This setup allows the foot to sit inside the midsole rather than on top of it like with the Ultraboost ST. The foam in the heel shoots up around the heel, creating sidewalls or rails that cup the heel. You might think that the entire heel is one massive chunk of Boost foam with a drop that looks like it could be 14mm however there’s only a 6% increase in Boost and the drop is only 10mm. It’s definitely the heaviest of the three Adidas foams by a country mile and the Ultraboost 21’s hefty weight severely limits its use to only easy and recovery runs. Is Boost still a relevant midsole foam with the arrival of Lightstrike and Lightstrike Pro? In my opinion, no. On the positive side, transitions felt smooth because of the new bevelled heel and the outsole configuration. With the Ultraboost 21’s you have the ankle weights built right into the shoe. They also reminded me of when runners wear ankle weights while running to build strength and endurance. I expected them to be a lot softer but the Boost underfoot felt firm albeit cushioned at the same time.įoot landings were very loud because of the crystal rubber on the outsole and made a sound like a horse trotting down the road. My first run in them was 10km and they didn’t impress me. They have picked up over an ounce of weight compared to the Ultraboost 20.

When they arrived and I picked them out the box, I was expecting them to be weighty but they felt even heavier than what I thought them to feel. The radical new midsole design was completely different from any previous Ultraboost. When I saw more images and videos closer to the launch date, I got really excited because they confirmed that the initial leaked image was accurate. When I first saw a leaked image of the Ultraboost last year, I thought that there was a possibility that it could be a fake, concept image because it looked like a ridiculous amount of Boost in the heel. With all the changes made, is the Ultraboost 21 now a serious performance running shoe and how does it stack up to the previous versions? The Ultraboost 21 has been redesigned from the ground up with a new outsole that features crystal rubber, a midsole with more Boost and an updated upper too. More brands started using TPU midsoles so it didn’t make sense to stick with the expensive Ultraboost that didn’t feel like a performance running shoe anymore. In the versions that followed, focus of the Ultraboost shifted more towards being a lifestyle sneaker as the upper became more relaxed. Its one weakness was that its outsole wore down like butter because this was pre-Continental rubber days. It was very soft, springy and comfortable at the same time. At the time, not many trainers were using TPU midsoles so there was nothing like it in the market. My favourite Ultraboost was the very first version. The Ultraboost is Adidas’ most popular shoe so the formula is obviously working for them they can kill two birds with one stone. The Ultraboost has always blurred the line between performance trainer and lifestyle sneaker.Īdidas markets the Ultraboost as a serious running shoe but the fact that they release space collaborations with NASA and funky metallic-coloured midsoles proves that Adidas wants the Ultraboost to also be a trendy casual shoe. Is there any running shoe that looks as good as the Ultraboost with a pair of skinny jeans and a fitted tee? Probably not.Īnd there’s a very good reason for that: running shoes are built for running and not to look good going to the mall.Įver since version 1 of the Ultraboost when Adidas paid Kanye West to wear an all white pair on stage, sneaker heads have adopted the Ultraboost as a lifestyle sneaker.

Adidas 4d pulse