Adidas Hyperboost Edge review: Comfort meets serious cushioning

Running shoes have become increasingly complicated over the past few years. Carbon plates, superfoams, increasingly tall midsoles and aggressive geometries have turned what was once a fairly simple piece of footwear into something that can feel more like a piece of sports engineering.

The adidas Hyperboost Edge takes a slightly different approach. It is built around a new Hyperboost Pro foam that promises high cushioning and energy return, and lets go of many of the stiffening materials and carbon plates found on modern training shoes.

Instead, Adidas is relying on the foam itself to create a lightweight and propulsive ride.

At ₹19,999, however, this is not a cheap everyday running shoe. So the bigger question is whether the Hyperboost Edge actually offers enough to justify its price, or whether you are simply paying for another extremely tall and extremely soft running shoe.

I’ve been logging my weekly runs in these shoes for the past few weeks. Here is a look at what happens when a brand decides to skip the stiff racing tech and just focus on pure cushioning.

Design and fit:

The first thing that you’ll immediately notice with the Hyperboost Edge is just how much midsole sits underneath your feet. The shoe has a 45mm stack height at the heel, made up of Adidas’ new “Hyperboost Pro” foam. Compare that to the 39mm height at the forefoot and you get a 6mm heel-to-toe drop.

Pair that with the distinctly athletic and slightly aggressive design of the Hyperboost Edge and you get a shoe that is not going to flow with your casual workwear and screams to be a dedicated workout tool.

Despite the excessive foaming, however, the shoe is actually on the lighter side and weighs just 255 grams.

Technology:

The Hyperboost Edge uses Adidas’ Hyperboost Pro foam, which the company claims offers ‘high performance’ maximum cushioning without any compromises.

The idea behind the foam is fairly straightforward: give runners a high level of cushioning without making the shoe feel heavy or sluggish.

And that is what makes the Hyperboost Edge interesting.

Unlike many super trainers that rely on a carbon plate or another stiffening element to create a more aggressive ride, the Hyperboost Edge doesn’t use a plate. adidas says the foam is designed to work naturally through the gait cycle, creating a combination of cushioning and propulsion without relying on a rigid structure.

The result is a shoe that is designed to feel soft and bouncy without becoming completely mushy.

Personal experience:

Personally, I haven’t used a lot of running shoes in the past, let alone one with a 45mm stack, so moving to the Hyperboost Edge was a significant change for me. The thick foam around the heel felt slightly awkward initially, and even now I don’t feel completely comfortable wearing the shoes for everyday activities such as climbing stairs. The height of the heel sometimes makes me feel like my ankle could twist.

Strangely enough, almost all of that goes away once I start running. The Hyperboost Edge has also been the most comfortable running shoe I have used so far. I logged my first 10K in these shoes, and it ended up being not only my fastest 10K but also one where I felt the least amount of strain on my knees.

Verdict:

At ₹19,999, the Hyperboost Edge sits in a weird middle ground. It’s priced like a top-tier racing shoe, but it is built strictly as a daily workhorse.

If you are a casual runner doing 3K jogs twice a week, this is entirely overkill. You can find much cheaper shoes that will serve you just fine. But if you are actively training for a half or full marathon, piling on the weekly mileage, and specifically want to avoid the harshness of a carbon plate for your everyday runs, the Hyperboost Edge is a genuinely compelling option. It eats up miles effortlessly and saves your legs for race day. Just don’t expect it to double as your everyday walking sneaker.