Adidas AdiPower Boost
This is about the 6th Adidas golf shoe review we have done on Three Guys Golf so I feel like we have a pretty good sense of the brand. Overall we are fans of Adidas golf shoes in terms of both performance and looks. To this day, Matt still wears all three pairs of Adidas shoes he has reviewed (Samba, PureMotion and Gripmore ). In my case I have reviewed the Adizero, which, while comfortable and light, looks too much like soccer cleats for my taste and never really made it into my regular shoe rotation.
Fortunately, the new Adidas Power Boost is not at all like a soccer shoe (or soccer boot for the football snobs). Instead, they look more like the old Adidas Tour 360. While I have never actually worn a pair of the 360’s, they have always been on my wish list as I think they were some of the best looking golf shoes around when they came out.
So, what is my definition of good looking? First it has to look like a golf shoe. If I am not sure if you are wearing golf shoes or running shoes then I have a problem. Yes, I like non-spiked shoes that I can wear to the course, but in the end I want them to look like golf shoes. On the other hand, I like my golf shoes to blend in. I don’t want them to be huge, honking, raised up, huge heel-ing, gaudy monstrosities.
The Adidas AdiPower Boost pretty much hits all of these marks (and avoids the bad ones) and they look slightly aggressive, which is a hard detail to nail without lapping over to the running or soccer shoe look. The dark silver with wide Adidas stripes (tipped in purple) make this one of the best looking shoes I have seen in a while.
Of course there is always going to be some next-gen technology with every new release. It is either going to be better spikes, lateral support or some such tweak that give you a little bit of an advantage. The Adidas Power Boost hook is a cushioned heal that is super soft, which allows you to explode through the ball. Yup, the idea is that the energy is released back into the shoe to… wait for it… hit the ball longer. Whatever, I am not buying that part of the equation but the super soft cushion is for real.
To demonstrate this technology, Adidas included a board with both regular shoe foam and AdiPower foam placed side by side. Also included were two metal balls that when dropped onto either side of the board would prove just how much bouncier the AdiPower Boost is. Goofy, yes, but for what it’s worth the metal balls dropped on the AdiPower side bounced at least twice as far as the other side – time to call Myth Busters – and thanks to my friends and My Golf Spy for the video. Doubting Thomas aside, take one step in the AdiPower and you can feel the extra cushion. They feel like that brand new pair of $120 running shoes… like heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDLMyZgGDMg#t=11
Right out of the box I loved, loved these shoes. They looked badass, they were crazy comfortable, and the laces allowed you to really get a good fit. And according to me, this laces thing is not a point to be undervalued. Why it is so hard to get the lace system correct is beyond me, but I have had a number of pairs of shoes that just refused to stay tied or will not snug the shoe properly. Making matters even better, the tongue is secured down so it won’t float around. Honestly, why is this even an issue in 2015? Just make all shoe tongues attach at the side so they won’t slip to one side.
Turning the shoe over you will see the incorporation of both traditional spikes and permanent nubs. They call this the Gripmore technology, and the idea is that they have placed spikes in the areas that are most needed. My take – the grip is legit. I really don’t like a shoe that is raised up with only 6 or 8 spikes. These are much lower to the ground and you really don’t feel like you are wearing spiked shoes, but you get that “I am never going to slip” confidence.
Clean freaks like me will also appreciate that the Adidas Adipowers do not have nooks and cranies or other areas that make it impossible to keep them clean. Yes, I like to keep my golf shoes clean, and after most rounds I like to just take a towel to them. Unfortunately, shoe designers often get wrapped up in what the shoe looks like brand new without thinking about what they look like after 10 rounds of golf. The AdiPower Boost is made of nearly all smooth surfaces so cleaning is a breeze.
But then there is this….
Day 1: rolled up to the course for my regular weekend group, which is comprised of mixed bag of hardcore but very down to earth golfers. With the crew knowing that I write a golf blog, I count on the peanut gallery to get a quick sense of any new items I bring in for review. The Adidas AdiPower boost was a clear winner and received a unanimous thumbs up on the looks. The only thing left to test was how the old dogs felt after walking 18 holes.
Unlike a few of my writing partners, I do not have goofy feet. I can pretty much wear any brand of shoe and they will be fine. Some are more comfortable than others, but very, very rarely is a shoe just plain uncomfortable. Much to my dismay then was the aching in my arch after the 7th hole. Sensing disaster, I actually switched shoes at the turn. Oh boy did I hear about it. “Hey Adam, you gonna write about those shoes now?” Worried, yes, but I figured it was just a weird day and the next day would be fine.
Since then I have walked two more rounds in them. Man I love these shoes, but by God, they hurt my feet and I just do not know why. My gut is that the heel is so padded that it actually takes too much pressure off of the rest of my foot and puts pressure on my arch? Frankly, I just don’t know and it really pisses me off because except for that minor point, I think the AdiPower is a great shoe and one I had planned on wearing a lot this season but they are just uncomfortable enough that it does not make sense.
The verdict:
It would be unfair of me to say the AdiPower is an uncomfortable shoe because clearly Jason Day was having no issues wearing it when he won the Farmer’s Insurance open. With that said, my “normal” feet had issues. I guess if you were worried, you could wear them around the house for 4 hours just to make sure. Who knows, I am totally at a loss for why they hurt my feet.
Looks-wise, fit-wise, performance-wise, this is a great shoe and one of my favorites I have seen in years… I think it should be on your list of shoes to try out, but unfortunately, they just do not work for me.
Good review. Shoes look pretty terrific. But there’s one issue that bothers me – how long do the permanent spikes last? Typically you replace spikes a few times during a season, but with this show you’d have to buy a new pair instead ($15 vs. $150). These don’t really seem like the spikeless type but instead some kind of hybrid between traditional spiked and spikeless shoes. Just a thought.
Obviously, I have not worn them enough to know how long the spikes will hold up. However, I like shoes that mix traditional spikes and hard sole. That way I have found the spikes do now wear down nearly as fast as all of the pressure in not on them.
Hope they work out, they seem interesting. Although the additional ridges and spikey parts certainly add to the traction of the shoe, they do seem to wear out faster (based on my experience with previous Adidas shoes). Without any removable spikes to replace for improved traction that would seem to indicate that you’d need to replace the shoes long before the uppers wore out. Again hopefully these shoes prove to be durable and last a long time – they certainly look comfortable. Keep us informed how they last over the coming months if you could.
I too have “normal feet” and am experiencing the same pain and discomfort in my arch and the outside of my feet. I’ve been a dedicated adidas golf shoe guy for almost ten years and was really looking forward to the boost release as I love the way they look and the idea of bringing the running shoe concept to a golf shoe. Unfortunately, I’m really disappointed with how uncomfortable they are after walking a few rounds.
So weird but thanks for letting me know it is not just me.
I am a 53 yo female golfer and recently have developed some middle aged foot issues with achey feet after the round. I find these shoes fabulous. They may be a little wider than the average women’s shoe and seem to offer the best support of all of the shoes I own (and that’s not a small number!!)
I wore them around the house and my heel got sore after less than an hour. If you run your finger along the insole(you may need to remove it) you will feel the point where the soft “boost” piece joins the hard part of the sole. It is like having a permanent stone in your shoe.
Shoes need to be a combination of cushioning and support. The cushioning and support are not working in this design.
These are badly designed shoes.
Great shoes, I had the same issue with my right foot only. I found it was due to muscle tightness, specifically in the tendons in the bottom of the foot, stretching calf’s and also pulling up toes etc will improve it. Also try rolling out the Base of your foot with a ball, ie lacrosse ball. Hope this helps
I’d just like to know the difference between the addipower boost m And the b version . Thanks
Bought these Adidas golf shoes one year ago and so disappointed to discover that the spikes – now worn – cannot be replaced. An absolute con and will never buy adidas gear again! Now having to spend another £100 after only one year!!!
I have bought 2 pairs of these. The first I sent back over 8 weeks ago due to the inner rear tearing and rubbing my heal. I had to start wearing my white summer pair whilst waiting for a replacement pair only for them to do the same. Not very impressed with the customer service from adidas