TL;DR: on an Adidas Taekwondo, QC rests on the low silhouette, the thin sole, the three stripes and, on the Mei, the strap. No official page for this model is reachable from this side, so this thread gives no measurement or reference date: only a method for reading photos.
Sizing has its own thread once it is live; here we only look at what the photos show.
[[PHOTO: paire de Taekwondo vue de profil et de dessus sur fond blanc, lumière du jour, tige et semelle bien visibles]]
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
Beginner question: I see these shoes everywhere but I do not know what separates a “correct” pair from a bad one in photos. Where do I start?
Start with the silhouette, side view, on a plain background:
- Low and thin shape: the profile should stay flat, without a hump on the top of the foot.
- Toe of the shoe: even round, no odd thickening at the front.
- Heel: clean line, no hollow between upper and sole.
To place this silhouette, compare with other low models of the same brand that already have a thread: Adidas Handball Spezial QC and Adidas Gazelle Indoor QC. Not to say that one looks like the other, only to see how a low profile reads in those photos.
For the three stripes and the heel:
- Stripes: clean edges, equal gap between the three, same length on both sides, aligned on the same seam left and right.
- Heel print: sharp letters, straight and centred; a blur or a shift shows in macro.
- Stripe stitching: even stitches, no skipped stitch.
Compare left shoe against right shoe: a difference between the two is more telling than any comparison with a stranger’s photo.
And the sole? People say it is very thin.
What you can judge in a photo: the apparent thickness of the sole from the side, its colour (even from end to end or stained?), and the join with the upper (clean glue or marks). You need a side shot at floor height, not from above.
What you cannot say: an “official” thickness in millimetres, because I have no source for this model. To learn to read these photos step by step, see First time reading sneaker QC photos.
[[PHOTO: gros plan de la semelle de profil à hauteur du sol, règle graduée posée à côté, montrant la jonction avec la tige]]
For the Mei (the ballet version): the strap is the point that changes everything.
- Strap position: well centred on the instep, symmetrical left and right.
- Elastic or fastening: even, with no loose thread, clean stitch where it meets the upper.
- Closure: the strap lies flat when you look from above, without a fold.
What photos do not show: whether the strap holds while walking and whether the material deforms after a few weeks.
Summary:
- No reachable official source for this model: no measurement or date is given in this thread, only a reading method.
- Silhouette: low and even side profile, rounded toe, clean heel; place it with the threads Handball Spezial and Gazelle Indoor.
- Stripes and heel: clean edges, equal gap, same on both sides, heel print straight and centred.
- Sole: even apparent thickness and colour, clean join, side photo at floor level.
- Mei: centred and symmetrical strap, clean fastening; hold while walking is not judged in a photo.
- For sizes, a separate thread; on neighbouring models see already Samba, Spezial or Gazelle: same size?.
- A sole peeling, a crooked strap or stripes clearly different between the two shoes are RL reasons; a bit of visible glue is not.
Photos show neither how the strap holds nor how the material ages.
Editorial summary, not independently verified.
In one sentence: side silhouette, stripes and heel, sole at floor level, and the Mei strap to finish.