If you’ve been on Highsnobiety as of late, you would’ve seen an article of the new Ultraboost 19 being featured extensively as Adidas tells the story of how they deconstructed the model, and rebuilt it after picking out the fundamentals that could be improved on. Product images enticed readers with a view of a silhouette that still retains the shape that made it ever so recognizable whether in the Adidas catalog or on the feet of someone, but with small improved details that arguably is more function over form.
Adidas played a big trump card with updating the Ultraboost silhouette altogether, and only 3 years after its original, iconic look, the brand has nipped, tucked, and thrown away whatever it deems unnecessary in an effort to keep it as simple as possible.
“the best innovation is nothing without cultural relevance,” said Matthias Amm, Director of Product at Adidas, and in the case of the Ultraboost 19, the shoe allows for some semblance of creative outlook, hence the partly deconstructed look. Amm confesses that this was a learning process by the design team; that chopping and hacking a shoe is also engaging with dynamics that they have yet to explore and uncover. In essence, the wearer also becomes the designer, and the new silhouette allows for such measures to be taken should the hands feel the itch.
Of course, performance is not sacrificed to make room for the aforementioned point. The new silhouette incorporates 20% more Boost in the midsole, an updated Torsion Spring, new knit called Primeknit 360, and a hollow heel counter that allows freer movement of the heel. The cage too has been given a retool and is lighter than the previous one. The knit is now thinner, translating to an overall lighter shoe than all the other previous iterations. All looks good so far.
Adidas N3XT L3V3L
Except the looks. What has culminated from such lengthy discussions and considerations have resulted in a shoe that looks a tad bit DIY. Reminiscing the N3XT L3V3L basketball shoe, the new design anticipates the arrival of customizers as evidenced by the previous model, where people cut the cages for a laceless look and coloured the midsole to make their pair truly unique to themselves.
Initial looks will polarise opinions, but then again, the original Ultraboost was a cultural icon, especially after being endorsed by Kanye West and subsequently, numerous other retailers, publication, and athletes, cementing its legacy in stone. The Ultraboost 19 serves as a sequel, one that could potentially contain a trove of new iterations as 2019 unfolds.
The Adidas Ultraboost 19 drops on February 21st for approximately 180 USD worldwide. Will you be copping?
