I’m one of the first people to run in the Adidas Ultraboost 22 — here’s my impressions

I'1000 ane of the get-go people to run in the Adidas Ultraboost 22 — here's my impressions

A photo of the Adidas Ultraboost 22 up close

(Prototype credit: Adidas)

I've been testing running shoes for long plenty to know that most brands follow the 'pink it and shrink it' approach to female person running shoes; simply making male shoes slightly smaller, slightly narrower, and slightly more, well, pink. For a long time, the best running shoes have been designed by a mostly male person design team, and predominately tested on the male foot.

This year, Adidas has made some significant changes to one of its nearly pop running shoes with female runners in listen. Adidas recruited an all-female team of designers and used scans from one.two million female feet to re-design the Ultraboost.

The Ultraboost 22 has a narrower heel, a lower instep, and an Southward-bend heel to allow the Achilles tendon to move more freely. But how does it feel on the run? I was i of the get-go people to run in the new Ultraboost 22, so read on to hear my get-go thoughts, and meet if they're worthy of being named i of the best women's running shoes.

A photo of a sketch of the Adidas Ultraboost 22 — (Image credit: Adidas)

Adidas Ultraboost 21: Price and availability

The Ultraboost 22 are on sale for Adidas members from Monday, December 6. They are on sale in shops and online on Thursday, December 9. The shoe retails at $190/£165.

Adidas Ultraboost 21 vs Adidas Ultraboost 22: What'south changed

I've ever had a problem with the Ultraboost 21 — they're super boisterous and comfortable on the run, just they just don't fit my foot right. I'm a Uk 5 with high arches and I've ever found that the Primeknit upper, which is i slice of material, fits far too tight across the summit of my foot. This is fine when I'm running, only if I ever wore the shoes to the gym, or walking the canis familiaris, the top of my foot would physically hurt by the end of the conditioning. Of form, this doesn't brand the shoe bad, but if you're spending $200 on a shoe, you want to be able to wear it casually also, right?

I know I'm not alone in these fit issues either — another female running friend found the upper was too saggy on her narrower anxiety, and she always had backlog material bunching on the top of her human foot, which wasn't specially comfy. We were both intrigued to see what had happened to the shoe once an all-female design team had gotten involved.

A photo of the Adidas Ultraboost 22 on the foot — (Paradigm credit: Hereafter/Tom'due south Guide)

The upshot? The fit is completely different on the Ultraboost 22. The upper feels like it has more requite, and the heel of the shoe fits my foot better. I've worn information technology on a light jog around London soaking upwardly the Christmas lights, on a v-mile progression run on the treadmill, and a rainy 5K on moisture pavements.

Adidas has also added more support to prevent overpronation in the Ultraboost 22, adding an actress plastic support rail to the inner part of the outsole, underneath the arch. Studies have suggested women pronate more than than men, although Adidas didn't share findings like this at the launch of the shoe.

Finally, forth with the same Linear Energy Push button system establish on the outsole of the Ultraboost 21, the tweaks to the upper and fit of the shoe have led Adidas to claim that the shoe gives women 4% more free energy render.

A photo of the tongue of the Adidas Ultraboost 22 — (Image credit: Adidas )

Adidas Ultraboost 22: Showtime impressions

From what Adidas has said, men who switch from the Ultraboost 21 to the Ultraboost 22 won't encounter much difference — there are some tweaks to the upper — every bit the majority of the changes have been to the women's version of the Ultraboost 22.

For female runners, however, this shoe is far more comfortable. I institute the shoe didn't sit too tight against my foot and felt comfortable straight from the box. Like previous iterations of the Ultraboost, information technology'southward soft and bouncy enough to clothing on my longer runs, only it also has a good amount of snap for faster miles. Unlike other versions of the shoe, my foot felt stable around corners on wet pavement, however, I'one thousand yet to try it on the track.

A photo of the launch of the Adidas Ultraboost 22 — (Image credit: Hereafter/Tom's Guide)

I'll exist running a fleck more than in the Ultraboost 22 before I render a final verdict and rating, simply afterward x miles, I'd go as far as to say that this is an first-class everyday running shoe for most women. It'south comfortable, supportive, and has a mild level of support for overpronators. It'southward heavy, and so speedier runners volition probably want to salvage it for easy running days, but beginners volition love the support it offers underfoot.

As a female runner, it'southward likewise super encouraging to see Adidas recognizing the importance of building shoes for female feet — let'southward hope other brands sit up and take annotation.

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past four years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running lookout or a pair of shorts with pockets large enough for your smartphone. When she's non pounding the pavements, you lot'll observe Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.