adidas introduced the first commercially successful sneaker using its Boost foam cushioning system in 2013.
Boost was developed with German chemical company BASF and used expanded thermoplastic polyurethane pellets rather than conventional EVA foam alone. The material was designed to return energy while remaining resilient across a range of temperatures. adidas first brought the technology to market in the Energy Boost running shoe.
The system later became strongly associated with adidas’s Ultra Boost line and with the Yeezy Boost partnership. Boost is a cushioning technology, not a single sneaker model, so answers such as Ultra Boost describe later footwear rather than the brand that introduced the system. Its launch was important in sneaker culture because performance foam quickly became part of lifestyle footwear and high-profile collaborations.