About two weeks ago in the heart of New York City’s financial district, at the historic landmark of 23 Wall Street, adidas running gave me a look at the brand new ULTRA BOOST, their soon to be released premium runner which is wrapped in a PRIMEKNIT upper and a midsole which boasts 20% more BOOST foam than any other shoe they have designed to date. The runner also features a thin but strong STRETCH WEB outsole that gives an ever closer feel between the ground and the ULTRA BOOST technology.

The company has been touting the ULTRA BOOST as the “greatest running shoe they have ever designed” and they were out to prove it today with an impressive display which featured us being able to actually try out the shoe itself as well as talk with designers and adidas athletes about its creation.

The shoe was unveiled via a presentation that resembled a dystopian revolution clad in darkness and the steel of the classic building, which then changed to bright colors and lights when the shoe was finally brought out. Once the pageantry of the event subsided, we were able to try the ULTRA BOOST on and I have to give it to adidas as they have crafted an incredibly comfortable shoe. Immediately after slipping the sneakers on, we walked up a few flights of stairs and I could feel a noticeable “bounce back” not only in the heel of the shoe where most sneakers have their highest levels of cushioning but also in the front which was a really nice surprise and lived up the hype adidas had created.

As we checked out some of the displays, we talked with both Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake about their experience with the ULTRA BOOST technology and both men discussed the comfort level of the shoe and breathability being two of their favorite aspects. Watkins also commented about using the ULTRA BOOST as a training shoe, “first thing I look at is the front of the shoe because I have to make sure my toes are moving around because I can’t have my toes being restricted. It will just hold you back and then you can’t get that bounce that you need when you’re training. The PRIMEKNIT on these just gives me that freedom.”

Another athlete adidas had out to show us the advantage of wearing the ULTRA BOOST was Kenyan runner Wilson Kipsang. Kipsang tested the shoe for us while using a motion capture system to display the points of impact of his foot and show how the ULTRA BOOST technology compared to both him running barefoot as well as when he wore the Nike FLYKNIT LUNAR 2. The results showed the ULTRA BOOST being able to move with the foot more naturally, instead of not stretching like most sneakers would.

Overall, the adidas ULTRA BOOST definitely looks like a shoe runners will want to look into as its release date approaches. The comfort on the shoe can’t be ignored and adidas claims the ULTRA BOOST technology in the shoe will hold up after multiple wears meaning a long term, comfortable run for athletes. Only time will tell if the ULTRA BOOST will feel as comfortable on its 100th wear as it did on its first but the shoe definitely seems to be off to a good start.

You can pick up the adidas ULTRA BOOST for $180 when it releases online in limited quantities on 2/11/15 and then at adidas retailers on 11/25/15.