Given that my review of the Pure Boost X is one of my most read blog posts ever, I thought I should probably do a review of the latest female specific offering from Adidas: the Ultra Boost X.

Now I love the Ultra Boost – I have four pairs in current rotation, have run four of my six marathons in them, and am currently planning to wear them in both the London and Boston marathons. However I have to admit I didn’t have high expectations of the Ultra Boost X because of my feelings towards the Pure Boost X.

Adidas are calling these the ‘greatest ever women’s running shoe’ however perhaps I don’t have particularly feminine feet as even the size 7, a full 1.5 sizes bigger than my usual size, is very tight across my feet. I fully re-laced them before my second run and even then, it was snug. However, apparently this sock like fit is by design, using the ‘Primeknit’ to ‘hug your foot and adapt to your perfect fit’, stretching to fit your foot over time. This light, breathable textile is supposed to feel like a ‘second-skin experience’. I wear socks with mine but I know other runners don’t (overshare but my feet get really sweaty when I’m nervous, I’m so weird).

It’s a neutral shoe, like the Ultra Boost, however it doesn’t feel quite as supportive as the originals, not least because of the floating arch that was such a prominent feature of the Pure Boost X. This is designed like this because of the greater angle of arch in women’s feet, with more flexible ligaments. Adidas have used a motion capture system to test out the movement of these shoes (NASA and Boeing use the same technique) to see where the skin stretches and compresses, and create a design that improves functionality, performance and comfort. They have clearly listened to the feedback from the Pure Boost X about the high back that created quite a few blisters, and it’s now a lower and softer back of the foot. Yay.

I can’t find any information on what distance these shoes are designed for although they’re supposed to make every run greater. For me, I would definitely stick to the roads in these trainers rather than taking them out into the trails and fields around Henley, and would limit the mileage (or build up very gradually). My feet were sore after 4.5 miles in these – probably a great short speedy run shoe in my collection, rather than a shoe I’ll be properly marathon training in. They are very lightweight and would be easy to pop into your gym bag for some treadmill sprints.

As always, I love the tread and rebound of the Ultra Boost X – they are so bouncy, with thousands of ‘energy capsules’ within the midsole that redirect energy back into your step, and a sole that is made from the same material as Continental tyres – guaranteed to take you through many miles on the roads before wearing down.

What do you think about the colour way? Personally I was glad it wasn’t pink and although I’m not sure orange is my favourite colour, I actually think the shoes are very aesthetically pleasing. This pattern really reminded me of the seats on the old District line trains – it actually made me really nostalgic! They’re also available in black and grey.

I’ve tried to answer the questions posted on my Instagram, but please feel free to leave any other questions below…

I attended the launch of the Adidas Ultra Boost X on behalf of Very.co.uk. The Ultra Boost X are available from £129.95. The launch was at the Adidas Studio on Brick Lane where they host regular free workouts, group runs and you can try out the Ultra Boost X – find out more info here.