25 Jun Adidas introduces Springblade, another ‘energy’ running shoe
Back in February, Adidas introduced the Energy Boost running shoe at an elaborate presentation in New York, presided over the company’s top footwear executives. Adidas has promoted the Boost’s midsole as different and better than others.
At some point in that Boost-centric presentation, another Adidas shoe came zipping across the video wall. Instead of eliciting oohs and aahs, the fleeting cameo inspired, “huh? what was that all about?”
Today, Adidas provides the detail, unveiling Springblade, a shoe the company says is “the first running shoe with individually tuned blades engineered to help propel runners forward with one of the most effective energy returns in the industry.”
If nothing else, the angled blades on the sole certainly are an interesting design. “The highly elastic blades instantaneously react to any environment, compressing and releasing energy to create an efficient push-off that feels like you have springs under your feet,” says an Adidas news release.
Running executives from Adidas America, which is based in Portland, say high school athletes at various locations in the U.S. swooned over the shoe when they saw prototypes more than a year ago.
Those reactions helped the company decide they were onto something with what Mikal Peveto, director of running at Adidas America, says is the company’s emphasis on energy-returning running shoes.
Springblade will retail for $180 starting Aug. 1 at adidas.com and retailers including Finish Line, Foot Locker, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Eastbay and select running specialty stores.
— Allan Brettman