If you are a follower of the German brand Adidas you surely know one of the flagships in terms of running shoes, the UltraBoost saga. In the week leading up to the Paris Half Marathon we attended the world premiere of this model that represents a new beginning for this iconic shoe from the brand with the three stripes.
Adidas Ultraboost Light and not Adidas Ultraboost 23
The biggest change comes in the name itself. There will no longer be adidas UltraBoost 23 and we welcome the Adidas Ultra Boost Light. It has been many years since the German company launched the groundbreaking Boost technology on the market. We told you about it here in 2014. Since then we have seen many models with that technology and some of the most prominent have been the previous versions of this saga, the adidas UltraBoost 22, Adidas UltraBoost 21, Adidas UltraBoost 20 and adidas UltraBoost 19.
And yet with these Adidas UltraBoost Light we break that continuity. To explain this change we had the opportunity to chat with Alberto Uncini, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Running & Credibility Sports at adidas. Alberto acknowledged that the name change is due to the strategy of giving something new in this model.
"It's important that the name change is represented by a technology, by an improvement that is perceptible to the buyer. The Boost we use in this model is 30% lighter and that is something noticeable for the user. The most important point of this model is in that detail, in the light".
In Alberto's opinion, "I, as a user, don't buy a number of the UltraBoost saga or a year, I buy the concept that goes with the Light, or the Strike Pro if we refer to the Adizero collection."
The running market for Adidas
In this interview we took the opportunity to ask Alberto about his opinion on the current state of the running world and the different brands on the market. In his opinion other brands focus on a single technology and embed it in all products ranges and yet at adidas they seek to differentiate themselves by choosing different technologies.
"We have to recognize the diversity of people and we don't do that enough. There are a lot of different weights, capabilities and physical attributes in each person. For those different people, we have different product categories with different technologies - Boost, LightStrike, 4D, EVA. Behind every name you see in these technologies we develop big investments to cater to that variety of runners," Alberto acknowledged.
A 30% lighter UltraBoost
Another of the big questions we've had since the launch of the UltraBoost Light has to do with the extraordinary 30% weight reduction . In fact, one of the points of improvement that had always been mentioned in previous versions of this saga era precisely that feeling of being a very cushioned shoe but with too much weight.
To talk about it, we had the opportunity to interview Simon Lockett, Product Marketing Category Director of UltraBoost at Adidas , who told us some of the secrets behind the 40 grams weight reduction.
Simon acknowledged that "the biggest weight reduction is in the Light Boost. The pellets (pellets that make up the Boost) of previous models were slightly larger and now they have been reduced. We have also optimized the geometries of the shoe and reduced the size of the rubber used in the midsole".
Who is the Adidas UltraBoost Light aimed at?
We took advantage of the time with Simon to ask him about the question that you ask us and we ask ourselves most frequently at RUNNEA: what type of runner are these UltraBoost Light shoes aimed at, and are they for the same type of runner as their predecessors Adidas UltraBoost 22 and UltraBoost 21?
"I would say yes they are suitable for people who have already had UltraBoost 21 and UltraBoost 22, but it's very suitable for an even wider audience. We want to attract more people to the brand and we want more people to run with this new version. We do this with a shoe that is made for all runners, for all distances. For people with experience level 0 to experience level 10. We want these UltraBoost Light to be that model that I always have in the trunk of my car to take advantage of any type of training because it's a shoe that I trust."
One of the features Simon emphasized most, besides the weight reduction, is in the durability of these shoes.
"One thing we are very proud of is the durability. We put our shoes through rigorous testing, and testing isn't just about going out for a few runs and saying that's it.... This goes through finished products testing, it goes through many different rounds of testing in factories, on different runners' feet, in a lab, to make sure it's perfect."
Adidas Adizero range
While the new UltraBoost Light was the star of the entire range with Boost, in the Adizero line the limelight was shared among several of the adidas models, but with the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 as the big star. We were able to test this model in the excellent facilities of the INSEP (Paris high performance center). And I have to admit that running on the indoor track of these facilities was a delight.
But besides the Adios Pro 3, we also tested the new Adidas Adizero Boston 11 and got to know more details of other great models like the Adidas Adios 7, Adidas Takumi Sen 9, Adidas Prime X Strung and the adidas Adizero SL.
And we asked again the most important question, what kind of runner is each model for? For this we had the opportunity to talk to Charlotte Heidmann, Senior Product Manager Running at Adidas.
Charlotte explained that the Adidas Takumi Sen 9 is an ultra-light shoe (weighing just 180 grams) and suitable for short competitions such as 5K or 10K. "Ideal for beating your personal best over these distances.
The Adidas Prime X Strung, on the other hand, are the illegal shoes from Adidas. It is the model that exceeds the profile established by the World Athletic for competition. That is to say, popular runners like you and me can wear it without problems in a competition, but elite athletes will not have their marks approved with this model. It is a model for running fast and long distances.
Another important model in the adizero range is the Adidas adizero SL, a shoes designed for fast training without carbon plate or fiberglass.
The model that we most wanted to try and that Charlotte highlighted as the most versatile of the adizero range was the Adidas Adios 7 In the words of the representative of the German company "Adios 7 is a shoe that is designed for everyone. I use the Adios 7 because I prefer the lower sole height. And for example some of our fastest marathon runners in Germany use them for training, because there are days when they just want to do series, or hills and for those workouts it's a perfect shoe."
And yet the stars of the event were the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 and Adidas Adizero Boston 11 The Boston saga of shoes is well known and recognized by the fastest runners in recent years. This model is recommended for very demanding workouts but also for races. We would say that it is a mixed shoe that has the incentive of embedding fiberglass in its sole.
Carbon fiber or glass fiber?
The fundamental difference between glass and carbon is in the hardness and response of both materials. Glass needs less effort to obtain an energy return. On the other hand, carbon, which needs more effort, obtains a much greater energy return.
We also had the opportunity to chat with Melanie Knop, Manager Athlete Science Adidas Innovation, who talked to us about the different technologies used in the Adizero range of shoes. Melanie acknowledged that "even in the Takumi or Boston the materials are a bit different. In these models the soles bend a little more than the Adios Pro 3. We are starting to play with carbon fiber or fiberglass and testing with the different elements we can change, either for stiffness or the energy given off by each material".
However, the shoe we had the opportunity to test the most was the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 And if you allow me a personal opinion, I have to admit that it is a very good and very complete shoe. Until this year all the models with carbon plate that I have tested have seemed to me very exclusive to look for the best day of your life in race. And this one is too, but it has two things that I value a lot in a shoes: comfort and some cushioning.
The lining of these adidas adios Pro 3 is very comfortable and the comfort at all paces is very important. And yet when you can get the most out of them is in those races where you're going to get the most out of yourself.
In fact Charlotte Heidmann recommended them to me for all those races, including marathon, where I want to get my best time. But the Adidas representative also indicated that it is a shoe suitable for everyone.
"I think there is no limit to the use of these shoes. When I went to the Berlin Marathon last year, everyone, no matter if they run in 2 hours 30 or 4 hours, could wear the Adios Pro 3 It's a shoe that's not going to cause any harm and yet they're going to be able to benefit from their boost with the carbon plate to achieve their personal best."
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