Ray O’ Connor is an avid marathon runner with 140 marathons under his belt to date, he took the Adidas Ultra Boost for a test run late last year whilst on holidays in Portugal. None
REVIEW
Initial thoughts
‘When I picked up my shiny new pair of runners I was initially a bit shocked… here’s why. They were very red and they felt very light. I was a bit worried as the only time I ran in racers I got injured and these felt like racers.
First try on and I was more worried as the heel felt low and I could really feel the shoe. Hard to describe but it was like putting on a pair of socks over my socks. I spent a good bit of time adjusting the laces and got them to feel pretty ok to walk around the house but I wasn’t trying these out as a fashion item. I was looking to try something new and see what all the fuss was about as these babies were selling out like hot buns. I’m always skeptical when I hear that a technical shoe is being snapped up as a fashion item – surely they couldn’t be all that good at doing what they were designed for – Running!
Off for a week’s running in Portugal and the only running shoes I brought were the Ultra Boost. I wanted to give them every chance and had no opportunity to duck out and lazily climb back into my good old trusted brand that I’ve been wearing for over 10 years now. Never change was my motto – if it ain’t broke.
Putting them to the test
First run felt great, but I put this down to not having run much lately so it was great just to get out the door. I really concentrated on my stride in my new footwear and couldn’t understand why it felt so normal. My heel seemed to be hitting the ground perfectly from the off. No foot roll along clambered roads, very stable going off road and it actually felt like I wasn’t wearing shoes – this is amazing.
The Science
When I got back after 10 miles I decided to look up the tech to see what was happening – Here’s what Adidas said “These limited-edition men’s running shoes are the ultimate experience in luxurious stability. Whether you’re training or running a full marathon, their plush boost™ midsole keeps every step charged with energy. An adaptive Adidas Primeknit upper and ergonomic heel give lightweight support exactly where it’s needed, and a STRETCHWEB outsole provides a smooth, stable heel-to-toe transition. “
The Real Test
I have to agree. But 10 miles on a first run wasn’t much of a test really. I had another 4 days running in the midday heat to look forward to and anything could happen. Day 2, 3 and 4 went exactly the same as day 1 but the big test was to come on my last day when I decided to run to Spain which was 19 miles away. On road, off road, concrete, boardwalks, paths and even beaches, I seemed to bounce my way to the borderwith little effort.
Final Thoughts
What I now love about the Adidas Ultra Boost is that it’s like an invisible shoe that has sorted out my foot strike problems that I didn’t realise I even had – how cool is that?
But they are very red.
Bring your AGame in 2017 with the widest range of running & fitness gear from our retail partners Life Style Sports. Use the Code RUN10 to get 10% off your running and fitness apparell #AGame
