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.

A photo posted by Adam Staelin (@threeguysgolf) on

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Adidas AdiPower Boost Golf Shoe

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.

Written by Adam Staelin
Founder and Editor of Three Guys Golf. I am always on the lookout for new and innovative products for the discerning golfer. I play about a 100 rounds a year (but don't tell my boss).