Adidas Adipower Boost - The AmateurGolf.com Review
05 Jul 2015
by Rusty Cage
see also: Equipment Reviews
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The Adipower Boost from Adidas
earns high marks for innovation.
The Adipower Boost golf shoe was released to
great fanfare this year, and it’s completely
justified. An ambitious design by Adidas makes
it one of the most innovative products in its
class. That said, why am I not totally in love
with them?
I must’ve touched, photographed and
tried on a dozen different shoes at the PGA
Show last January. Most of them were really
good, but none of them had the “it” factor of
the Adipower Boost. Adidas
constructed an elaborate mini-pavilion to
showcase their brand, and to convey the story
of Boost - an innovative cushioning technology
that absorbs the force from the ground and
returns that energy to the wearer. The Boost
foam cushioning is comprised of thousands of
TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) capsules.
They look like tiny white pills and Adidas had a
massive jar filled with hundreds of thousands of
them that you could pick up and roll between
your fingers.
It was a clever move by Adidas to get
attendees excited about shoes and believe me,
it worked. If you played with the capsules, you
tried on the shoes. And if you tried on the
shoes, you noticed the “bounce” - a spring-like
responsiveness when you pressed your heel
into the ground. Almost everyone who carried
around a press badge immediately understood
why this technology was groundbreaking for
golf.
I’ve now had my pair for a few months.
Mother Nature has thrown everything at them
and the shoes look practically brand new. As for
Boost, it’s the real deal. Unlike traditional EVA
foam that performs inadequately when
temperature fluctuates, Boost provides
consistent cushioning even when the fairways
are frozen over. Even more impressive, the
stuff never appears to break down so it always
retains that fresh out-of-the-box feel when you
go out and play.
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| An innovative lace-in saddle
ensures a secure feel. |
Adidas could’ve stopped at Boost and
called it a day. It’s that good. But they didn’t.
They also designed the shoes with a tongue
that’s stitched directly to the shoe and an
extra-padded sock liner. Even something as
forgettable as shoe laces gets the premium
treatment as well. They pass through two
separate sets of eyelets for extra durability. And
fastening them forces the Adidas three-stripe
lace-in saddle to tighten around your foot for
an even more secure feel.
All these features, as impressive as they
are individually, don’t seem to add up to the
level of unparalleled comfort Adidas seems to
promise. The fact is, the shoes are rigid. And
there’s a significant break-in period before the
leather uppers begin to give a little when you
walk or swing a club.
Looking back at some of the golf shoes
Adidas has released in the past, this isn’t all too
surprising. The company has been called out by
some golf writers for essentially reworking a
soccer cleat into a golf shoe. I wouldn’t go so
far as to label the Adipower Boost as a shoe
knockoff from another sport. I believe Adidas
took a major step forward in designing them.
However, the company remains fractionally
behind other leading competitors who focus on
engineering golf shoes that deliver superior
flexibility and ease of movement. If there’s one
area of the shoe that can cause the most
discomfort, it’s certainly the toe box which is
extremely narrow. Blisters are not out of the
question, especially during the break-in period,
and I would strongly recommend sizing up to
avoid having trouble. For what it's worth, Adidas does offer the Adipower Boost in a wide version
which may in fact make it more comfortable for a greater number of players.
 |
The Adipower Boost employs
Gripmore spikes
for excellent traction and
comfort |
Even with all the issues related to fit, I’m
almost willing to give Adidas a free pass. And
no, the use of Boost has nothing to do with it.
Rather, it has to do with stability in the outsole
- and the Adipower Boost shoes have it in
spades. If you haven’t played in a pair of
Adidas shoes that use gripmore spikes, you’re
truly missing out. These miniaturized spikes of
varying sizes are strategically placed on the
outsole, providing significantly more coverage
and greater comfort than what’s typically
offered in traditional cleated models. And you
never have to worry about slipping on grass.
When it’s raining out, the Adipower Boost are
my go-to shoes, even if they are a little less
comfortable than some other pairs I own.
The Adidas Adipower Boost shoes retail
for an MSRP of $190.00 and can be purchased
online or at most leading sporting goods stores.
While I’m certain my experience wearing them
isn’t an isolated problem, there’s sure to be
plenty of golfers who love them. There’s no way
to be sure how they’ll fit until you try them out.
When you factor in the excellent traction
support and the innovative foam cushioning, I
think it’s worth taking a trip to the pro shop.