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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Adidas Energy Boost 2 Review}}
{| class="wikitable"
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|[[File:Adidas-Energy-Boost-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Adidas Energy Boost inside]]
|[[File:Adidas-Energy-Boost-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Adidas Energy Boost outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The new foam makes the Boost more comfortable and long lasting.
* {{H:cushioning}}. The Boost is well cushioned, and the cushioning has far more spring than conventional EVA foam. There is some evidence that this improves [[Running Economy]].
* {{H:drop}}. With that the insole removed, the Boost has 7 mm of drop, which is more than I'd like.
* {{H:structure}}. This shoe uses single density of foam, with no grooves to improve flexibility. {{H:flexibility}}. The Boost is less flexible that I would have expected, partly because the foam does not have any grooves, and partly because of the extensive outsole.
* {{H:outsole}}. There is a hard rubber covering most of the contact area of the shoe, which improves longevity.
* {{H:shape}}. The shoe is does not match the shape of the human foot, so [[Shoe Dissection| cutting open the toe box for comfort]] is a good idea.
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is inflexible and fairly thick, with poor breathability compared with most shoes. There is a plastic 'skeleton' over the shoe from the ball of the foot back which adds weight and reduces comfort without seeming to add much value. However, it never caused me any discomfort.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Boost has a tongue that is partially attached to either side of the upper. I found that this worked well, as it felt like a conventional tongue that stayed in place perfectly. The tongue has thick, soft padding.
* {{H:lacing}}. The flat laces work well and remained tied.
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The heel counter is part of the overall plastic skeleton.
The Energy Boost is immediately comfortable, with a light, flexible upper with no noticeable seams. I'm thankfully Adidas has used a traditional tongue and laces, rather than a sock style upper or Velcro fastening. And while the sole has the traditional raised heel, there is none of the multi-density foam or other intrusions that are so common. I think a lot of people will buy the boost because of its immediate comfort, but stay with it for its extraordinary characteristics.
=Adidas Boost Foam=
The Adidas boost uses a new type of foam in the sole that has more bounce and is more resilient. Adidas demonstrates this extra bounce by dropping a steel ball on their new foam and EVA, the industry standard foam. Because of the extra energy return in their new foam the ball will bounce much higher than on EVA. However, when we run our feet do not bounce off the ground, but have a short period of sustained contact, often called the 'stance phase'. So when your foot lands, it seems that the boost foam would return the landing shock back up your leg rather than absorbing it, which is less than ideal. It would be good to see a study that looks at how the boost foam changes the stresses on knees and hips compared with a standard running shoe. Regardless of how the bounce impacts your running, the increased lifespan of the new foam is appealing. Having a shoe that lasts longer is obviously good, but Adidas also claim that the new foam is more consistent through most of its lifespan, rather than gradually decaying in the way EVA does. Adidas also claims that their new foam does not change characteristics in extreme temperatures like EVA does.
[[File:EnergyBoostSlice.JPG|none|thumb|x300px|Adidas Energy Boost. The foam used in this shoe looks a little like Styrofoam/polystyrene, but it's actually remarkably tough to cut. You can also see a small indent in the top of the midsole where the foot pod would go.]]
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}
