Discontinued · road · Daily / Recovery · $170
Earlier generation of the Adidas Ultraboost line, kept for replacement lookups.
Built for daily, recovery, at a target pace of 9:00–12:00 /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 soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 37 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as muted at 1/5 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. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.38 per mile at $170.
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
333 g / 11.7 oz
58 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
37 mm
1 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
10 mm
4 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$170
10 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
1 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
4 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Adidas line it is heavier than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (35 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance 1540 v4
335 g / 11.8 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $190
Maximum motion-control trainer with a huge, stable platform.
Nike Journey Run
305 g / 10.8 oz · 34 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $90
Extra-plush entry trainer built for comfortable first miles.
Adidas Ultraboost 5(2025)
323 g / 11.4 oz · 39 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $190
Boost comfort first, running second. Great for walking and easy miles.
On Cloudrunner 2 Waterproof
320 g / 11.3 oz · 39 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $180
On Cloudrunner 2 Waterproof: 39 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 323 g — specs from independent lab testing.