy behind the styling, then the adidas Skateboarding Matchcourt High RX2 is definitely for you.”

The shoe’s upper also has a minimal amount of panels, a construction feature which helps prolong the shoe’s lifespan with most of the prominent stitching being purely cosmetic, rather than being integral, (such as with adidas’ trademark three stripes).

The vulcanised sole unit allows the Matchcourt High RX2 to feel instantly flexible and responsive out of the box through a mix of triangular and circle-patterned tread, whilst the deep herringbone pattern tread across the arch and towards the back of the foot ensures the sole is grippy.

As is common with most vulcanised footwear, an extra layer of vulcanised rubber is present at the front of the shoe. Alongside a toe bumper, the Matchcourt High RX2 boasts a toecap, along with a rubber layer reinforcing key areas on the toe and shoe’s sidewall such as the vulnerable stitching where the lace stay connects to the upper.

Another classically-inspired athletic silhouette modified and optimized into a stylish skate shoe by adidas Skateboarding – if you’re looking for a skate-specific high-performance high top shoe with a strong sneaker legacy behind the styling, then the adidas Skateboarding Matchcourt High RX2 is definitely for you.

• adidas – MATCHCOURT HIGH RX2
• RRP: £79.95
• adidasskateboarding.com