Adidas has unveiled its latest flagship ULTRABOOST model, now at number 21, a fresh update of the brand’s most successful running franchise thanks to a new silhouette.

A team of leading Adidas designers and product developers worked closely with the Adidas running community and testers to create the new design. The core development in ULTRABOOST 21 is the redesign of the shoe’s torsion system. The new Adidas LEP (‘Linear Energy Push’) provides a 15% increase in forefoot bending stiffness for a more responsive stride. This works alongside Adidas’ proprietary midsole BOOST technology, which packs in 6% more BOOST through an exaggerated heel curve, providing runners with incredible energy return and comfort in every step.

The Adidas ULTRABOOST 21 features:

Optimised BOOST – 6% more BOOST capsules than ULTRABOOST 20 to provide runners with the perfect mix of support and comfort.

ADIDAS LEP – newly redesigned ‘Linear Energy Push’ torsion system with stiffer, reinforced material in the midsole to provide runners with less flex in the forefoot and increased responsiveness.

PRIMEKNIT+ – a more precise knit designed and forged for incredible support and enhanced movement, combining pure comfort with lightweight performance.

Sustainable Support – Upper made with PRIMEBLUE, a high-performance recycled material containing at least 50% Parley Ocean Plastic, reinforcing the Adidas 2015 brand commitment to sustainability.

The launch of the ULTRABOOST 21 comes as a global study commissioned by Adidas highlights the power of running to aid positive transformation and improved physical and mental wellbeing in communities. The study notes runners are 20% more likely to experience increased energy levels than non-runners; while over 40% of respondents who increased their running frequency, said they had developed a more positive outlook on life.

A positive Moritz Höllmüller, senior design director of Footwear at Adidas Running, notes, “In creating the Adidas ULTRABOOST 21, we have developed our most holistic running shoe ever, that is the ultimate expression of comfort and responsiveness. The ULTRABOOST is the flagship of innovation within Adidas, where our primary objective is to make each shoe better than the last. ULTRABOOST 21 takes all the aesthetic ingredients that were part of the original shoe’s DNA and fuses them with the latest technology, such as Adidas LEP, to create a shoe that combines all of these great design features with incredible comfort, support and energy return.

The Adidas ULTRABOOST 21 will be available in a vibrant white and fluorescent yellow colourway on Adidas.co.za and in Adidas concept stores from 28 January at the retail price of R3 599 with further limited-edition drops promised to follow in February 2021.