Adidas Ultraboost

About

The Adidas Ultraboost was introduced in February 2015 and is built around Adidas' Boost foam technology in the sole — a material the brand had introduced in other silhouettes, but the Ultraboost was the first popular line to use it at scale. The upper is constructed from Primeknit, a knitted material that wraps the foot, and the shoe features plastic side cages for structure. The Ultraboost did not become a cultural phenomenon immediately at launch; according to Wikipedia, it gained significant momentum a couple of months after release when Kanye West wore a pair during his performance at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. That visibility propelled the silhouette from performance running into lifestyle and streetwear territory almost instantly. The line has since spawned multiple extensions: the Ultraboost ST (stability-focused), the Uncaged (without the plastic cage), the 2.0 (expanded colourways), an X variant designed specifically for women, a Laceless edition, and the Ultraboost Light, launched in February 2023, which uses a reformulated Boost compound claimed to be 30% lighter than the original.