Search

The adidas AlphaBOUNCE Offers More Bounce to the Ounce

06.24.16 | By
The adidas AlphaBOUNCE Offers More Bounce to the Ounce

It’s not too often these days I find myself partaking in the stress/thrill of trying to purchase sneakers on launch day. I leave waiting in line in lawn chairs and tents for the young and determined, and even online, I tend to go for the low hanging fruit of footwear that I can purchase with just a few clicks of my mouse. Yet, there I was, up late last week trying with determination (or was it desperation?) to purchase a pair of adidas.

The adidas AlphaBOUNCE is the latest performance running silhouette, a continuation of the three-striped brand’s commitment to using technology to create an adaptive and more comfortable ride. Designed with the ARAMIS Digital Image Correlation System – an optical measurement system used by NASA to inspect the exterior of the space shuttle – adidas engineers were able develop a model based upon the natural movement of the foot, and in turn, design a shoe with an underside, midsole, seamless upper, and heel counter components that adapted to movement like the natural shape of our feet. Where most shoes are restrictive, the AlphaBOUNCE purports to stretch and adapt with movement, an easy sell for this recreational runner.

adidas-alphabounce-02

adidas-alphabounce-3

The FORGEDMESH upper is a single sheet of seamless material, designed to prevent any blistering.

adidas-alphabounce-05

adidas’s BOUNCE midsole is made of elastic EVA foam, providing a soft and bouncy ride.

adidas-alphabounce-04

adidas-alphabounce-07

adidas-alphabounce-lineup

Alas, I missed out on the limited edition colorway – Color Core Black and Iron Metallic – a pattern supposedly designed to evoke the motion capture technology that went into designing the shoe (it reminds me of sharkskin). But several other colorways are currently available for both men and women in limited stock at adidas.com and at other footwear retailers for anyone seeking a soft and responsive running shoe.

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.