ADIDAS ENERGY BOOST: I Feel the Need to Run Fast

First time I read about the new running shoe of Adidas, I was intrigued.  This was the shoe review section of the March 2013 issue of the Runner’s World magazine. The Adidas Energy Boost  is touted as a “game changer” in midsole technology.   

How?  Instead of using layers of traditional ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, adidas developed a new midsole material made from tiny balls of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fused together with steam. This is courtesy of the groundbreaking process created by adidas partner BASF, the world’s leading chemical company. Tests conducted by the adidas Innovation Team show that the highly durable material found only in Energy Boost products provides the highest energy return in the running industry.

And this claim by adidas is corroborated by tests made at Runner’s World Shoe Lab.  The tests measured how much a shoe springs back – that is, how much of the energy from footstrike is returned on the rebound. The Adidas performed better than any of the almost 800 other shoes tested.

I was intrigued and I was hooked. There wasn’t a question of whether I would  buy one or not.  I would definitely get one. My feet were crying for something revolutionary. The question is how do I get my hands on a pair. Would I be waiting for a few more months after its debut in Europe or America before we here in the Philippines get to enjoy them?  

Fortunately for all runners everywhere, Adidas had a global launch date for the Energy Boost.  The date was February 27.  A couple weeks before that date, interested runners could make a reservation via http://www.adidasboost.com/).  I of course took this route and well, when I logged in, I was informed that I was buyer no. 53 (with only 100 pairs available for the Philippine market on that launch date).  

I felt good about this development and looked forward to the February 27 global launch.  Lunch time of that date, I motored to the newly-opened Adidas store in Bonifacio High Street and got and paid for my pair of  the Energy Boost. The new running shoes looked different than the other adidas shoes. It looked all business in its black color. And this was apparent to those present in the store. That is why, I could overhear a handful, who obviously did not reserve, words of regret and “sayang.”  

I felt good  wearing my pair of Adidas Energy Boost despite it being pricey. I felt great running with it in my easy runs. It had a better feel than my Saucony Kinvara 3, which was erstwhile favorite for easy and recovery runs. The Energy Boost (9.5 oz) felt as light as the Kinvara 3 (7.7 oz) and yet its cushioning seemed more luxurious.  Running with the Energy Boost made me want to run fast which I did for 5kms and then for 10 kms.

The question is can I use this Energy Boost to run fast in a half marathon?  A marathon?  Even, an ultra?  I was willing to use my Energy Boost as my second shoes in the 2013 BDM 102km ultra.  But then, I never did get to run last Mar 2 & 3(http://bicolanopenguin.blogspot.com/2013/03/non-starter-at-2013-bdm-102k-ultra.html?utm_source=BP_recent).We will have to wait for the Mayon 360 (80km) ultra this April to find out.

Whatever happens, congratulations are in order for the people behind the Adidas Energy Boost. It already garnered a BEST RUNNERS DEBUT citation from the influential Runner’s World. More importantly for me, it revived in me the need to run fast.

For a penguin, that feeling of a boost is simply monumental.