Adidas Ultraboost 1.0
- I did a lot of research and watched the science behind why these shoes were “the best” - I forget where I saw it. Bought a pair and they are the hands down most comfortable running shoe I have ever owned. I’ll never buy anything else. They make other versions I haven’t tried…stick to the 1.0. Every now and then they release a special edition -which some have been pretty amazing designs. The fit and comfort though can’t be compared.
I'm on a similar situation, been running on sandals all of 2025 and minimalist running shoes for many years. Yet all my best times are on running shoes. Currently doing splits, where slowly technique focused runs are on sandals/barefoot and faster and longer runs are currently on adidas ultraboost gen 1.
Gait analysis at Up and Running (UK running store) had them insisting I overpronated and needed stability shoes, so they happily sold me some Kayano 31s. What they failed to tell me is that I also have high arches, so the heavy stability elements ended up doing more harm than good and ruined my gait, forcing my feet to move horizontally in the shoes and caused me to have to stop every couple of km and readjust the insole.
Had months of losing my mind and losing my will to run before I tried a run in some ancient, size too small Ultraboosts I bought as casual trainers and all of a sudden ran in complete comfort and beat my own PB on my first run.
i took the Kayanos back to the shop and they made me feel like I was losing my mind and just tried to sell me some insoles and wouldn’t accept they’d sold me the wrong shoes. I eventually just sold them on Vinted at a loss, bought some Evo SLs based on nothing but hype and ran very happily after as they were neutral and flexible, exactly what I needed. Only when I went to a podiatrist recently did I find out I had high arches and it all made sense why the Kayanos were such a nightmare. Turns out I barely pronate at all as well, so I wasted £180 and months of hating running just because Up and Running can’t be bothered to actually fit shoes properly, they just wanted to sell me the most expensive shoe they had.
Ultraboost are primarily designed for low-intensity activities, such as easy-paced runs. My personal experience, having completed a half marathon in them, resulted in calf discomfort, though I acknowledge that individual experiences may vary. Their primary design intent appears to be focused on everyday wear and lifestyle applications. In contrast, my subsequent use of the Asics SB3 clearly demonstrated the significant performance distinction between a dedicated super running shoe and a lifestyle-oriented ultraboost.
Have these and have put 35km on it, i am 70kg and i feel like every time i use it it looses its bounce too quickly. Also hurts my calf when doing uphill jogs and i haven't encounter that issue with ultraboost.
Brennan-C
