Get Boosted! Adidas Ultra Boost X (Product Review)

Disclaimer: I received a pair of Adidas Ultra Boost X shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

We all know that I love running shoes, and with about 2 years of experience working for run specialty stores, I know a fair amount of them. When I was at Fleet Feet Baltimore last summer, both staff and customers were raving about the Adidas Ultra Boost. When an opportunity to try them with Bib Rave came about, I was stoked!

First, some specs:

• Structure: Neutral
• Heel-toe offset: 10 mm
• Weight: 8.3 oz
• Heel to toe Adidas “energy boost”
• “Prime knit” upper.

Initial thoughts:

• Look: These shoes look so sleek. I love that they are obviously an athletic shoe, but they aren’t very bulky. They pair well with athleisure wear, or even jeans. My orange and black pair is bright, which I love.
• Fit: These shoes fit like a glove, which is their purpose. There is a “floating arch” which snugly fit to your foot. I found the black siding that holds the laces bothered my foot if I tied  them too tightly. The upper, while snug, was very flexible. I was worried about the snugness bothering the tops of my feet, but it didn’t! Because these shoes fit so tightly, you can wear them with or without socks. I prefer them with socks.  The back of the shoe sticks out slightly from the heel, which felt odd, at first.
• Function: My first run in these felt surprisingly good. The lack of support didn’t bother me, and I loved the “bounce” that Adidas’ BOOST technology. I could feel the ground on me, but I was still light on my feet. My calves were very tight after my first, run, but I couldn’t say that was solely due to due shoes. I also did like how the back of the shoe “jutted” out a bit. It felt great during my run/walk transitions.

Now that I’ve worn my Ultra Boost X’s for about a month, I have found what I like and don’t like about them. Verdict is, there’s not much not to like.

I love the form-fitting upper, floating arch, and the boost technology. These shoes feel fast, and they were fun to race in! They are super comfy for strength work and cross training. If they didn’t bother my calves, I think they would be great for long runs.

I don’t love the side lace-holder. If the laces aren’t tied just right, it hits me in the wrong place. Compared to the rest of the shoe, it’s stiff and doesn’t feel like it truly belongs there. Realistically, the shoe fits so snug, laces may not really be necessary. I also don’t love the heel-toe drop on this shoe. While 10mm is pretty standard, I’ve been running in 4mm drop shoes for a year now, and my calves did not like the change.

These shoes are wonderful. I wish they would work for me better, running wise, but my calves tighten right up when I run in them.  I’ll be keeping these in my rotation for November Project workouts, and races 10K and shorter. They’ll also be my first choice for when I need to wear functional shoes, but also look cute.

At $180, these sneakers sure are a treat. While the price may be high, my co-workers at the store last year reported getting 700-800 miles out of them. The Ultra Boost X is a women’s specific shoe, but there are other variations for both men and women. Make sure to check out the Ultra Boost X, exclusively at Dick’s Sporting Goods if you want to try these babies out!

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