With adidas currently in the midst of Boost week, celebrating four years since the debut of the revolutionary, energy-returning midsole, we thought we’d join in the with the party by picking out our top 15 Boost in football moments.
We're open to anything here, from limited releases to bespoke one-offs that didn't even retail, and we've been spoilt with choice since adidas first brought the tech into football in 2014. The only qualifying criteria is that it has to feature boost tech or at least boot inspiration. Let’s get into it…
PureBoost Battle Pack
First up and we're starting where it all began. No, not with 2016's ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBoost. An easy mistake to make that. No, for this we're casting the net way back to 2014. This is a time before UltraBoost when all we had to comfort our strides and return energy was PureBoost. At that time adidas released the Battle Pack for the 2014 World Cup and as part of that release they decked out their PureBoost trainers in the same black and white guise.
ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBoost "Triple White"
With Boost being white 'n all, it made sense to drop the recently released ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBoost in an all white look in September 2016. Mixing highly engineered threads with an all white everything aesthetic, adidas brought a conquering shoe to the floor that was desired in all corners.
KITH x ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBoost
Limited to just 500 pairs globally, April 2017 saw adidas collaborate with NYC lifestyle label, KITH, as they took the ACE 16+ even further away from it's home of grass and white lines, transforming the once football boot into a piece that could stand alone in fashion and lifestyle circles.
The Shoe Surgeon Copa Mundial Boost
The Shoe Surgeon's interpretation of the adidas Copa Mundial was nothing short of a work of art. Reworked and reshaped with a stunning Boost midsole and transparent D Rose 7 gum sole, It was football, basketball and street merged into an ultra-limited edition super-silouhette.
Nemeziz 17+ UltraBoost "Magnetic Storm"
Continuing the all-black theme of the ACE 16+ "Triple Black", July 2017 brought us arguably the best off-pitch rendition of the Nemeziz. Where the black and white "Dust Storm" debut was a bit of a miss off pitch for the Nemeziz, this release was a massive hit, simply dark and desirable. Released in limited numbers, you had to be fast on the old clicker to get a pair of these.
KITH x Copa Mundial 18 UltraBoost
The third and final chapter of the collaborative trilogy between KITH and adidas dropped in June 2018 and presented us with this stunning rendition of the Copa, complete with USA '94 flavouring. The golden upper suits the Copa down to the ground, honouring its rich heritage, and it sat nicely on the boost midsole.
ACE 16+ UltraBoost "Champagne"
Replicating the famous adidas Predator Mania "Champagne" design for this drop in May 2017, the ACE 16+ UltraBoost adopted a full Champagne coloured Primeknit upper, black stripes and red detailing on the pull tag, paying homage to the trademark red tongue found on the Mania. Boost bouncing around with Mania flavours. This was limited edition gold.
Predator Precision UltraBoost
Dropping in September 2017 this was quite simply a work of pure fantasy as the Predator Precision upper was replicated almost one-for-one on a full Boost outsole – and that's part of the reason that the Precision gets the nod ahead of 2018's Accelerator UltraBoost drop, which covered up the front of the outsole in gum rubber. Picky us, but it's all about the throwback aesthetics and the Precision just takes it.
KITH x ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBOOST
Landing with some serious Samba Primeknit vibes off of 2014, the ACE 16+ Purecontrol UltraBoost once again became the focus of NYC fashion label KITH's crossover with the Three Stripes. Landing alongside the reworked Copa Mundial, which also made this list, this shoe paid homage to adidas's first ever knitted boot.
Shoe Surgeon Copa Rose "White Out" Friends and Family Edition
Just as you got comfortable enjoying the beauty of the black Copa Mundial Boost, the Shoe Surgeon delivered another one-two that would floor Anthony Joshua. First up was the Copa Rose "White Out" Friends and Family Edition, reworked and reshaped with a stunning Boost midsole and transparent D Rose 7 gum sole. This was an ultra-limited edition super-silouhette with only five created.
The Shoe Surgeon x Copa Rose Lux "Triple Black"
And here was the knockout. Following the "White Out" edition, this beautifully fearsome and fresh offering saw the Shoe Surgeon rework the iconic Mundial Team, giving it a Boost midsole makeover. There were only 25 of these made and they went on sale at Paris Fashion Week.
Jack the Ripper x Predator Mania UltraBoost
Don't need to say a lot here, just sit back and admire a sneaker customiser at the top of his game. Utilising a black matte python upper with contrasting white python three stripes and Predator technology, Mr the Ripper created the ultimate Predator Mania look in July 2017 with a reinterpretation of epic proportions. Sure there's a line here about Jack the Ripper and Predator we're missing...
ACE 17+ Purecontrol "Red Limit"
Here we have the first time that Boost went the other way, from pavement to pitch. Not only did the ACE 17+ Mastercontrol drop in November 2016 with Boost in the midsole in a first for football boots, but it had no laces and a stunning throwback Predator colourway. Do we need to say anymore?
Triple White UltraBoost Cleats
Following the ACE 17+ Purecontrol, these Triple White UltraBoost cleats took Boost onto the pitch (or should we say field?) but this was a little different as it was the first and only time that we've seen UltraBoost on pitch. Sure, these were designed for use in the NFL, but look at them, they deserve to be on this list. We're allowing it in on a technicality.
Shoe Surgeon x Copa Gloro 17.1
Turning its attention to modern day boots, this mutated masterpiece saw the Shoe Surgeon combining the "Cold Blooded" Copa Gloro 17.1 upper with a hugely exaggerated Boost midsole. This was quite simply a beast of a shoe.
David Beckham Predator Accelerator UltraBoost
When adidas get things right, they REALLY get things right. Arriving as part of the adidas Football x David Beckham Capsule Collection in October 2017, the Predator Accelerator UltraBoost was a thing of beauty, the dream you never knew you wished for. You needed another wish to actually get your hands on a pair though as they were released in typically limited numbers.
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