After much build up, adidas have launched their new running shoe, Boost, today. As technological advancements make the race for running brands to produce a superior product ever more fierce, Adidas claim Boost is a real revolution in running. While it seemed for a while there that the general trend in running was edging towards barefoot and how to recreate that feeling, adidas are bucking that and rocking with new cushioning technology.

The basic principle behind Boost is how can you get the most energy return from your run. How can your shoe work best with you to ensure that you maximise every step? Currently, 98% of sports shoes that require cushioning use EVA. The technology developed by Adidas used in Boost is made up of a bunch of mini-capsules designed to give you, quite literally, a boost, energy wise. In theory, you will be able to run further and faster as the Boost technology allows you to maximise your energy.

At the launch in New York today, adidas’s Head of Innovation said that this shoe without a doubt changes the game. When you land on this cushioning, it absorbs your energy but also pushes it back up, helping to propel you forward. Distance running legend Hailie Gebrselassie said this will also be a good shoe for heavier runners, the cushioning protecting the impact on the joints.

One of the most interesting things I think about this shoe is that it holds its soft, responsive feel regardless of terrain and climate and will apparently never lose its springiness, from the first kilometre, to the 500th kilometre, the Boost cushioning will keep performing at the same level.

Having put a pair on and walked around in them at the launch, I must admit, it is a crazy comfortable shoe. There was a big stress today on how much it can improve your running performance – I guess that can only really be told over time, but it will make for an interesting experiment. There was no mention today of over or under pronation and if this shoe has any specific benefits for those, but if you’re in the market for a new running shoe, it is definitely worth going and trying these on.

This is most definitely an interesting development in the running market. Go try out a pair of Boost for yourself and see if they give you the Boost you need.