At the time, the adidas Running Ultra Boost were presented with the more than pretentious title of"The Best Shoe Ever" but are they? Absolutely not, but not because they are not a "great shoe" but because it is something impossible because, as I have said many times, no shoe is good or bad in itself but depends on many factors that could be synthesized in what I call "the triangle of the shoe" that would form it [shoes, user, environment].
That is to say, there is no "shoe Holy Grail" that fits everyone and everything, but rather, depending on the profile of the runner, the type of use that vaya to be given and the conditions that surround all of this, one or another Running shoes will be better. Moreover, in some cases, it is possible that the shoe that best fits is one that is theoretically inferior to many others (it would not be the first time that the shoe I use the most in my rotation at a particular time is a "simple mid-range" that is capable of relegating real shoe wonders).
Ultra Boost, an innovative and pioneering running shoe.
Obviously, this title of "The Best in History" is a mere advertising claim and those who have been on fire with it and have been beating up on the Ultra Boost for it, have only wasted their time and played into Adidas ' hands because I doubt very much that anyone with a minimum of knowledge of the running world can think that this is possible. The hype surrounding the launch of this shoe, which took place a little over a month ago, has been impressive, probably on par with when the Boost was launched two years ago.
However, what has caught my attention the most is that Adidas has once again managed to keep it under wraps practically up until the moment of the launch, they have been able to repeat what they did with the worldwide launch of the Boost as nothing has been revealed about the shoes until a week before it was released. It may seem silly, but with the amount of people involved in its design, development, promotion, testing, etc. it's amazing to think that they are able to achieve something like this, so good for Adidas!!!!
Adidas has once again managed to focus the attention of running enthusiasts with a great shoe (but not the best ever).
With that said, let's get down to business, let's get to the nitty-gritty so you can judge for yourselves if they deserve so much hype or not. To begin with, a breakdown, because it's a very original and original shoe, with many things tremendously innovative and unseen until now.
Midsole and Cushioning
For the midsole of the Ultra Boost , Boost has been used, they have played everything with it since 100% of the midsole is made of this material. Being purists, it may not be 100% absolute because there are some more pieces as we are going to see below, but we are not going to get into mathematics and we will accept that 100% is practically real.
As most of you already know, the Boost is not a derivative of EVA but is an expanded plastic, with air inside those little balls that give it that corkopan appearance that some people like so much and that has little to do with that material except for the look.
It is very light, very soft, with a lot of travel, very pleasant to the touch, ... but I thinkthe most remarkable thing is its tremendous resistance (it is almost indestructible, at least with the usual aggressions of running as chafing, bumps, compression, etc.).), it behaves the same regardless of external conditions (it doesn't matter if it's zero degrees or forty degrees in the shade, the feel is practically the same), it doesn't need to be tuned but is ready from the first kilometer (this applies from the day you put them on for the first time and in every outing you do), it has a lot of response (even despite its great cushioning), ...
It is not the "Holy Grail" of midsole compounds, but it lacks little and is currently one of the best there is (possibly the best). In principle, the only downside I would put is that having so much cushioning travel usually requires help from other elements to give stability to the shoe. Other models have resorted to layers or cradles of harder EVA, Torsion in the midfoot, etc. In this case, there is no EVA, but the Torsion has been used, although it is not one like the ones we have seen in other Adidas models, but it is special or, at least, different.
It is a plastic piece that appears from the inner side of the heel (it goes up about a centimeter and goes inward a centimeter and a half) and extends to the middle area, where it makes a kind of bridge that is reinforced with a central "beam" (which we see in purple) to give greater strength and finally brings an arm back to the inside, only now it no longer sticks out from the side of the shoe.
The grey plastic is not excessively stiff but simply offers some resistance and helps to create a spring effect, the stiffness is mainly provided by the purple bar, which prevents it from bending at the midfoot and has a good catapulting effect forward. The resistance to torsion is slight, which gives it a lot of dynamism, but penalizes it in terms of stability.
The heel height is 28 mm and toe height is 18 mm(10 mm drop), plus 4 mm of insole. These measures are in the average of its rivals and very successful because they do not require adaptation and do not bother those who have a good technique.
In addition, with the soft feel, they appeal to those who want to go for a jog and for those who want joy, thanks to the very marked final curvature of the shoe, they will go out with a bang if they are in the mood for it. As for the heel, even though it looks so big, don't worry because it is very beveled so the entry is quite clean, it doesn't bother at all.
The design of the midsole has no curvatures, no holes or anything outlandish, just a thickening in the lower half that allows it to have a little more base to give it some stability without resorting to structures that make it more rigid than necessary.
I say "more than necessary" because in terms of flexibility it is impressive and few training shoes prepared to support the weights of the Ultra Boost with that thickness of midsole have this flexibility. It's not that it has a lot (which it does) but that it bends very progressively, without abrupt cuts, which explains the great forward dynamics it has.
Outsole
In the midsole, as e Boost is already known, the innovation corresponds to the fact that they are 100% Boost but in the outsole they have jumped into the pool with something that is raising passions and misgivings almost equally because it has a somewhat peculiar performance and behavior.
The design is spectacular and innovative and performs great in many situations, but there are others in which it doesn't perform as well or, at least, not as well as you would expect from a shoe that aspires to be "the best in history". The most striking feature is the Stretch Web Outsole, which is the name given to this spider web-shaped outsole (let's drop that term, it's cooler than "squared").
To design it and decide what shape to give it, where to place the crosses, the size and shape of the holes, etc. they have resorted to I don't know how many hundreds of footprint analyses where they studied how this part was deformed during the footprint cycle of different runners and with that they have tried to make a sole that would work in line with the rest of the shoe, that would deform as the foot requires, etc.
In fact, this 3D study has been done with the entire shoe, not just the sole, and as we will see in the upper section, the result is spectacular. It is one of the shoes with a better ratio of thickness / flexibility and when you run with it, it seems incredible how it molds to the ground, despite the weight under your feet. In addition, being such a thin layer of rubber, it does not harden the overall feel of the cushioning, it deforms and adapts very well to the terrain, etc.
This has a trade-off in durability, which is perhaps not its strong suit. It is not as bad as some have predicted or, at least not for runners with a minimally decent technique (another thing is the one who runs scratching the ground). However, it is a point to improve for future editions, the durability of the sole.
The other point is perhaps the grip, but it is not because it fails, but because with this design there are places where it works very well and others where it limps a little. In the crossings, there are some studs, as if they were some "sticks" of rubber in the joints between the strips.
This gives it a behavior similar to that of the studs, but on very flat surfaces such as sidewalk slabs it loses support surface because, even if it is compressed, it has a gap around it (what you can see of the Boost) and if it is wet, it tends to slip, at least in the first instance.
In dry terrain, compacted earth, etc. they go very well, better than I expected seeing that sole that I thought it was going to be only asphalt but the wet issue should be worked a little and see how it is solved. I imagine it's not easy because it's not enough to say "ala, let them put Continental" or "let them thicken it", as it would affect the flexibility of the sole. Surely they are working on it and the day they find the solution, they will surely put it in the Ultra Boost Energy Boost 2. As a curiosity, in the toe a large part has been left covered to improve grip and in the heel, ditto, also leaving a burr for those who enter the heel.
Upper and Last
The upper of the Ultra Boost is spectacular and catches everyone's attention, whether they are connoisseurs of the shoe world or not. It's true that it has some areas that may seem a bit strange (e.g. the collar) but it's one of the best uppers I've ever tried.
The base is the PrimeKnit, a technology that many of you may be familiar with from the famous argument between Adidas and Nike to see what happened between PrimeKnit and FlyKnit. They are similar, they have a similar philosophy but, whatever they say, they are as the kids say "the same but different" so I don't understand the fight. In fact, it could extend to other brands that are also doing similar things so it's better that they stop the bullshit and start evolving their technology, which is what counts and what interests us sneaker enthusiasts.
PrimeKnit is very simple in essence: make a one-piece upper by weaving and interweaving the threads playing with the types of weave, thicknesses and so on depending on the area and what you want to achieve.
In this way, we can see a very open, open and elastic fabric on top of the toes and tongue, a denser area in the toe and skirts of the bunion, a kind of lines or nerves, ... It is incredible that a machine can do that and it must be impressive to see it live (in the videos it impresses but in natural, with the live noise it must be amazing).
With this a brutal fit is achieved , like a second skin since there are no rigid structures, it mimics the foot but with the advantage that it does not overwhelm as happens with other tight uppers. In addition, breathability is not bad as it happens when they are neoprene type and, to top it off, the contact is extremely soft so going without socks is a joy. And, well, to top it off, the chafe resistance is not bad, which I admit I was surprised because I expected it to be much worse and I thought I was going to miss some protection in the form of thermo glue, even if it was thin.
Although the fit is good, the PrimeKnit needs the help of external structures and they have decided to use a plastic piece similar to the one used for example in the Energy Boost 2, with the three Adidas stripes attached to an eyelet plus an additional one and putting one on the inside and one on the outside.
The fit that is achieved is very good and as they come from quite far back, they do not generate the problem that many of us have had with the Energy Boost 2 due to excessive pressure on the upper part of the instep but, even so, I am not convinced about having only four eyelets, even though the fit that is achieved is very good as it tightens as much as you want and they behave almost independently.
The heel area is weird as hell and the appearance is somewhat shabby at first glance, not because of poor quality but because it is crushed, like when you take the shoes out of the suitcase after a trip.
Now, as soon as you put them on you forget everything because the split heel counter molds to your heel as if it had been made expressly for you and the fit of the collar is as good or better than the rest of the upper. It is, along with that of the Speedform (in any of its versions), the best collar fit I've tried so far: elastic, firm yet loose, etc. Only those who prefer blunt fits like trail running or some of the old Adidas (e.g. Adizero Boston 3) can find fault with it.
The heel counter is external, very curved to wrap the heel and makes a kind of double curve as well as being cut in the achilles area, something that made me wary at first thinking that it would not hold well but again I was wrong with appearances. It holds very well around the heel and does not move at all when you run because it hugs very well on the sides.
The collar is off the comfort scale because it's like a sock: padded, soft, sticks exactly like the elastic of a sock and, on top of that, since the tongue is like a bootie, the last thing you think you're wearing is a sneaker, you think you're wearing a sock (how many times have I said that word in this paragraph? Is it clear how the fit is in this area? ;-D)
Even if you see the achilles and tongue area very high, don't worry, it won't give you any problems, I would be very surprised. And it doesn't have any drawbacks? Yes: reflective, no additional eyelet, ... you can't be perfect, right?
As for the last, I've heard many people say that they are very tight, that they are too tight, and when I asked them if era that they were tight or that they were too small, they changed their opinion. It's not the same thing, and while it's true that they fit close to the foot, they are not small or narrow, but in order for the PrimeKnit to work, they must fit snugly to the foot. The good thing is that it gives so there is actually room and, in fact, you just have to put your hand inside and push in the toe area to see how much it gives.
In general, the dimensions are average, not large, but not small and, in fact, I would say that they can be molded to virtually any foot, whether wide or thin. In length they are halfway between normal and just right, so I would try them on well to see if I need to go up a size (I wouldn't have needed to go up a size, the half stitch I've worn leaves them a little looser than I'd like).
Perhaps I would only be left wondering about the heel for those who prefer a snugger or tighter fit, but it's more of a feeling than a lack of actual fit.
Dynamics
Here comes the crux of the matter and, again, it's back to being a "dual" performing shoe, or at least performing differently depending on what you're evaluating.
Tremendously cushioned, a barbarity, one of the softest I've ever tried, but not a chewy softness that is not worth anything, but one that receives you between cotton and then becomes responsive, which is where the grace is and what we should look for to run because if it's soft, in the end we get stuck.
The key is perhaps in our running technique because, whoever has a heavy footprint, of those who dig into the heel and sink a lot, will probably stay a bit stuck but whoever has a good reactive ankle, will probably be able to fully exploit the fluidity that the Ultra Boost have because, without being an Energy Boost 2, they rotate very well forward and the curved toe end launches the foot forward very quickly.
Obviously, the fact that it is all Boost takes away some of the Energy Boost 2s punch, but they are faster than they look. However, they are not a shoe to get into "sub 4'/km" paces but rather to run from that limit and upwards, as slow as you want, with a very high comfort.
The weight is deceiving, since on the scales they weigh 297 grams (they declare 323 but in the 9 USA we have tested they do not reach 300 grams) but in the hand and in motion they appear a few grams less, rather close to 250 grams, like many of the mixed. In large part this is due to how they fit on the foot, how they flex, etc. and it is to be welcomed because those extra grams, in the end, is structure that results in a better fit, durability, etc.
As forthe terrain, as mentioned in the section on the sole, except for smooth wet ground, good in almost all, with a pretty good grip and enough versatility so you can take them for a walk almost without thinking about where you're going to go.
And regarding the type of footstep, they are not a prodigy in terms of stability or, at least, they are not going to oppose us much if we insist on pronating, so they are better for neutral runners or those who do not need additional support.
User Type
Neutral runners up to 80-85 kgs who want a shoe with plenty of cushioning that is responsive, flexible, versatile in terms of pace (from 3'45''/km - 4'/km upwards), suitable for training "at ease" and to give you a good run, that fits close to the foot and that performs well in a wide variety of terrains.
Pros
- Upper: spectacular fit, breathability, adjustability, etc.
- Pace versatility.
- Flexibility.
- Cushioning: Lots of cushioning, soft but with plenty of rebound.
- Boost performance in adverse weather conditions.
Cons
- Outsole: Grip on certain surfaces and durability.
- Could be lightened a bit.
- Stability could be improved.
Performance
- Lightweight: 7
- Cushioning: 9
- Flexibility: 9
- Responsiveness: 8
- Stability: 7
- Grip: 7
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