The everyday running shoe category is packed, and it’s one where legacy lines continue to jostle for the top spot with their newest and latest. Take the Adidas Ultraboost, which first hit shelves in 2015 as a “crossover hit of high-performance running and fashion,” and continued to hone its running chops in subsequent iterations.
Which brings us to the Adidas Ultraboost 5X ($180, adidas.com), a new running shoe that touts its “most energy return yet.” But is it really as springy as promised? I slipped on a pair to find out.
Who these shoes are for
While the Ultraboost line may have gotten its start as a lifestyle-y hybrid, the Ultraboost 5X is geared toward runners and a particular type of workout: the everyday run. That means it’s made with easy miles in mind, so things like comfort (it has higher cushioning packed with more, um, “Boost”) and stability (there’s a molded external piece on the back of the heel for support) are likely going to take priority over features that promote high speed or quick pick-up.
Christa Sgobba
Out of the box
The first thing I noticed? The stretchy, sock-like upper that I really enjoyed with the 2023 Ultraboost Lights is back with the 5X. Not only does this feature help with the fit (more on that below), but it creates a sleek, streamlined silhouette that looks pretty cool outside of your run too.
The shoes were also lighter than I expected, which is always a nice surprise for kicks with a good deal of cushioning. And I loved the color, too: The neon orange, pink, and gray along the stack gave a nice (but not-to-much) oomph to the white and gray upper.
Fit and feel
I actually got two sizes of the Ultraboost 5X to try, and I’m so glad I did. My normal running shoe size—a half size above what I wear for street shoes—felt way too big. When I tried the half-size down, there was no longer any slippage, so that was the pair I decided to take out and about. (While I go a half-size up in pretty much all of my running shoes, I wasn’t terribly surprised that the 5X fit kind of big for me—I had the same thing happen with the Ultraboost Lights, and needed to go down a half for those, too).
