All Day I Dream About Shoes

**Disclaimer: I received a free pair of Adidas Ultra Boost X running shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Finding the right pair of running shoes is usually quite the challenge for me.  My second toe is longer than my first toe so it can be hard to find the right fit.  From my experience, it seems that Adidas shoes typically work the best…so I was pretty stoked to have the opportunity to try out the new Adidas Ultra Boost X for women.  You can find them in three different color combos: grey/white, all black, or black/glow orange.  I chose the black/glow orange option!

I was really intrigued by these shoes because they are shaped differently than any other running shoes I’ve ever seen.  The main part of the shoe kind of “hugs” your foot almost like a reinforced sock in order to respond to your stride.  And the outsole is super flexible so that it adjusts to your foot strike.  They are very lightweight and made to wear in wet conditions as well.  Here is a graphic with more info from Adidas:

I broke mine in by starting with a 2-mile run and then adding mileage over the following weeks.  I was also training for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Diego so I was really excited to start building up some mileage in these babies.

Since I live in San Diego, the weather is usually pretty great for running so I didn’t get a chance to test these out in any wet weather conditions.  But I did try them out on the road, track, treadmill, flat, and hilly terrains.  It took a little while to get used to the floating arches and lower cut of the shoe.  But after running a few miles, I finally found a good stride in them.  I really enjoyed running with them on the treadmill and the track.  It almost felt like running on a cloud!

If you’ve kept up with any of my previous posts, then you know I sprained my ankle during one of my training runs. 😦  But no worries, because it gave me the opportunity to try my Ultra Boost X shoes out with some cross-training, like kettlebell squat thrusts and biking!

And I even got to hang out in them with a nice view and cute little friends. 😉

Then Rock ‘n’ Roll weekend came along and I got to really put them to the test!  The 5k course consisted of nicely paved streets with a few hills.  I took it easy and kept an 11-minute-pace due to my ankle recovery and the fact that I was also running a half marathon the very next day…so I didn’t want to get injured further or totally wipe myself out.  I even saw another girl wearing the very same Adidas Ultra Boost X shoes on the course!  I wanted to ask her how she liked them, but I figured she wasn’t up to doing a shoe interview during a race. 🙂  At the end of the race, my feet felt great and my ankle didn’t really bother me much. Yay!

Then, I went home and rested up for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.  The race started off well, until the 4th mile when I rolled my same ankle AGAIN! Ahhh…it was a physically and mentally difficult moment…but I pulled myself together and managed to walk/jog the rest of the race.  Besides my injury, the shoes felt great throughout the run for the most part.  When I got home and took my shoes off, I noticed I had a small blister where the shoe was rubbing on the top of my non-injured foot.  This could have been because my other foot was overcompensating for my injured foot or I just had the shoes tied a little too tight.

My overall opinion is that I really liked these shoes!  I’m already partial to Adidas so I may be a bit biased, but I think they work well with my feet.  I think for these shoes in particular, I would wear them for shorter distances – 10k and under. And I would definitely wear them for track workouts and speed work on the treadmill.   For my feet (and apparently my weak ankles), I think I need something a bit more supportive and less minimal for longer road runs.

Another thing to consider when trying out this model, is that they are cut pretty low and have a sock-like feel.  So you will probably want to try out a few different brands of socks to find out which ones work best for you.  For me, personally, the Feetures socks worked the best.

If you are interested in trying out a pair for yourself, head to your nearest Dick’s Sporting Goods or you can order them straight from the website.  The come in sizes 6-11 and sorry guys, this model is only available for women.

Pricing: The Adidas Ultra Boost X run about $180 which sounds kind of pricey.  However, I consider the right pair of running shoes an investment.  If you are in the wrong pair, it can really mess up your feet, legs, hips, etc.  If you are gonna spend extra money on any piece of running gear, I recommend splurging on the shoes.

And don’t forget to stretch!!!  😉

 

What do you think of the Adidas Ultra Boost X?  Is this unique design something that you would like?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

~SM