Adidas2025 Review
Adidas Stabil Next Gen
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Buy at Decathlon · €129.99 (opens in a new tab)We only have it in stock at Decathlon
Real on-court review: a robust, stable and honest Stabil for contact play.
Review updated on 23 June 2026
Fit
Who is it for?
- Position
- PivotCentre backBack
- For
- Men
- Player weight
- 90 – 110 kg · > 110 kg
- Level
- Intermediate, Advanced, Professional
We recommend it if…
- Physical pivots and centre backs
- Backs who prioritise stability over speed
- Heavy players or those with a high training volume
- Indoor parquet or synthetic courts
Pick another if…
- Pure wings and long fast-break players
- Anyone who prioritises lightness above all else
- Wide feet or high insteps without trying the size first
- Players looking for a flexible, lively feel
Our test
The good and the bad
Pros
- Outstanding grip on parquet and synthetic courts
- Top-level lateral stability
- BOOST in the heel with good protection on landings
- Very serious durability for heavy use
Cons
- Heavy for speed-oriented players
- Fit slightly tight over the instep
- High price at the official store
Before you order
Sizes and fit
- Fit
- Regular
- Weight
- 390 g
- Drop
- 10 mm
Where to buy
Price at each shop
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Decathlon
Lowest price
How we score it
Score by category
- Grip
- 9.5
- Cushioning
- 9.0
- Stability
- 9.3
- Durability
- 8.8
- Value for money
- 8.5
Gorka Cabañas' opinion
Journalist. Former handball player and coach. Co-founder of Liftados
My view on the Adidas Stabil Next Gen is pretty clear: I wouldn't try to convince anyone it's a light shoe, because it isn't. And that's exactly why I think this is an important review. When a brand like Adidas releases a Stabil, there's a huge temptation to repeat the same old story. I think you have to do the opposite here: tell the truth and understand who it really works for.
It convinces me when I think about the player who lives around the six-metre line. If you're a pivot, centre back or physical back, this shoe makes sense because it gives you a very stable base, very serious grip and cushioning that's protective enough for the punishment that area of the court takes. The heel BOOST doesn't work magic, but it does add more comfort than it seems at first glance. And the upper structure, with Primeknit, heat-sealed panels and INNER SLING-CAGE, is much better executed than many simplified spec sheets suggest.
Where would I put it? In the group of shoes I'd happily buy for a strong, competitive player who deals with a lot of contact, but not for a wing or for someone looking for a fast, light feel. If your handball is all about screens, collisions and firm plants, the Stabil Next Gen still has its place. If your game is about that extra metre in transition, I'd look elsewhere.
Published on 23 June 2026 · Liftados.com
On-court review
Full review
Introduction
In handball, your shoe isn't an accessory. It's the tool that decides a screen, a feint and a one-legged landing after a jump. The Adidas Stabil Next Gen arrives carrying a heavy legacy, both literally and figuratively. That's why this review has to be done without nostalgia: court time, changes of direction, hard stops, contact and real minutes. What matters isn't the legend of the Stabil line, but whether this version is still a benchmark buy for the player who lives around the six-metre line.
Verdict
The Adidas Stabil Next Gen is a contact shoe. It isn't the lightest, the fastest or the best at hiding its limits. But when the game is played around the six-metre line, with sharp stops, violent plants and bodies colliding, it responds very well. The heel BOOST protects you on landings, the EVA structure keeps the foot in place and the grip is among the best you can buy for indoor courts.
Ideal player profile
This review has a very clear target: a pivot, centre back or physical back who needs a firm base and doesn't want the foot to collapse on the plant. If you weigh over 90 kg or simply punish your shoes on every action, this Stabil fits far better than a lightweight option. For pure wings and players who run long transitions, there are livelier and lighter alternatives.
Durability
This is one of its strongest arguments. The rubber holds up well, the upper doesn't break down quickly and the cushioning keeps behaving consistently for quite a long time. It doesn't feel like a shoe made to look good for two weeks and fall apart within a month. You can tell it's designed for frequent training and for players who really stamp down hard.
The view of Daniel Cabado, handball player and coach
“The first thing you notice is that it's a shoe that offers great support and lockdown. The Stabil plants you on the floor and makes it clear that your ankles are safe when you set screens, feint or jump.”
On-court feel
Three very clear messages come through when you take it on court. First, anchoring: the foot is locked in and the base gives you confidence. Second, braking: the rubber bites the floor with real assurance, which you appreciate on changes of direction. Third, landing: the heel BOOST softens impact better than such a robust shoe usually does. What it doesn't offer is spark. It's not a shoe with aggressive rebound or a feeling of flight.
Comparison with rivals
Against the Mizuno Wave Stealth Neo, the Stabil Next Gen loses some agility but gains that solid-block feeling. Against the Kempa Attack Three Contender, it offers a better-built chassis and better grip. Against the Hummel HB Powerstrike Pro, the big difference is the fit: Hummel usually treats wide feet better. And against the Adidas Crazyflight, the gap is philosophical: the Crazyflight is the fast, bouncy sibling; the Stabil is the one that handles the hand-to-hand fight.
Position and surface
Its natural home is the sports hall: parquet and synthetic courts in good condition. By position, it makes most sense for pivots, centre backs and physical backs. On a wing who runs up and down all game you feel too much hardware underfoot, whereas for a player working around the six-metre line that same hardware is a plus.
Pace and transitions
In static play, screens, duels and hard plants, it performs very well. When the game opens up and you have to cover a lot of ground, the price shows: it doesn't hold you back dramatically, but it doesn't keep up the way more agile models do. It's a shoe for imposing yourself, not for floating.
Lightness
This is its most delicate point. The 310 g figure isn't believable for standard men's sizes. In independent references the Stabil Next Gen sits considerably higher, and that matches what it feels like on foot much better. It's no featherweight and it shouldn't be sold as one. It's a mid-to-heavy shoe and that's how it should be described.
Cushioning
The heel BOOST works well and is a big part of why the shoe doesn't feel harsh on landings. It doesn't turn the Stabil into a soft shoe, but it does give it an honest cushion for long sessions and heavy players. The EVA across the shoe helps keep that cushioning under control.
Responsiveness
The response is decent, but not explosive. There is energy return, yes, but the package is designed more for control and protection than propulsion. If you're after a lively forefoot feel, you won't find it here.
Stability
This is its signature strength. The INNER SLING-CAGE, the heat-sealed panels and the structural frame work together so the foot doesn't slide around on turns and lateral pushes. In that sense, it remains one of the benchmark shoes for contact handball.
Flexibility
Flexibility is restrained, and that makes sense. This Stabil isn't trying to be a sock or to bend easily in the forefoot. It's trying to keep the foot firm. For a pivot or a centre back that's usually a virtue; for a wing, less so.
Grip
Together with stability, this is the best thing about the model. On a clean court it stops and changes direction with great confidence. It can't work miracles if the floor is covered in dust, of course, but in normal conditions it's at the top end of the market.
Liftados verdict · 9.2/10
The Adidas Stabil Next Gen remains a very serious buy for players who work around the six-metre line. I wouldn't buy it because of “lightness” marketing or nostalgia for the line, but for something simpler: when the game gets tough, the shoe responds with grip, structure and protection.
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Comparisons
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What you ask us about the Adidas Stabil Next Gen
Which position is the Adidas Stabil Next Gen for?
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How does the Adidas Stabil Next Gen fit?
Is it a good shoe for wings?
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