Discontinued · road · Daily / Long run · $190
Adidas Ultraboost 1.0: 22 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 320 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Adidas Ultraboost 5.
Adidas tuned this midsole very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). The foam is highly resilient — it gives energy back rather than swallowing it, which is what makes the shoe feel eager when you push. 22 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 10 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.63 per mile at $190.
For the foams and plates Adidas uses across its line, read the Adidas brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
320 g / 11.3 oz
45 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
22 mm
14 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$190
30 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
5 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Adidas line it is heavier than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (35 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Adidas Ultrabounce
326 g / 11.5 oz · 25 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $90
Adidas Ultrabounce: 25 mm heel stack, 9 mm drop, 326 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Adidas Supernova 3
283 g / 10.0 oz · 25 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $110
Adidas Supernova 3: 25 mm heel stack, 9 mm drop, 274 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Adidas Fluidflow 2.0
316 g / 11.1 oz · 26 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Adidas Fluidflow 2.0: 26 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 316 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Asics Jolt 5
290 g / 10.2 oz · 28 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $65
Cheapest way into an Asics: a firm, sturdy everyday jogger.