adidas Hyperboost Edge Review

We quickly became fans of adidas' new Hyperboost Pro midsole compound. We found this pelletized foam to be fun, bouncy, and comfortable enough for our long runs (pleasantly accommodating 23 miles for one tester). The foam reacts well to a variety of paces, from slow, steady days up to workout days.

However, while the foam compound has good range, the Hyperboost Edge has some pressure points that held it back for us as a workout shoe. The lack of a heel bevel, especially in such a tall shoe, came in conflict with some of our strides.

Heel strikers may find the sculpting of the heel to be disruptive, while forefoot/midfoot strikers may avoid the issue. But even if we aren't landing on the heel, its bulk contributes to the overall weight of the shoe, which is a factor that holds the Hyperboost Edge back against competitors.

Last point--we want to show some love to the Lighttraxion outsole, which provided good traction, even on a drizzly run across wet pavement.

Overall, the Hyperboost Edge is pretty comfortable, but we had some points that we needed to address. Underfoot, the Hyperboost Edge felt fun and bouncy, but some of our testers found the foam to be a little stiffer than their liking when put into action, while others found it to have a healthy balance of soft and responsive.

The foam reacts differently to gentle pressure versus when you are running a workout and putting hard pressure against it.That versatility can be great for accommodating multiple types of runs, but we agreed that they're not the softest shoes on the market.

The upper is stiff and minimal, which lends good structure to the shoe, but makes it less comfortable than other performance trainers. It's a rigid upper that lacks breathability. If it fits your foot well, then you'll be in business. But runners who need to make adjustments, or who hope the upper can adjust to their needs, will be left frustrated.

The shoe fits true to size, but could benefit from slightly more room at the front of the shoe where things narrow down.

The fit was secure, and we were happy with the lockdown we got. The rigid upper sometimes made it difficult to get our feet into the shoe, but it was easy to get a snug, secure lockdown once we were settled in. For those of us who found the upper's configuration fit their foot shapes naturally, that stiffness of the upper ended up adding extra security to the shoe.

There is a gusseted tongue which works with the Hyperboost's unique runners loop to provide a locked-down, dialed-in fit. However, the fit is inflexible, and if it doesn't work for you initially, you're unlikely to be able to make significant adjustments.

It should be noted here that the initial pairs of the Hyperboost Edge had issues with ankle collars fitting improperly and causing rubbing/pain for multiple runners. It is our understanding that the ankle fit has been addressed and that this will not be an issue in the shoe moving forward, but it is a situation worth being aware of, and can lend important context to early reviews of the shoes.

"Both shoes fit me pretty well. The Megablast upper feels thinner and more breathable than the Hyperboost. Though both are very responsive, the Hyperboost midsole foam is a touch softer. I like the more streamlined geometry of the Megablast, and its slightly tauter foam feels steadier underfoot, and there's a bit more of a toe rocker. I still prefer the Hyperboost slightly over the Megablast because of the soft and bouncy Hyperboost Pro foam." -Lia

"While the Megablast is $25 more, the geometry, fit, and feel work better for me. I had a harder time picking up the pace in the Hyperboost Edge, but I never have issues ripping faster efforts in the Megablast. While I don’t always love a race-like upper for the Megablast, I prefer that to the bulkier feel of the Hyperboost. Both shoes have great foams, and both accomplish similar goals, but the Megablast takes the cake for me." -Cameron 

"I found the Megablast fit and upper to be more comfortable than the Hyperboost Edge. Both uppers are streamlined, but the Megablast upper is pliable and accommodating. The underfoot feel is similar between the two shoes. The Megablast feels a bit quicker, in part to its lighter weight, but both shoes are great options for long tempo runs and progression runs." -Jonathan