Ultraboost 5

I have run more than 50 km in the Adidas Ultraboost 5. My US 9 weighs about 290 g, but it felt lighter on the run. Adidas lists 40 mm at the heel, 30 mm at the forefoot and a 10 mm drop. To me it felt more like 36–38 mm and 26–28 mm, with about an 8 mm drop, which is good for beginners and intermediate runners. The Primeknit upper is soft, stretchy and more breathable than I expected, decent compared with other max-cushion daily trainers. The midfoot is about 99 mm wide, so it suits normal to moderately wide feet but will feel loose on narrow feet. The toe box is spacious and tall. The tongue is gusseted as part of the sock-like upper, and a clip holds the foot well. The heel counter is moderate, fine for neutral or high arches but not enough ankle support if you overpronate or have flat feet. The heel pull tab may rub if you have Achilles problems. My one real issue was heel slippage, because the flexible forefoot lets the heel move forward. Lacing tighter fixed it for me. The Light Boost 2.0 midsole is why I like this shoe so much. It is very soft, though not as soft as the New Balance More v5, and it gives energy return that I have not felt in other max-cushion shoes like the Nimbus 25 or Kayano 31. On long runs I felt I could keep going. It is not a fast shoe. It is for 5:00 to 10–12:00/km. The Continental rubber outsole gave good traction and shows no wear after 50 km. Coverage is a bit reduced, but it is enough. It suits runners from 70 kg up to 100–120 kg, beginners and very slow runners, for recovery runs, slow runs and long steady runs. It also looks great for casual wear. The ₹17,000–18,000 launch price is far too much for a non-plated daily trainer, and I would not recommend it at that price. Many colourways sit at ₹8,000–10,000 on the Adidas site, Myntra, Ajio and Flipkart. Under ₹10,000, close your eyes and buy it.