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Adidas has gone out of this world to give its Ultraboost running shoe a space-age update with the help of the International Space Station (ISS) US National Lab.
The slick new Ultraboost 20 (£159.95) drops today, December 6, globally and features an iridescent sole in a metallic bluey purple available in varying colourways, including black, grey and solar red.
The shoe features a lightweight knit upper which wraps around the foot, feeling more like a sock than a trainer, and Tailored Fiber Placement (TFP) technology, which is basically precisely stitched fibres designed to reinforce support in the places you need it.
A soft elastane heel gives added comfort, and is cradled by the Ultraboost 3D heel frame to lock the foot in place, while the “responsive” Boost midsole cushioning is supposed to give a “high-energy return” to help propel runners forward.
Sam Handy, vice president of design at Adidas Running, said: “The revolutionary Ultraboost range has consistently pushed the boundaries of running shoe design since first launching, with each new release going one step further than its predecessors.
“In the adidas Ultraboost 20, we have lift-off again. The design aesthetic of the new adidas Ultraboost 20 takes inspiration from our partnership with the ISS US National Lab and, with more to come from the partnership, we plan on taking Boost to even greater heights.”
Adidas says it partnered with the ISS US National Lab to research sports performance and integrate aerospace grade technology into the Ultraboost range. And they’re even going to send the new trainers to space, specifically to the ISS’s orbiting lab, 408 km above the earth’s surface.
A supply of Boosts will fly on a NASA cargo mission to replenish the station along with critical supplies and research materials.
Why? The scientists are going to study the Boost moulding process “without the distraction of Earth’s gravity”, all of which will be used in the production of future Boost products, so watch this space.
Through its research with the ISS, Adidas says it has also gained insight into how astronauts, who are considered some of the fittest people on the planet, physically prepare themselves for outer space, and so have created an astronaut-inspired exercise programme for runners, with the help of EXOS – a human performance lab.
The high-intensity total body workout is designed to help runners build stability and efficiency and combines the following single session components: Pillar Prep, Movement Prep, Strength & Power, Energy Systems Development and Regeneration.
Fancy training like an astronaut? Be warned, it involves plenty of coordination – download it here.
The adidas Ultraboost 20, £159.95, available to buy online and in-store now.
