Big Apple Adidas: A Boost to Running

I recently headed into NYC for an adidas event for an unveiling that promised to change running as we know it. I figured if anything could make me like running, an adidas event in the Big Apple was as likely as any other. Plus, it was a rare case when the childcare and cool-NYC-events stars aligned, and I totally wanted to see what adidas had up its sleeve in the new running shoe department.

As is always the case with these events, they really know how to get you excited about the brand. Or maybe I’m just a dork who thought it was way cool to see the history of the company’s shoes in a timeline. Seriously, shoes have come a long way since 1930.

Also way cool? Seeing running stars like Yohan Blake, 100-m world champion. It’s not often I’m in the company of people who are that fast. (No offense, ladies.) Also in attendance and also quite fast over marathon distances? Haile Gebrselassie. He was quite funny, insinuating that the adidas Energy Boost shoes are so good that they can’t be legal.

Yohan Blake talks adidas running shoes.

The shoes themselves are really cool. They’ve got a new foam technology that springs back more than the industry-standard foam that’s in most other running shoes. Here they are in all of their glory. I’ll be reviewing my own pair coming up soon.

The adidas Energy Boost shoes. Oh so pretty; oh so springy!

One funny note: They showed us a demo of how springy the foam was by comparing the bounce of a weighted metal ball being dropped on the foam versus other foam. (See it here.) When I collected my review pair of shoes at the end of the event, the box included a weighted ball, foam and a magnetic lid so the ball would stay attached to it. It made for a pretty heavy box of shoes—and a pretty awesome arm workout as I made the mile-plus trek back to Penn Station to catch my train.

Are you a sucker for the history of fitness and shoes? Ever walked a mile with a weighted box? —Erin