From Running To Runway: how the adidas Ultra increase changed The sneaker game forever
The mythical tale of the adidas Ultra increase begins on a particularly cold day back in January 2015. unveiled by Yohan Blake, David Villa, Sammy Watkins, and a team of elite athletes at a secret location in new York City, absolutely no one knew that they were about to see history in the making. accompanied with the outstanding claim that it was the “greatest running shoe ever”, numerous were quick to question this lofty statement, but five years later it remains true to its word, and here’s why.
At its core, the legendary Ultra increase features a relatively easy design, especially when compared to a lot of running shoes from Nike and ASICS that were already dominating the market. featuring a stretchy upper that provided up a sock-like fit, the wearer’s foot was held in by a TPU cage that was decked out in three stripe branding across the lateral and medial sides. This was then assisted with a heel cup around the back that offered full 360 degree support and stability with every step. While this all sounds pretty damn breathtaking, it really wasn’t anything to write home about. In fact, what made the UB so spectacular was everything that was packed in the bottom half of the shoe.
Image through adidas
While it certainly wasn’t the first time that increase made its grand debut, it was certainly the most memorable time. Unbeknownst to many, the German huge actually released its award-winning cushioning technology two years prior with the energy Boost. A silhouette that made headlines in 2014 when Dennis Kimetto crossed the finish line in world-record time at the Berlin marathon wearing a pair, the hype failed to extend beyond the running community. Without a second to spare, adidas’ top designers headed back to the drawing boards.
The ideal fusion of form and function, not only did the Triple White look good, the tech behind it all was way ahead of its time. A culmination of three of the Herzogenaurach-based company’s newest and greatest sneaker developments including Primeknit, Torsion, and now Boost, this was all stuffed in a sleek and streamlined package that completely improved upon the energy increase in every way, shape, and form. This was all the result of numerous years of research and development and various rounds of testing.
Image through adidas
From NASA’s world-renowned ARAMIS system to crash tests from Boeing and Audi as well as a multitude of vibration analysis and durability studies, the numbers were there to show that the UB was practically ideal for any sort of surface and environment. In fact, statistics showed that it provided 20% much more energy return than its predecessor, and while that may not sound like a lot to the average Joe, it was really unlike anything that we had seen before.
To add to this, it had the advantage that it came about at a time when the sneaker scene was growing at an exponential rate. According to American market research company The NPD Group, the industry grew by 8% in 2015, generating $17.2 billion and marking one of the best performances that it had in years. To put this in layman’s terms, this is about a 40% increase because 2004. It goes without saying then that not only did the Ultra increase sell out, it was selling out so fast that supply simply couldn’t keep up with demand.
“While there was remarkable volatility at the category level, the overall strength of the industry was clearly apparent in 2015.”
– Matt Powell, Vice president and sports industry analyst at The NPD Group
If you thought that the renowned Ultra increase was at its top at this point, you would be wrong, very wrong. fast forward five months from its initial debut, and the “Triple White” made a grand entrance when a certain artist wore a pair on-stage at the billboard music awards and at PowerHouse. through the heavy censorship, smoke, and pyrotechnics, the one and only Kanye West hopped enthusiastically around while rocking the clean cut creps.
Almost immediately, the minimalist colourway shot up to superstardom and sold out absolutely everywhere, with third party marketplaces selling pairs for over £1,000. While this number may sound a bit over-the-top, the thing is, people were actually purchasing them. The hype was certainly real and it wasn’t going anywhere, anytime soon. As Ye once rapped in 2011’s Grammy-nominated, platinum certified view The Throne, “Who gon’ stop me? who gon’ stop me, huh?”
A few months after this game changing event, adidas began to reach out to various brands to collaborate on the running-turned-lifestyle shoe, and kicking it all off was an environmentally friendly partnership with environmental initiative Parley For The Oceans. While the collab is still going strong even half a decade later, it all started with a prototype pair that was limited to just 100 pairs worldwide. The brainchild of British designer Alexander Taylor, it’s crafted from waste plastic collected in oceans around the Maldives. Not only did this completely transform how people use materials for footwear, it also paved the way to much more sustainable and environmentally friendly fashion.
Over the next few years, adidas revised, refined, and reworked the Ultra increase for a total of four generations with a variety of offshoots along the way. From the 1.0 all the way to the 4.0, they also launched a ton of variations including the ATR, the Clima, the DNA, the Laceless, the Mid, the PB, the Suede & Leather, the Uncaged, and many recently, the 4D that is made from Carbon’s genre-defining digital Light Synthesis technology that literally uses light and oxygen to 3D print Futurecraft soles. all of these have their own distinct features and functions that switch the game up in their own right. The German footwear label also shifted their sights from running to runway, teaming up with hundreds of ultra hyped brands and designers including Ronnie Fieg and his KITH imprint, Stella McCartney for a women’s exclusive line, Scandinavian sneaker boutiques such as Naked, Sneakersnstuff, and wood Wood, as well as a multitude of Tokyo’s finest like atmos, BAPE, Kolor, and Neighborhood.
“We developed the adidas Ultra increase to be the best running shoe ever, but at the same time, we developed it to be culturally relevant – the best development is nothing without cultural relevance.”
– Matthias Amm, product director at adidas Running
The Ultra increase has come a very long way because its humble origins in 2015. beginning as a track-influenced model that was made for the world’s top runners and athletes, it has now become a cultural icon developed for the world’s most significant sneakerheads and fashionistas. While the most recent Ultra increase 19 and Ultra increase 20 iterations certainly didn’t hit that sweet spot that made the silhouette as fabled as it once was, it sure looks like the upcoming Ultra increase 2021 will be going back to its roots.
Bearing a striking resemblance to the original pair that launched in NYC, the UB21 takes everything that the three stripes have learnt over the past five years and have packed everything into an insanely sleek shoe that’s familiar yet different at the same time.
Image through US_11
With a fully redesigned Primeknit upper that’s a lot much more lightweight, it drops the one-piece cage setup that was introduced in the UB19 and the UB20 in favour of the OG design that we all know and love. A futuristic heel cup gently hugs the back like a gentle embrace, and down below you’ll find an insanely chunky increase midsole that’s twice the height for comfort and cushioning that has quite literally been taken to another level. While it has yet to be officially announced, it’s clear to see that the future of Ultra increase lays in the past.
From 2015 to 2019, adidas’ annual income rose by a whopping 40%, with growth coming in at a massive 70% faster rate when compared to competitors like Nike. This has all been thanks to an aggressive marketing technique as well as ground-breaking products such as the adidas Ultra Boost. Rallying a stock price increase of over 260% in just five years, to think that all this development happened within this short space of time just makes us thrilled to see what’s in-store for the next five years. Are you ready for the sneaker game to be changed again? We sure are.
Image through adidas