The latest Ultraboost innovation from Adidas has taken some cues from NASA.
Launching Dec. 6, the new Adidas Ultraboost 20 will be equipped with a new upper technology based on space shuttle construction.
Ultraboost 20 will be the first Adidas silhouette to feature Tailored Fiber Placement technology (TFP) and will come equipped with the brand’s Boost midsole. TFP allows each fiber to be placed “down to the millimeter,” Adidas said.
“The new silhouette has been carefully crafted to provide a high level of energy return for the wearer, combining our iconic Boost midsole with a Primeknit upper featuring Tailored Fiber Placement,” Sam Handy, vice president of design for Adidas Running, said. “This means the shoe responds to every step by propelling the runner forward. The design aesthetic of the new Adidas Ultraboost 20 takes inspiration from our partnership with the ISS U.S. National Lab and, with more to come from the partnership, we plan on taking Boost to even greater heights.”
Integrating TFP into Primeknit results in an upper that is both high-performance and lightweight, Adidas said. In addition, the Ultraboost 20 will feature the 3D Heel Frame, which acts as a cradle for the wearer’s heel that Adidas said will add elements of adaptability and support to the performance sneaker.
“The revolutionary Ultraboost range has consistently pushed the boundaries of running shoe design since first launching, with each new release going one step further than its predecessors,” Handy added. “In the Adidas Ultraboost 20, we have lift-off again.”
The next step for Adidas’ performance footwear will be to attempt the Boost molding process in space in an upcoming low-earth-orbit mission contracted via NASA. In commemoration, an ISS U.S. National Laboratory space patch will accompany each Ultraboost 20.
Additional, limited-time colorways will be released leading up to the Dec. 6 launch.
Earlier in November, Adidas announced it would be ceasing footwear and apparel production at its two Speedfactories in the U.S. and Germany, opting instead to move that production to Asia.