The new adidas Hyperboost Edge is set to “begin a new era of road running”, according to adidas… consider us intrigued. The running shoe, which drops today, combines an ultra-lightweight silhouette with maximum cushioning and high energy return, making it a game-changer for anyone who’s a beginner at running, or wants an all-round easy, daily trainer. 

To celebrate this new adi launch, we flew to LA to test out the new trainer on a 5k run, and chat with GM for adidas Running Patrick Nava about the shoe, how running culture has transformed in the past few years, and how he wants to make running fun again.

“The new Hyperboost Edge is the first lightweight, non-plated super trainer at adidas,” Nava says. The shoe, which only weighs 255 grams, combines three breakthrough technologies: the new Hyperboost Pro midsole, a Primeweave upper and a Lighttraxion outsole to balance comfort, responsiveness and a propulsive ride. “We tinkered for about three years with the shoe to find the right foam to go with,” Nava says, “we ended up with a PEBA base – the beaded foam allows to keep the mechanical properties of the foam, but because you get air trapped between the beads, you have this sponge that absorbs a lot of the mechanical energy from the runner.” Featuring a 45mm barefoot stack and 6mm drop which gives off a unique energetic feel across the foot, the Hyperboost Edge and its revolutionary foam promise to deliver an experience optimised for every type of run. 

“When the first Energy Boost hit the market [back in 2013], it was a revolution in terms of experience, because up until then all the shoes were EVA-based, which was great in terms of cushioning, but a little bit stiff, a little bit heavy. I think, for most people, when they first stepped into the Energy Boost, they had this feeling of lightness, energy turn, exhilaration when running.” Nava explains that this was the inspiration behind the new Hyperboost Edge – 13 years later, adidas wants “people to have fun when they run with this”. 

The Hyperboost Edge’s purpose is to be approachable – “whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced runner, we wanted something that could address a variety of needs, but regardless of pace, everyone can have the same experience,” Nava says. “We had about 400 runners that ran in London, in a secret room of our flagship store. They came in with whatever their favourite shoe was at the time, and then they ran a couple of kilometres with that one, and a couple of kilometres with the Hyperboost Edge, and 80% of the people said they would have switched out their then-preferred running shoe with this one, because it was just more fun for them,” he says adding that the more cushioning, the more energy return, the more comfort and lightweightness of the shoe, the more people enjoy their run. Consumer research by the University of Cologne in Germany also found that 73% of runners preferred the new Hyperboost Pro foam’s energy return and the majority agreed that it delivered a better overall running experience.

Running products can feel scary, especially to a new consumer who might have no idea what plating means and what kind of foam they should go for. “Running products can be very intimidating,” says our CMO Dan Timcke, “especially when we get into the technicalities of things, but this feels much more approachable as a product.” 

There seem to be a lot of newcomers to the running world: Strava’s mid-year analysis for 2025 found that the number of UK run clubs that have joined the platform tripled year on year, and more than 1.1 million people entered the ballot for the 2026 London Marathon. “There’s more and more people starting to run,” Nava says. “It’s just the approachability of the sport – at the end of the day, you just need a pair of shoes.” It’s definitely easy to pick up. 

“There’s also maybe a return to more mindfulness. [As a sport, running] forces you to be with your thoughts, it’s quite meditative, in that sense, Nava says, adding: “There’s a return to being more present, and I think that the shoe is meant to do that: it’s not forcing you to push at a faster pace, it hopefully gets you to a place where you’re enjoying being happy, being present in your runs.”

Let’s hear it from the actual runners though: “I am a casual runner, and honestly sometimes, I can be a little bit intimidated by running,” Timcke says. “I’ve been running around in these all morning, and I feel fast, they feel great on foot.” Timcke recommends half a size up from your normal size for maximum comfort. 

The Hyperboost Edge drops in this red colourway today at select retailers and adidas.com. More colourways to drop from May 1st.