Comparison Of Cushioning Technology Of Adidas And Nike

Nowadays sneakers have become basic essential items for everyone. Good footwears with effective cushioning can be a big help throughout the day. As demands for the perfect cushioned sneakers grew exponentially, many companies have begun to invent the best possible cushioning technology. Nowadays many limited and exclusive sneakers were produced. For example, in 2011, Nike created the iconic shoe from the movie, Back to the Future (1985) and was named “Air Mag”. Nike only created 89 pairs of these and retailed for 2300 dollars. However, nowadays the retail price for this one pair can cost up to half a million dollars which is more than a Bentley or Mercedes. In 1995, Nike collaborated with basketball star “Michale Jordan” and introduced the Jordan brand with an iconic jumpman logo. In 1998, Jordan created the first ever Jordan shoe called “Jordan 1” with red and white colourway. There are currently up to Jordan 34 and the OG Jordan1 is currently now retailing for about 5000 dollars. Among the companies, Adidas and Nike are the biggest and the most popular brands in sneaker culture.

Adidas is well known for its comfort and design. The company has also collaborated with many well known artists, such as Run DMC, Kanye West, Pharrell Williams and many more. On the other hand, Nike has also collaborated with many popular athletes: Michael- Jordan and Kyrie Irving. An American rapper Kanye West collaborated with Adidas and created a brand called Yeezy. They produce not only extremely limited and exclusive sneakers, their sneakers were well known for its comfort. People also say the Yeezy sneakers’ cushions feel like walking on clouds. Which is also why they literally sell out under five minute when they released online. Basically, Adidas focuses on streetwear and comfort, while Nike specializes in sportswear. Somehow, I managed to cop one of Yeezy’s sneakers and they actually do feel like walking on clouds! Recently, both of the brands released a new type of cushioning technology. Adidas released a material called Boost and Nike released another type of material called React. Both of these materials have distinctive and different properties of comfort. Boost material is made of compressed pellets called thermoplastic polyurethane. This compressed material gives the wearer a springy and soft feeling. However, it doesn’t absorb shock. That is, it will hurt you if you land on your feet. On the other hand, React is made of a combination of rubber and ethylene polymer. Unlike Boost, React has shock resistance and is extremely light. But, it doesn’t give the springy and bouncy feel in the same way as Boost. Since Boost material is compressed, it is heavier than it seems. A sneaker that has Boost insole weighs an average of 9. 1 ounces. On the other hand, react is made of ethylene polymer which is the lightest among the polymers.

A sneaker with React will only weighs an average of 8. 1 ounces. Another reason which people should pay attention is durability. Boost material has a special wax coating on it, which made it pretty much fully resistant to creases and heavy weight. However, there is rubber in React material. This is why a sneaker with this material will eventually wear off just like an eraser in a short amount of time. On December 1st, 2018, Adidas released the first ever sneaker with Boost material which was called “Ultraboost. ” It retailed for a hundred and eighty US dollars. Nike also released their first React sneaker on July 3rd, 2019, and retailed for a hundred and fifty US dollars. To conclude, these two materials have unique properties of comfort. However, choosing between these two types of shoe really depends on the person. It can vary between the person’s financial status, weight, activity and the way they store the shoe. People who choose react sneaker will have to replace their sneaker since the sole quickly wears out while boost can wear for longer than three years without damaging the soles. However, react can be worn by anybody without flattening the sole, but when tall or obese people wear boost sneakers, the sole will sink down and eventually flatten out. This is why we need to consider about what we do or how you are going to use every time we buy shoes.