adidas Tells Us Why It Made Sense Turning the UltraBOOST Into a Cleat

After transforming both the 350 and 750 editions of the Yeezy Boost into football cleats, adidas is bringing yet another of its most popular silhouettes to the gridiron: the UltraBOOST. Simply dubbed the UltraBOOST Cleat, the new design updates the beloved runner ever so slightly, welding its signature cage into the Primeknit bootie itself while employing a BOOST sock liner to keep the cushioning tech intact while also providing a comfy barrier between the foot and the SPRINTSTUD-laden RAZORFRAME. A reinforced toecap has also been added to the package to provide protection during plants and cuts. Best of all, though? The cleats are being accompanied by a corresponding rendition of the UltraBOOST 3.0 — complete with adi’s first-ever silver-colored BOOST midsole — so you can rock the style away from the field, too.

Check out the silver duo above and stay tuned for concrete release information — though a set drop date has yet to be announced, adidas promises the UltraBOOSTs are coming soon. In the meantime, you can catch adidas Running Product Manager Stephan Schneider’s thoughts on the kicks below as he sheds some light on the design in an exclusive interview.

Why did you decide to turn the UltraBOOST into a cleat?

Everyone loves Ultra Boost. Football players especially love it. It was a natural decision for adidas Football and Running to set out to make a great football cleat. We all have the feeling that UltraBOOST has had a huge cultural impact and we are constantly listening to people out there. So the “Silver Pack” was a true collaboration between adidas Football and adidas Running to bring the style and performance that goes into one of adidas’ most iconic running shoes to football. We’re excited to offer the UltraBOOST silhouette both on and off the field for the first time with the “Silver Pack.”

If the cleat doesn’t actually have a full length BOOST sole, is it fair to call it an UltraBOOST?

When we first set out to create the UltraBOOST, we wanted to build the greatest running shoe ever and deliver the ultimate running experience. The UltraBOOST represents the best of what adidas can do and the latest of what we know about the body, movement and technology. The UltraBOOST Cleat is using key elements like Primeknit, and the external heel counter and the TPU cage help to deliver the greatest fit and comfort for the gridiron and create the ultimate football experience.

The heel counter and TPU cage provide support for the running-inspired UltraBOOST, but for the cleat iteration, are these design elements applicable for the
football arena or have you had to provide additional reinforcements?

Due to the size and speed of our Football athletes, we wanted to reinforce the UltraBOOST Cleat in certain areas, but we’ve tried to stay as true to the Running construction as possible. The mid foot cage provides great mid foot support, which is ubiquitous between running and football. In addition the heel counter construction reduces pressure on the Achilles regardless of the sport while still offering great support.

How does Primeknit benefit the cleat’s design here? Does flexibility compromise protection in a contact sport such as football?

When we create a new Primeknit upper, we use our Aramis motion capture equipment to see exactly how the skin moves while you run. Obviously, there are differences between running and football moves and the movement patterns in general. The basic idea was to create a Primeknit upper that has the same look and feel of the UltraBOOST running shoe, but also provides the necessary protection football players need. Ultimately, we reinforced the Primeknit upper to guarantee the perfect blend of flexibility and protection.

Did you have to reconstruct the Primeknit upper differently to account for different running styles in football?

We’re extremely happy with how close we were able to execute the construction for the football cleat. We challenged all conventional wisdom when it comes to Football cleats and learned a lot from this project in both running and football.