Adidas touts its new energy-releasing Boost line
Adidas doesn't want to change the way you run, but what you're running on. That's the idea behind Boost, the new soft, lightweight midsole running-shoe foam Adidas has put into some of its shoes this year. The foam "releases energy as you run," said Chris Brewer, Adidas running specialty category manager.
Adidas doesn't want to change the way you run, but what you're running on.
That's the idea behind Boost, the new soft, lightweight midsole running-shoe foam Adidas has put into some of its shoes this year. The foam "releases energy as you run," said Chris Brewer, Adidas running specialty category manager.
Looking to "reimagine the way we engineer cushioning," Adidas partnered with the chemical firm BASF in 2009 to develop the Boost material. One big difference from traditional running-shoe foam, Brewer said, is in how Boost is made.
Solid granular thermoplastic polyurethane is "blown up" through high-pressure steam and "turned into thousands of small energy-storing capsules," Brewer said. The resulting cell structure is the key to the foam's energy release. The foam is also more temperature-resistant, so it won't stiffen up in the cold.
The Boost shoes also last longer, Brewer said. Internally, they've tested new Energy Boost shoes out of the box and compared them with the same kind of shoes that have 1,000 miles on them. "The lab testing is virtually identical in terms of cushioning and responsiveness," Brewer said.
I tried on a pair of Energy Boost shoes last week at the Haddonfield Running Co. To me, they looked like any other Adidas running shoe (bright color upper, three stripes on the side, white midsole), but they felt a lot squishier than my Mizunos when I ran on the store's small strip of indoor track. I didn't feel any energy thrown back into my legs, but I didn't expect to. I wasn't able to test them on a full run just yet since my foot injury is not completely healed.
It's hard not to be skeptical. Energy return from shoe foam? I've seen a lot of shoe companies promise fantastic things that didn't quite pan out.
In 2012, Vibram, which makes barefoot-style running shoes (people call them "toe shoes"), was the target of a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company had made deceptive claims. The suit is pending.
In May, Sketchers paid $40 million to the Federal Trade Commission to settle a class-action suit over claims that its Shape Up shoes helped tone legs and quicken weight loss.
Then there's the question of legality. If Boost shoes really do give runners an extra boost, will they be banned, much like slick full-body swimsuits were banned from the Olympics because they were seen as giving athletes an unfair advantage?
Right now, the Boost material is in three types of Adidas running shoes: the Energy Boost, adizero Adios Boost, and adistar Boost. Adidas will introduce more Boost shoes in spring 2014, Brewer said.
Brewer called this the "holy grail" of cushioning material, but that's what I'd expect him to say about his company's new baby. We'll see how Adidas shoe fans do with the Boost during this year's fall marathon season.
Racing Schedule
Monday
West Deptford Park Summer 5K Series: West Deptford, N.J. Every Monday, 7 p.m, through Aug. 12. tnteventmanagement.com
Wednesday
Dead Harriers 5K & Hawaiian Shirt Racing World Championship: Warminster Community Park
Veterans Drive, above Johnsville Boulevard, near Street Road and Jacksonville Road. Registration closes Monday. runbucks.com
Thursday
Browning Ross Summer Sizzler Series: 5K, Rowan University, Every Thursday through Aug. 29. 7 p.m. Fee: $5, $3 for students. Age group prizes. tuffgangrunning.com
Aug. 17
Drenched 5k: Fairmount Park, run through mist tunnels, sprinkler zones, foam and bubbles, firehoses, and a 100-foot slip-and-slide through the finish line. rundrenched.com
Sept. 22
New Britain Twp Business Alliance 5K: North Branch Park, 207 Park Ave., Chalfont. Cathy Scanlon, race director, at cathy_scanlon@comcast.net. Registration: pretzelcitysports.com