It’s been several years since Kimeto broke the world record in his BOOST and in these years, BOOST has also been upgrading its technology and performances. But when the UltraBOOST 19 Refract was released, many questioned, “can this UltraBOOST 19 Refract lives up to the reputation of BOOST series?” The answer is here.
It’s safe to say that Adidas attaches great importance to this UltraBOOST 19. First of all, it continuously released several quite limited colorways, each having its own corresponding design inspiration. Then it also signed up @adidasrunning on Instagram.
The designer of UltraBOOST 19 Refract limited colorway was inspired by urban LED lights and then he integrated the primary colors of red, green and blue into the woven upper for a stylish and colorful look.
(the adidas logo on tongue and bump toe)
Looking at the vamp, this colorway gives me a sense of unity with its layered colors and different shades especially on the forefoot with a streak of red.
The strip on the heel is adidas’ latest 3D Heel technology, a change from the previous one: the bulk has been changed to a strip, which provides support and stability while reducing the weight of the shoe and making it look better. An “ULTRABOOST” is also printed in the middle of the strip.
Since the forefoot upper is where the most stress is placed on the running shoe’s bending, and given the impact resistance and edge support, the one-piece knit upper (Primeknit 360 ) of UltraBOOST 19 Refract isn’t just a single piece of uniformly thick fabric. Instead, the fabric is knitted to different thicknesses depending on the forces applied. In other words, the Primeknit 360 technology allows for the use of different Weave methods to increase density and thickness.
I was shocked when I lifted up the insole, which is made of the same material as the body, with no stitching around it. And with its sock liner design, the UltraBOOST 19 Refract seems like a sock with the look of a running shoe!
The laces could really be considered a showpiece if they weren’t being used as running shoes.
The insoles are plain and of average thickness.
Adidas has always been proud of BOOST midsole(Optimized BOOST) which had been increased 20% more than the previous version. And when viewed from a top-down angle, both the forefoot and heel have BOOST material extension to provide more efficient cushioning support!
The wear-resistant rubber outsole is not designed as a single piece, but designed in many small pieces, which provides better slip resistance and thus can handle more road conditions.
In the middle of the sole is the torsion spring system (Torsion Spring). The pink liquid-like design is quite special, but not abrupt.
A single shoe of size 43 weighs 327g, about which I’m a bit surprised because I was expecting it to be under 300g. But maybe it is the one piece knit upper that takes up a lot of the weight. But anyway, I think it’s worth sacrificing the weight for a comfortable foot feel.
The production of the UltraBOOST 19 Refract has been pared down from the original “17” pieces of material to the current “4” pieces. The above image shows a teardown of an earlier UltraBOOST shoe on the left and the latest UltraBOOST 19 Laser Red limited edition on the right.
Torsion Spring anti-torsion system connects the forefoot to the heel through the front and rear forks for improved stability.
The redesigned 3D Heel is more aesthetically pleasing and lighter in weight, and maintains the same mechanical properties.
The first time I wore it, I felt my feet were incredibly tightly locked. I could feel the wrapping from all directions; so I just ditched my laces before long.
overall
UltraBOOST 19 running shoes are highly expected. They inherit the excellent setups of UltraBOOST and are rigorous, professional and lively with innovative technology application. Primeknit 360 knit upper can theoretically be paired with a myriad of colors; it is also a three-dimensional upper that can distinguish different forces and is specifically designed for running. If you’re a beginner , you can enjoy Adidas’s first-rate running shoe technology;If you’re a senior runner, UltraBOOST 19 also offers you top-notch protection and support.So in a nutshell, it’s a great running shoe for most people.
