Adidas is the undisputable winner when it comes to making premium quality footwear. Whether you want shoes for your sporting activities or casual wear, you will not miss a suitable Adidas pair.
Their NMD and Ultra Boost top the list of Adidas top-tier footwear. How do you tell which is better between them?
Adidas NMD vs Ultra Boost Breakdown
Material
Both models are constructed with full-length boost padding that makes them both comfy and spongy. Occasionally, NMD features Primeknit or mesh upper, while Ultra Boost never misses it on its pieces. Primeknit and mesh upper covers give these shoes an unmatched lavish feel. This means that Ultra Boost is the best since all the pairs are assembled with the finest material.
Breathability
Nothing keeps your feet fresh and hygienic than wrapping them in a pair of breathable shoes. With its mesh or Primeknit upper layer, Ultra Boost will guarantee you this feel any day. This will keep your feet sweat-free and ventilated.
The mesh vent of your Ultra Boost will also help to disperse odor so that you can have the shoes on all day and still not detect any unpleasant smell from the feet.
That makes Ultra Boost the best shoe when you compare their breathability. However, on a cold day, you are better off with the NMD as the upper part will not let in cold air, helping to keep your feet warm.
Comfort
When it comes to the comfort of your footwear, the insoles cushioning is everything. The thicker the cushioning, the more comfortable the shoes will feel. Both NMD and Ultra Boost have sufficient padding on the inside.
However, Ultra Boost has a more dense sole that extends to the upper part of the shoes, meaning it is the more comfortable of the two. The solid cushioning is excellent for supporting people with big body sizes. They bear extra weight well and remain in good shape for longer.
Performance
You are probably shopping for these shoes for your sportswear or casual wear. We need to explain the relationship between shoe comfort and performance to help you choose the best between these two.
When a thickly padded shoe is comfortable, it is not the best when you need speed. You see, when your shoe sinks into a thick sole, it loses energy and takes longer to bounce back. That is why sprinters look for simple shoes to help them quickly lift off their feet after landing.
On the other hand, thick padding will protect your feet from fatigue and blistering, helping you to have the shoes on longer without experiencing any discomfort.
Marathon runners like Dennis Kimetto professionally run in Ultra Boost sports shoes. He wore them in 2014 when he broke the world record in the Berlin Marathon. Ashley Mateo, after running a half marathon in these shoes in 2018, confessed that her feet had never felt so great post-race.
In this regard, NMD is best for sporting activities that require fast running, while Ultra Boost is perfect to wear for leisure or long-distance races. We, therefore, will not declare any a winner in this category since they both perform well depending on what you are using them for.
Wearability
Both Ultra Boost and NMD are easy to wear on many occasions. However, NMD is lighter and less bulky. You will find NMD easier to wear for hiking, lifting, jogging, or playing soccer, and even for casual purposes.
Durability
These two models of Adidas shoes are long-lasting. The sole, upper cover, and inner lining seem to stay in shape for long. They also do not lose their color. Again, in this category, there is no definite winner.
Sizing
Although both shoes are by the same manufacturer, they are not made in the same sizes. This is disappointing to most people who order them online, only to later discover that NMD is not true to size. They seem to run bigger, needing you to pick a smaller size. On the other hand, your UltraBoost is true to size, so you will not need to select a smaller or bigger size.
Collabs
Collabs are the in-thing in the multi-billion dollar sneakers industry. Whether it is with another brand or a celebrity, brands are reaping big from collaborations as customers benefit from the combinations of features from renowned brands.
Adidas is known for engaging in collaborations with both high-end and not-so-famous brands so that they can serve a broader customer base. As such, they have collars for both Ultra Boost and NMD. UltraBoost collaboration partners include Highsnobiety, Solebex, and Kolor. However, they do not beat NMD’s Pharell, Mastermind, and Nice Kicks jawns collaborations.
Cultural Impact
Celebrities like Kanye West, who is often seen rocking UB sneakers, have advanced Ultra Boost’s cultural impact. However, because of its comfort, NMD is more popular as everyday footwear. It is also more accessible to most people since it is more affordable than Ultra Boost. You are, therefore, likely to see more NMD sneakers on the streets any day than Ultra Boost.
Conclusion
Ultra Boost and NMD are premium shoes suitable for sportswear and casual wear. They are made with the finest fabric, but Ultra Boost looks sleeker as it has Primeknit and mesh on all its pairs. The mesh also makes it more breathable, making it cooler for active sporting but unsuitable for the cold season.
While both shoes are comfortable, Ultra Boost has extra cushioning that makes it more comfortable, especially for wearers with a big body frame. Unfortunately, the thick padding makes them suitable for fast running. They are therefore better for casual purposes and sporting activities that do not require speed. Such activities may include hiking, jogging, and lifting.
Ultra Boost shoes are popular with top-tier long distance runners and celebrities. However, NMD is more common as it is easy to wear and affordable. Besides, NMD has more superior collaborations than Ultra Boost.
While both are durable, you will find NMD sizing less appealing since you have to pick a smaller size than you do with your other shoes. Overall, Ultra Boost wins in most categories, although by a small margin. We can therefore conclude that both are high-quality sports shoes, but Ultra Boost is slightly better than NMD.