Adidas first introduced Boost cushioning technology in 2013. The technology debuted in the Energy Boost running shoe, launched in New York in February 2013 after several years of development with the German chemicals company BASF.
Boost was designed to combine soft cushioning with strong energy return, benefits that Adidas described as difficult to achieve together using conventional running-shoe foam. Its midsole consists of thousands of expanded thermoplastic polyurethane particles fused into a resilient structure. The material was intended to remain responsive across a broad range of temperatures.
A frequent mix-up is confusing Boost’s debut with the later Ultraboost. Ultraboost became a major performance-and-lifestyle hit in 2015, but it was not the first Adidas shoe to use the technology. The earlier Energy Boost established the platform, while the adiZero adios Boost helped demonstrate its racing potential in 2014.