Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – Many runners were able to get quality service from the Adidas Energy Boost 3. For them, it’s a reliable option for their running sessions. It looked appealing and it felt great for their feet.
Inversely, some testers observed that the upper unit was a bit uncomfortable, and a few felt that the durability of the outsole left a lot to be desired. But this neutral road shoe generally performed well for the majority of consumers.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes Reasons to Buy
- The Adidas Energy Boost 3 looked visually endearing to a lot of runners.
- This shoe was versatile enough that it enabled many users to wear it for running sessions, workouts and casual walks.
- The mid-sole unit was able to deliver reliable and responsive cushioning, noted a runner.
- Some testers noticed that the technology used in the mid-sole really caused each step to be springy.
- A reviewer wrote that the mid-foot support unit in the platform helped them in achieving a smooth and stable gait.
- Several runners thought that the Energy Boost 3 was an example of a perfect marriage of support and cushioning.
- The grip of the outsole was reliable, according to testers.
- Reviewers lauded the overall quality and durability of this shoe.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes Reasons Not to Buy
- The rigid plastic stripes or overlays that are placed on the upper unit caused the fabrics to rub against the skin of some testers, causing discomfort.
- A runner commented that the lacing system wasn’t able to reach the ball of the foot; they felt that they weren’t able to adjust the fit securely enough.
- The tread of the outsole wore off on a few runners, thus exposing the mid-sole to abrasion and reducing traction.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – The Adidas Energy Boost line of shoes fit into Adidas’ neutral daily running shoe family which also includes the Adidas Ultra Boost and Supernova Glide (from 2017 simply called “Supernova”). The Ultra Boost shoes are a tad pricer and feature a more durable Primeknit upper, while the Supernova Glides are a tad cheaper and lack the boost foam. This makes the Energy Boost line seem just right in the field of neutral daily trainers from Adidas.
I previously tested the Ultra Boost ST shoes from Adidas, so I was expecting the Energy Boost shoes to be peppier and lighter with the same springy boost foam. Judging by the similar designs, I assumed the fit would feel about the same with maybe more flexibility. Lacing up for the first time revealed that the Energy Boost shoes indeed feel similar to the Ultra Boost shoes, possibly less flexible though?
It seemed the midsole design was stiffer, and the heel counter was beefier than the Ultra Boost ST shoes. That was odd. The first run felt pretty good in these shoes, so I was eager to see how the shoes would do as I ran up to 50 miles over the next several days.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes Review
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – Two adjectives: springy and stiff. That’s what makes the sole on the Energy Boost shoes different. The springy response comes from the Adidas Boost foam which has industry leading performance in energy return, consistent response in cold temperatures, and long term durability.
Only a few other foams out there rival the Boost foam, such as EVERUN foam from Saucony. You get a lot of foam, almost 32 mm in the heel, which should not bottom out for even the most demanding runners. This foam is also unlikely to have long term deformation problems that you might have experienced with standard EVA foam.
There still is a bit of EVA foam around the rim of the midsole to “keep the foot in a neutral plane” according to Adidas. I consider Boost foam the main selling point of Adidas shoes, and the rest of the shoe as a supporting role to fill out the details.
Filling out the details on the bottom of the sole is a relatively thin outsole that’s just a few mm thick. It resembles an evenly spaced grid of squares with exposed foam in between the patches of rubber. What’s interesting is that Adidas put more rubber around the edges of the outsole and left the center of the shoe with the largest areas of exposed foam.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes Review
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – This arrangement of rubber is something common to many Adidas shoes, but it’s pretty pronounced in the Energy Boost line. It was hard to get a feel for real long term durability over 50 miles of testing, but I’m almost certain most runners will wear through the center of the outsole rubber much sooner than the edges of the outsole.
For those of you who wear through the sides of the outsole first, this might be a good choice. I just described how the boost foam is springy, and that the outsole doesn’t affect the bounce/stiffness of the ride, so where is the stiffness from?
Plastic runners (no, not plastic toys that look like runners, strips of plastic running the length of the sole). These plastic runners originate from the center of the shoe, where there’s a large plate of plastic to reduce torsion. Adidas calls it the “TORSION® SYSTEM”. This torsion prevention plate is pretty common, where Skechers GoMeb shoes use a bit of Delrin to achieve this torsion resistance.
Adidas went a little further and extended two plastic runners along the outer sides of the outsole and one runner that extends back towards the medial side of the outsole. Sort of how iron rebar increases tension resistance in concrete, these plastic runners make it harder to bend the shoe into itself.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – This is the part of the shoe that will make or break it for you. If you’re already ok with the sole, like the looks, don’t run more than 20 miles a week, and have $160 to toss at these shoes, buy these shoes and read no more. I see you’re still reading, let me tell you my thoughts on the upper. The raw design of the upper calls out to those looking for a fashionable athletic shoe.
Wide flat style laces, thick plastic overlays with integrated fabric bands looping into the laces, plastic windows, and rubberized printed patterns tell me that shoes may have spent more time in the design room than on the road. I’ve seen some shoes nail it in design and function (see the Saucony Freedom ISO shoes), but I don’t think the upper design on the Energy Boost 3s complement the function in the rest of the shoe.
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – The underlay is too thick and cuts off too sharply when it ends against the side of your pinkie toe and big toe. It also is less smooth than the surrounding fabric which causes it to catch your toes. Unless you’re wearing thick socks or have narrow feet, this will cause blistering.
I can understand blistering on racing shoes like the Brooks Hyperion, or on cheaper shoes like those made for Walmart, but not on $160 daily trainers. You can literally put a bandaid on the issue by placing a bandaid or piece of tape over the edge to reduce the hard transition which is what I did to get through runs over 10 miles. Overall, this problem is bothersome enough to prevent me from recommending the shoe
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes Review
Adidas Energy Boost 3 Running Shoes – Most brands have their release calendar or cadence down pat. You know that Asics will push their updated versions of the Nimbus, Kayano and other models to the market each year and Brooks has their own steady model flow going on. But speak of adidas, and their release cadence is still a bit foggy.
For example, the adidas Glide and Sequence come dressed in new livery each year. When it comes to the rest of the Boost pack, the calendar is clear as mud. For example, the chronological gap between the EB2 and EB3 suggests that the update process is a biennial event. But didn’t the EB2 show up a year after the first Energy Boost? So which one of the two is it?
Likewise for models such as the adios and Boston Boost. It is very common for speed shoes to have a longer update cycle, but the consistency would need to be agreed on. The once-in-two-years update also seems to apply to the Boston Boost, but hey, didn’t the women’s color get a Boston Boost 6 last year, while the men’s version was left out? What gives?
You see what solereview is getting at. One of the other things which adidas seems to be struggling with is the aspect of differentiation across its Boost infused models. For example, for someone who isn’t very tuned into footwear technicalities, how does one explain the premium the Energy or Glide Boost has over the cushioned (and less expensive) Response Boost?
And in the upper echelons of price-bands, how is an Ultra Boost different from an Energy Boost? The upper might be Primeknit and all that, but is hard to put a price to the variation in ride quality. Both models share a lot of common aspects when it comes to the midsole behavior.
