Adidas Ultraboost All Terrain

The Adidas Ultraboost All Terrain features as its outsole Continental rubber. This outsole and this is no joke, was constructed from material commonly used in the construction of car tires. It features a lug pattern that is very aggressive, even more so than the brand’s other running shoes.

The midsole features Adidas’s very popular Boost technology. This midsole is made of Ethylene-vinyl acetate foam, better known as EVA foam. The name Boost can, in part, be attributed to the sheer springiness of the foam in the midsole. The midsole is comprised of 27 millimeters of foam. This a very large amount of foam to include in a shoe like this. The foam is not balanced with any harder plastics. Some runners have indicated that they found the application of foam in the Ultraboost to be less than favorable, especially when compared to some of Adidas’s other Boost shoes. This is because, unlike the midsole in the Ultraboost All Terrain, the midsole of the other shoes is more firm, and provides a more grounded feel. So, while the midsole of the Ultraboost All Terrain performs fairly well, those transitioning from Adidas’s other Boost shoes may find it disappointing.

The upper of the Ultraboost All Terrain shoe is constructed of a primeknit material. The designers at Adidas assert that because of a special knitting process every shoe in this line will have its own distinct upper. That is not to say that there are no characteristics shared by the uppers of the shoes. For example, the upper of this shoe is thicker and softer than that of its predecessor. Enwrapping the upper is an ultra-thin water resistant layering. Like most shoes in the Ultraboost series, this shoe has none of the external caging mechanisms about its upper.

The Ultra Boost All Terrain is a bit heavier than previous shoes in the Ultraboost line. This is because of alterations made that allow the shoe to function on diverse surfaces. The shoe weighs approximately 12 ounces. Some runners have decided that because of its inherent heft this shoe is probably not the best shoe to race in.

One of the most attractive things about this shoe is its look. It sports a look that is stylish but still speaks to the shoe’s athletic function. Of course, the wearing of this shoe applies to the athletic sphere but thanks to its simplistic design, it's sure to garner positive attention in more casual settings.

As stated before, the outsole of the shoe is made from a material most notably used to build tires. This was intended to better protect the shoe against a breaking down of its outsole, a phenomenon that occurs all too frequently with running shoes. The outsole also incorporates STRECHWEB rubber. Some runners, have complained though, that the convex grooves of the outsole of the shoe wore away over time. As a result, the shoe lost a great deal of traction.

The shoe features a thin film about the upper to protect against mud, water, and abrasive materials. Its high-reaching upper, well above the ankle, helps to protect against debris. It acts as a barrier against sediment, stone, and other miscellaneous items that are notorious for entering through the upper of a running shoe. This feature can only be lauded because these kinds of materials, while small and seemingly trivial, can make for immense irritants. Another protective measure is the shoe’s reflective material. This feature grants the runner a greater degree of visibility in dimly light areas, the safety implications of this cannot be understated.

If there is a quality of this shoe that can be most highly praised, it is its responsiveness. The cushioning in the midsole allows the shoe to better absorb and redistribute the impact energies of a stride. Typically a runner will land on their heel. The Ultra Boost works by transferring the impact energies from the heel to the toe. It helps to propel the runner forward. This means that the runner’s efforts are always rewarded, a hefty energy expenditure is never met with dismal returns.

The shoe features a neutral arch. The free-floating arch was designed so that it never impedes the body’s natural mechanics. The obvious benefit of this is that it allows a fluidity of movement that some other shoes just cannot offer, but it also eases pressure on the feet and joints. There are some downsides, though, to the infrastructure of its support systems. Some runners described the arch support as being too soft. Some have also expressed their disapproval of the support mechanisms in the upper as well. When performing speed workouts, for example, they noticed that the upper was far too lax. This caused the ankle to roll when the runner was on a surface that was uneven.

As evidenced by the name, this shoe was designed to function optimally on all types of surfaces. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, trails, roads, slippery pathways, snow-covered paths and mud-covered ones. Some runners have even had success traversing icy pathways with these shoes on.

The UltraBoost All Terrain is a very expensive shoe. What it cost is high relative not only to other running shoes but to other shoes that boast the same functional specificity. For those seeking a decent all-terrain running shoe with great responsivity and ample cushioning, this price may seem justified. For others, though, the shoe’s many flaws make its high price tag seem unwarranted.

The outsole is structured with a very aggressive lug pattern that allows the shoe to maintain traction on roads and trails, be they dry or wet. The traction does well to provide the runner with stable footing on muddy terrain as well. Some runners have even claimed to have successfully and safely traversed iced-over roads while wearing the UltraBoost All Terrains.

The outsole of the shoe is outfitted with grooves that allow the shoe to better move by the runner’s feet. The material of the upper also contains a high degree of elasticity. This allows the material to stretch and contract with the runner’s movements, and then revert to its original shape when the movement has stopped.

The upper of the Ultraboost All Terrain reaches higher than the ankles in an effort to give them greater stability. Some have argued against the effectiveness of this design feature, though. It should also be noted that some runners found the amount of foam to be in excess of what is necessary. They found its overabundance gave the shoe an unstable feel. This contrasts the build of other shoes under the Adidas banner, for example, the Energy Boost, which this shoe is often compared to.

The Ultra Boost All Terrain features a heel-to-toe drop of 10 millimeters.

- Continental Outsole
- STRETCHWEB rubber
- Highly responsive

Adidas Ultraboost All Terrain shoe works well for what it sets out to do, i.e., allowing the wearer access to a wide range of terrain. Those who tried out the shoes have successfully traversed all those surfaces that one would expect a runner to encounter. Some runners have even tested the shoe against an ice-laden pathway and found that it performed quite admirably. It does well to keep its insides dry when a runner is traveling through somewhat in climate weather, and it's great at wicking away moisture on hotter, drier days. It provides a great deal of cushioning so that the runner’s feet are always protected. It maintains a positive impact so that the runner’s efforts never feel for naught. It ensures the runner has a natural range of movement, thus alleviating the pressure on the joints connected to the feet. In fact, there are very few shoes on the market that award the runner with this much responsivity. It is also very stylish and has some neat protective measures added to it as well.

The designers at Adidas did a lot of things right with the Ultra Boost All Terrain, but that doesn’t mean the shoe is without flaw. For starters, while the shoes ample cushioning adds to the softness of each stride, some runners have found that it is through a sacrifice of stability that this allowed. Others have found the shoe’s support system lacking. Despite its high collar, the shoe did little to prevent ankle roll. The shoe does a great job of wicking away moisture in hotter climates, but its breathability did leave a lot to be desired. Runners have complained that it allowed their feet to get very hot in the shoe. Lastly, when all these negatives are accounted for, there is still the price. The Ultra Boost All Terrain is far more expensive than the traditional running shoe, and even All Terrain running shoes. Many have seen this price as unjustifiable.

So, no the Adidas Ultraboost All Terrain is not what some claim it to be. No, it is not the perfect running shoe, but it is well made and gets a lot of things right. If you’re in need of a new All Terrain running shoe, have a little extra cash and are not turned off by a lack of support, then you would do well to purchase the Adidas Ultra Boost All Terrain shoes. For all its shortcomings, it does live up to its name. It does leave the runner free to explore all terrain.