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adidas Ultraboost 5X Review: Totally Transformed! Super Light, Super Fun! Compared to Prima and SL 2
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Jul 24, 2024
In the video we share all the 00;00 Details for the Ultraboost 5X, 06:11 Comparisons to Supernova Prima and Adizero SL 2, from the run 10:18 impressions Fit and Ride and 16:56 Conclusions. Far lighter and higher stacked (+9mm front and back) than before. It becomes a top notch max cushion all around performance run trainer while retaining its iconic style, without the infamous plastic midfoot cage and over done underfoot plastics. $180 and available now. Initial detailed written review: https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2024/07/adidas-ultraboost-5x-initial-review.html Samples were provided at no charge for testing purposes with no additional compensation. The opinions herein are entirely the author's 100's of Run Shoes and Gear Multi Tester written reviews at www.roadtrailrun.com SHOP Running Warehouse at the links below for the widest selection of run shoes and gear anywhere and help support our channel! USA https://tinyurl.com/RWRTRUS EUROPE https://tinyurl.com/RWRTREU EU Only: Use RTR code RTR5ALL for 5% off all products, even sale products AUSTRALIA: https://www.runningwarehouse.com.au/?from=rtr EUROPE SHOP Top4Running https://tinyurl.com/bh9t3hpm
View Video Transcript
0:00
Okay, everybody, let's take a look at the Adidas running Ultraboost 5X
0:06
And if you've run an Ultraboost before, this is a completely new experience
0:12
Far far lighter. We come in at 9.85 ounces, 279 grams in a US 9 due to the light boost foam
0:22
And we go up from before to 3929 stack height. So we're max cushion
0:28
We have a torsion system instead of all the plastics. And yes, we still have the prime knit upper
0:35
It is clearly one of the best daily trainers of the year for me
0:40
And I've taken it out now for a run in New Hampshire in the soupy heat
0:45
And I'll be comparing it also to some of Adidas's other trainers and a few others along with
0:50
Fit and Ride. Stay tuned. So before I take them out for a run and give you my impressions, or actually I'm filming
0:58
this after the run, let me give you some details on our Ultraboost 5X
1:05
So the 5X then indicates that this is a lighter version of the Ultraboost
1:11
There is an Ultraboost 5. I don't have my Boost Lite or last year's version
1:19
But I do have, and we'll do a bit of comparisons, the Ultraboost 21
1:24
And of course, prior Ultraboost models were characterized by this huge plastic cage
1:32
No longer here. We have just overlays. They're quite substantial overlays and they're highly reflective
1:40
So that's gone. And then if we look at the underside of the shoe, we used to have lots and lots of plastic
1:50
plus crystal rubber, all kinds of firm elements. And now they are gone as we get Continental rubber front and back, and an X-shaped torsion
2:06
system for stability, and some pop up front. So that's a significant change
2:14
With the Ultraboost Lite of last year, not this one from before, we saw a huge weight
2:23
drop from the Boost Lite foam. The older one here, the 21 from a couple of years ago, came in at a very massive 12.7
2:36
ounces, 360 grams. Last year we came down. Here, the difference between this latest Ultraboost and from two years ago is a massive 81 grams
2:51
lighter with, and this is really important, nine millimeters more stack height of Lite
2:59
Boost foam. The key difference was the Boost foam was so heavy, nevermind the cage
3:07
Last year's did have the Boost Lite foam and we lose 25 grams versus that version with
3:16
nine millimeters more stack height. So this is really, given its weight, we come in in a US 9 and below the magic 10 ounces
3:26
at 9.85 ounces, 279 grams for a max cushion kind of stack height of 39, 29
3:37
The drop stays at 10 millimeters. So let's talk a bit about the upper here
3:44
It is still prime knit. It is thinner than before, of course, no cage
3:50
We still have the stretch knit tongue kind of integral to the whole system
3:56
We still have the plastic clip, the nice kind of squared off rear
4:02
It's still a knit upper. If I was to give the shoe one criticism is that it might be time to re-imagine the type
4:11
of prime knit here because the underfoot platform and the performance here is of a true performance
4:18
trainer, daily trainer, whereas the upper still is sort of in the comfort world
4:24
Now there's nothing wrong with it. It holds well, but I think we could get a lighter weight and yet more performance by
4:31
kind of re-imagining it. So it really isn't too much different than the upper from a few years ago
4:38
It is thinner and of course no cage. To give it some support with all this nice stretch, comfort oriented stretch, Adidas
4:47
put some underlays, as you can see maybe, and these plastic overlays, reflective
4:55
And then we also, as before, have a denser weave through here
4:59
I'll comment on the fit from the run, but they do fit true to size and they're relatively
5:05
roomy, decently held. Now of course the light boost foam here is really, really nice
5:15
Before last year in the Boost Lite version, it was really masked by all the plastics and
5:21
underfoot stuff and the lower stack height. This is a very, very energetic foam
5:26
I think it's a TPU based foam. Adidas doesn't say it's super critical, but it sure performs that way
5:34
For me, it's a more kind of consistently energetic underfoot than say the Power Run PB in the
5:41
Triumph 22. But Adidas has really had one heck of a great year
5:49
In the past, the last three or four years, they focused a lot on Adizero, on all those
5:55
great racing shoes. But here, and up-tempo trainers, all pretty aggressive. But now they're really focused on the everyday runner
6:07
And you might ask, well, what's the difference to the Supernova Prima, which has yet another
6:15
new foam, Dreamstrike Plus. It definitely is super critical because they say it is
6:20
Well, the Prima weighs just a tiny bit more and is a little bit less stack height
6:28
As you can see, it not only has this crystal type rubber, but the support rod system underfoot
6:38
It is definitely a little bit more stable. And its upper is not a traditional kind of knit
6:46
It has less stretch. This is a more secure upper. We could put this upper on our 5X here, and we'd really, really have an all-out winner
6:59
So this shoe is more for your longer run, kind of up-tempo, or even daily training
7:06
But your longer run where you kind of want a bit more stability
7:11
I think it may be a better choice for the beginner runner, who really wants to be sure
7:16
to have a bit more stability than our Ultraboost 5X, which is a more fun shoe, but a little
7:25
bit less stable. So it kind of depends. If your mileage is relatively low and you want something super exciting with a lot of
7:34
cushioning, go here. If you want something a bit more reliable, still with an energetic ride, you can see
7:40
the foam is relatively soft. But the EVA, the durable EVA, which is outsole grade, the support rods, is a little bit firmer
7:51
So a more stable option. And then while we're talking Adidas, there's one more I'd like to kind of compare for you
7:58
in the lineup. If you want to go lighter in your training shoe
8:03
And we're really not too far off the stack height. We're 36-27, whereas in our Ultraboost 5, we're 39-29
8:15
So we're pretty close to the stack height. But here, this is a much lighter shoe at 8.45 ounces, 240 grams
8:24
Also a 10 millimeter drop. It is more flexible, you can see, than our very decently flexible now Ultraboost 5X
8:37
This is sort of your lighter duty, maybe, fun and fast shoe in the lineup
8:43
It's a great one, too. I've really enjoyed my runs in this. It's definitely a daily trainer
8:48
It's kind of the kind of shoe maybe for the high school or college runner, or for your
8:53
kind of faster, shorter days where you're not really pushing the miles, but you want
9:00
something snappy and quick. A very, very nice shoe. So our Ultraboost 5X kind of sits in the middle, if you will, between the Prima and
9:13
the lighter, here, let me see if I can get it, and the lighter SL as kind of the all-around
9:20
daily trainer. So Adidas really has a full line from the lightweight trainer, and of course you've
9:26
got your Boston 12 for your tempo work, even racing, through to the steady long run shoe
9:36
the more stable one, and sort of the fun max cushion. So I've taken them out on the road here in New Hampshire
9:42
I'm going to give you my impressions. It was a really clear, clear picture that this is a very exciting shoe from Adidas that
9:50
really, really competes well in the max cushion kind of category against shoes such as the
9:56
Triumph 22, the Vomero from Nike, the New Pegasus, the Elios from 361, Nimbus from Asics
10:06
It's the lightest of the bunch with the most stack, and it competes very strongly
10:12
So Adidas really on a roll. Let's take them for a run. I'm a few miles in here with our Ultra Boost 5 going through the woods here on this road
10:25
Portsmouth, beautiful. A little cooler. So there's quite a sensation here, the ride
10:34
That big heel has lots of rebound. The midfoot is stable because of the torsion
10:43
You got still 29 millimeters up front, but with the 10 millimeter drop, you really feel
10:50
driven down to the toe off, which is also super energetic. What a contrast to the heavier, last light boost, ultra boost with all that plastic underfoot
11:05
in the cage. This is a true, true training shoe, daily trainer
11:12
We're at 9.62 ounces, 273 grams, US 8.5, so under 10 for a US 9
11:25
Shoe reminds me right away of, but I think so far I'm preferring, is the Saucony Triumph 22
11:33
A little bit lower stack height. Little 10 millimeter drop, bit heavier
11:43
This is definitely smoother and more energetic, and the Triumph's a great shoe
11:48
Everything I'm filming today for this review is on the GGI Action 4
11:53
I'm really liking the quality of the video here, but let's talk fit of our Ultra Boost 5
12:00
Of course, we've got a prime knit upper always, and you can see full thumb up front
12:12
I think if you have a super narrow foot, you might go half size down because they are a
12:18
little long. We're not really feeling that. Lace up was super easy
12:24
Of course, we've got a knit tongue. The rear clip, you can see there, sort of the gray, solid but not overdone
12:37
The midfoot, we've got our straps or our logos. They're not the cage, but they're fairly thick straps
12:43
They're highly, highly reflective. Then on the inside, we have some overlays
12:49
This is a knit upper that really works, unlike some of the prior prime knit
12:56
It's definitely a running shoe kind of fit and hold, not a kind of lifestyle with gimmick
13:04
kind of approach. It's really good. It's very humid today. Breathability seems pretty darn good
13:12
So for a number of years where we couldn't say Adidas trainers were fun, we've got a
13:20
fun, fun shoe here. In fact, I'd say Adidas has three fun, super practical trainers this year each, and it's
13:31
sort of category or silos, they call it. You've got the Adizero SL2, the light, flexible, fast one
13:43
You've got the Supernova Prima, stable, Dream Strike plus supercritical foam, kind of the
13:52
steady long run shoe. Then really right in the middle, we have our new Ultra Boost 5, which I would say with
14:08
its 39-29 is a super modern daily trainer. I wouldn't put it for the up-tempo work
14:19
There you'd go with Boston 12 and the Plate, but for general all-around training with a
14:27
lot of cushion, lively toe-off, plenty of Continental rubber, the torsion at midfoot
14:36
to kind of move you off the heel, which isn't overly soft and certainly isn't low with the
14:42
10-millimeter drop. Really fun energy they talk about. Well, here for sure they have it, and I'm thinking back to the original blue shoe, the
14:54
Energy Boost. They may have kind of brought back some of that great spirit in a modern, modern fashion
15:03
here with the Light Boost and a knit upper that actually works
15:09
So we're at the Wentworth Coolidge Mansion, built in the mid-1700s and assembled from
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all kinds of buildings. It was the colonial governor's mansion. What a spot on the water
15:21
So Adidas talks about young people not having energy. Well, this is an energetic, fun, fun ride here
15:31
I think one of the best training rides of the year. It's just very smooth
15:39
There's a lot of well-controlled, but rebound pretty much at all paces
15:46
Even slow paces are fine. I think the 10-millimeter drop really helps
15:51
It's very comfortable. You know, I'd probably prefer not a knit upper, but this is one of the best I've ever experienced
15:58
Better held than, for example, the Mizuno Neo Vista up front. It looks narrow, but I think because of the stretch, the give
16:09
I'm sure Adidas is looking at all those Pegasus fans. Even the new Pegasus doesn't match up to this one in terms of just consistent, deep cushion
16:19
lots of energy, plenty of kind of toe-off, great grip from the Continental
16:25
It's really, really fine. Very, very smooth and polished ride here. Suitable for just about any kind of training, but plenty of other Adidas for your faster
16:37
stuff, you know, your Boston 12 or the Adizero SL2. So they really have done a remarkable job getting a real complete lineup for this year
16:47
across all the categories running in all their business silos. I'm going to keep going
16:54
Okay, same scene. The conclusions here for our Ultraboost 5X. One of the best max cushion daily trainers of the year
17:06
Might even be the best if you can accept, if you will, the stretch knit upper, which
17:15
is probably its only weak point. This upper holds well. It's comfortable
17:21
It's a bit warm. It's probably the only thing that hasn't really been changed in the shoe
17:28
And I might suggest that Adidas go with a lighter material here in the future, but the
17:33
Ultraboost has a distinct silhouette, which is maintained here. There's really no big problem with the upper
17:42
It just would be make it even better, even lighter. The ride here is a lot of fun
17:50
If you've run in Ultraboost in the past, those super heavy kind of bulbous looking shoes
17:58
this is a completely different max cushion experience. It still has some of those lines, some of the kind of look, but this is a true performance
18:08
running shoe. And of course you can get the 5 with the cage and so on and so forth
18:14
Really a lifestyle shoe if you wish. If you're a runner, I would consider this one before that
18:23
In terms of the ride, it's very well cushioned. The light boost foam here finally shines
18:30
Last year it was a little bit hamstrung by all the plastics, which are now all eliminated
18:36
And we have, except for the X-Torsion, which gives it a bit of midfoot stability and also
18:41
creates a snappy flex point, characteristic flex point you often see in Adidas to give
18:49
you some push off. Is it the shoe for your up-tempo interval workouts
18:55
Probably not. Is it the shoe for your kind of middle miles, daily miles where you want a big smile from
19:01
every run? Absolutely. If you have a very narrow foot or a very narrow and low volume foot, you might consider sizing
19:10
down half a size because as I showed you, there's quite a bit of toe box length here
19:16
that could assist the hold. The hold was fine for me. The clip works well and it's just a comfortable, if a bit warm, upper
19:28
So we also have a full written review, initial written review over on roadtrailrun.com and
19:37
we hope to have a multi-tester review real soon of the Adidas Ultra Boost 5X
19:45
Adidas strikes again in 2024. Thank you very much for watching. Have a great run
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