Last week I had been invited to Bay area by Adidas to try out the latest offering from the sneaker brand: the brand new women-specific ($180 at adidas.com, as well as footlocker.com, six02.com, roadrunnersports.com, and other retailers). Consider it the love child of the PureBoost X-the one with this cool-looking floating arch that launched last year and also the three-year-old energy-returning Ultra Boost silhouette, hence the name: Ultra Boost X.
Over a two-day period, our group of 100 other editors, fitness influencers, and merely all-around badass women from around the globe made our way through several runs within the Adidas Ultra Boost X, each more epic compared to next. We tackled the shoreline at Land’s End park in the rain, sprinted around the Kezar Stadium track and up its stadium steps (multiple times), powered up Filbert Street (the steepest throughout San Francisco), and down the zigzagged Lombard Street, pushed the interest rate on a self-powering treadmill during a HIIT workout, strode over the Golden Gate Bridge in Karl the Fog (yep, there is a reputation for their fog) and, finally, braved the Bernal Heights hill, which was rewarded having a breathtaking view of the Bay area skyline. I also took ’em for any spin in Ny when I returned from the West Coast, and the weather was definitely a doozy: a windy mixture of snow, sleet and rain.
Needless to say, I’ve put in a fair amount of miles in these babies in varying climate conditions, and can truly say I am impressed. To begin with, they are cute (which is a must). Despite the fact that the colorway I tested is orange and black, surprisingly they don’t look like something you’d only sport during Halloween. To jazz mine up even more, I traded the black laces for the alternate gray tweed pair they came with. Also noteworthy: the fit. Wearing this shoe literally feels like you are slipping on the sock. Speaking of socks, you can put on the Ultra Boost X with or without; it is a preference thing. Mine is by using socks.
Piqued your interest? Here are a few things to consider if you are seeking to boost (see things i did there?) the next run too.
Everyone-at least that’s what the folks at Adidas say. The shoe is built to adapt to every foot and every foot strike. When you run, your loads of rotate against one another resulting in friction and stretching in the midfoot, this sneaker’s free-floating arch moves with and adapts to any or all of those changes, resulting in a personalized fit for everyone. This feature can be done because Adidas used Aramis motion-tracking technology during its testing phase to identify wherever feet need support when running. Pretty fancy, huh?
Long or short-you can rock this kick for just about any distance, basically which makes it Cinderella’s glass slipper for performance runners. “This shoe is capable of running so long as my want to run,” explained Moritz Hoellmueller, Design Director at Adidas, during certainly one of trip’s panels where we took a deep-dive into the science and design elements of the Ultra Boost X. Now, I’ve not logged more than 4 miles at a time during these, and so i can’t talk to going long yet, however i am confidant that this pair can carry me through a 10K.
Cool-looking, yes, but it also has a function. The best knitted upper is designed to expand and then snap back into place. The result: It’s never restrictive, it never gets overstretched. Other supportive features The very prominent heel counter and cagey lacing structure, which both hug the foot and lock it into position.
Nope. This distinctive Adidas midsole is filled with a lot of “boost” pellets or tiny energy capsules that are fused together to create a soft, springy and shock-absorbing ride. Think of it as mix from a pillow and a trampoline.
It’s basically just like having a rubber tire because the sole of your running sneaker. And you understand how tires have to stand up to a lot of different weather conditions? It will exactly the same here. And thru a rain, sleet and ice-filled street run, I did not loose my footing once. Without a doubt, this can be a big deal, especially since I have been recognized to have a sudden spill-on Central Park’s Bridle Path, across the West Side Highway Running Path, as well as in the midst of Van Cortlandt Park’s Old Putnam Trail-for no good reason. Simply put: this grip is excellent!
I’ll admit $180 is really a steep price, but I think if you want a trusty runner that may handle multiple distances well and has crossover fashion appeal (Read: looks great with all of your athleisure wear, this may be a cool kick to add to your repertoire. I understand I definitely intend to combine it with the present pairs within my running rotation.