The shoe is striking with a large exposed foam midsole, a complicated knit pattern (mine was “cloud white”), and a white outsole. The design of it is pretty neat, where it changes thread densities around the foot and the fabric pattern even continues below the insole. The upper does envelop your foot, but the fabric is too flexible in my opinion. During the launch event of the UltraBoost 22 in London, Adidas designers explained how the Boost midsole foam has also undergone some changes for the female-specific UltraBoost. The holes in the foam of the shoe are larger and more flexible, designed to give a softer landing underfoot.

It also helped that the Ultraboost was adopted by casual-wear consumers who overlooked features which would otherwise be missed under performance running conditions. If I review this shoe as a shoe for easy runs, which is what I’d argue it’s designed to be, it’s comfortable, rolls nicely underfoot and has seen me through runs up to 10 miles (16km) without any complaints. That said, I’m not sure it’s going to replace the Nike Invincible or Hoka Bondi 7 for my easy training miles. For me, the LEP system makes the shoe that little bit too firm underfoot to be enjoyable over long distances, but if you’re a beginner looking for a shoe to run shorter distances and wear in the gym, this shouldn’t put you off. That said, compared with the midsole of, say, the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run, I wouldn’t call the UltraBoost foam soft. It’s definitely stiffer and less comfortable than previous UltraBoosts and has a similar running experience to the UltraBoost 21. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – if you’re a beginner looking for a shoe that can cope with faster paces, the firmer foam is better than anything too squishy, but personally, I miss the plusher feel of the older Boost models.It’s mostly just a set pattern with a few permutations of say having blue/red fabric shifted around, but still neat to know this shoe can do this. The collar bulk has been removed too, meaning the fit feels more precise and less clumsy, all of which contribute to a more streamlined and compliant rear to the shoe. You don’t sink into the UB19’ midsole the way it was with the OG version and even the ST. And we already explained the reason why that happens. Despite its many flaws, the Ultraboost went to become the best-selling shoe in its price-segment. A shoe is a sum of parts, and in the Ultraboost’s case, some were greater than the others. The cushioned and bouncy ride ensured that other imperfections were swept under the rug. The forefoot fit is snug but nowhere as narrow as the standard version. The sizing fits true and there’s a bit of shallowness in the toe-box. As a whole, the forefoot and toe area is roomier than regular UB. A supportive knit structure is integrated into the forefoot and the midfoot – those are the red bands you see on the upper.

Previous versions of Continental rubber on Adidas shoes have been extra squeaky on tile/hardwood surfaces (similar to a car tire on tile/hardwood) which honestly isn’t a thing to worry about, but good to know if you want to wear it around the house. This is the first Adidas sneaker I've worn with Primeknit 360 material and it's more form-fitting and stretchier than the normal Primeknit. These characteristics make the material lighter without sacrificing stability. I also really like how the heel frame is a rigid 3D printed outline rather than a solid piece of plastic. It's great to see Adidas stay ahead of the innovation curve by employing modern production methods like 3D ( and even 4D) printing.There are a couple of reasons, and one of them doesn’t even have anything to do with the midsole. The standard UltraBoost and the ST version have a perforated lasting fabric below the insole. This gives the foot easier access to the Boost foam, which in turn results in the soft, sink-in experience. The Triumph ISO 5’s midsole is made of Everun, a firmer version of the Boost foam. So there’s plenty of high quality cushioning. The soft ISOFIT upper does a better fit job than the Ultra, and the firmer Everun is more business-like. First impressions? I wanted to be seen wearing these shoes. Nothing looks like them on the market right now, and for good reason. It’s a design choice Adidas refuses to retire since they brand their logo right onto that overlay. I dislike it so much since it’s a non-breathable plastic “clamp” that doesn’t provide as good of a fit as many other lacing systems. Lacing the shoes up for the first time was simple. The upper is an elastic bootie that has no tongue (or an integrated tongue depending on how you look at it) with a flared out heel.

Adidas has set out to improve things with the UltraBoost 22, changing the design of the women’s version. This isn’t Adidas’s first foray into female-specific footwear: in 2016 it launched the Pureboost X, a shoe designed for female feet that had a somewhat bizarre-looking floating arch above the midsole. However, tailoring the fit of Adidas’s most popular cushioned running shoe to women is a much bigger deal. The reason why this stands out is because it’s rare to see a bright white shoe because they get dirty so fast! It took just one run in the shoe before I spoiled their perfect image. Didn’t affect performance, it’s just not the quality you want to see in a shoe at this price point.The midsole heel design is interesting and unlike anything we’ve seen before. A urethane clip is fused over both the upper and the sidewall, thus adding stability to the soft midsole.

The UB19’s deeper cushioning comes with a firmer top and bottom layer due to the new upper and the harder outsole. The UB 19 might have left the plastic bits behind, but it is still an 11-ounce shoe. It is bottom-heavier than the OG model due to a more minimal upper and a larger Boost midsole. The standard UB has a better weight distribution, something which is noticed during runs. In fact, even with the identical weight, the regular UB feels lighter than the 19. Ultra Boost (top) and Ultra Boost 19 (bottom): Take a look at the key elements of each shoe. The Primeknit, lace cage, and heel frames even look lighter on the new design. My first impression when putting the Ultra Boost 19 on was that it fits bigger (more true to size) than the original Ultra Boost. I always went a half size up for Ultra Boosts and they still fit on the small side. I went a half size up for the Ultra Boost 19, assuming that they'd fit the same, but I probably could have gone with my normal size.

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After making significant changes to the UltraBoost formula for 2019, Adidas has opted for a far more minimal update for the 2020 edition of the shoe. That may be why the marketing campaign for the UltraBoost 2020 has been all about space, rather than the shoe itself. However, when you want to push the pace the UltraBoost is slightly cumbersome, especially when compared with lighter shoes in Adidas’s line-up like the SolarBoost or Boston. It’s not built for sprinting or racing, and although the upper’s now tighter than in past versions of the shoe, I still found that my foot would slip a bit when turning corners at speed. There’s a plastic cage that wraps around the midfoot section of the UltraBoost, which helps a little in this regard, but if you tighten the laces too much the cage can become uncomfortable.