The Adidas Hyperboost Edge Feels Fast, Light, and Plush—But Our Testers Had Issues With the Upper

The rundown: The Hyperboost Edge is Adidas’s super trainer from Boost-ified PEBA. The shoe provides a lightweight, high-energy-return ride with plenty of pep. The brand could up the comfort factor next round with a softer upper.Cushioning is still king, and brands, including Adidas, are competing to take the coveted spot as master. The Hyperboost Edge shows how the brand that birthed Boost continues to tinker and refine shoe foams. This time, they’ve pelletized PEBA. The result? A max-cushioned trainer that produces incredible rebound. Many of our testers, including me, designated the Hyperboost Edge as a go-to long-run shoe. The shoe is near-perfect if only the upper was a touch softer. This minor infraction didn’t stop as from including the model in our 2026 Shoe Awards. Here’s why you should consider putting this model in your rotation.PEBA Boost Cushioning to Give You an EdgeProsPelletized PEBA provides responsive, lightweight cushioningHigh energy return for tempos and long runsConsStiff, rough upperLacing uncomfortably tight for someTypeNeutral RoadCushioningMax, PEBA-basedWeight9 oz (M), 7.6 oz (W)Drop6 mmStack Height45 mmNew Performance-Driven Hyperboost Pro FoamBoost, which was introduced in 2013, is a polymer in the form of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) pellets that are compressed and molded together to create a midsole. Because the foam is resistant to extreme heat and cold, you won’t lose cushioning or pop no matter the temp.So, what happens when you give PEBA the Boost treatment?The pelleted structure of the Hyperboost Edge’s midsole foam, Hyperboost Pro, is modeled after Boost, but Adidas also took inspiration from its racing shoes. The Adizero Adios Pro 4, which we’ve included in several of our buying guides as Best Marathon Shoe, has an ultralight TPE-based midsole, Lightstrike Pro, which promotes a responsive yet stable ride.Hyperboost Pro foam is very much like Lightstrike Pro: it’s incredibly airy and lightweight. Unlike the Pro 4, however, the Hyperboost Edge is free of Energy Rods (a network of carbon rods in the Pro 4’s midsole foam) or any other stiff element intended to help with propulsion. Even though it’s free of carbon, the Edge can hit those tempos hard.A Bold and Modern DesignThe Hyperboost Edge reminds me of Brooks’s Aurora-BL, a 2021 release that looked gimmicky but proved functionally capable. Both shoes have an astronaut suit–like exterior, a behemoth midsole with a streamlined for-the-space-age upper. Tester Dee Koutsourais said it plainly: the shoe makes a statement.Winston ZhouThe midsole, Hyperboost Pro, is pelletized PEBA.“The design is bold and modern, with a unique blend of lifestyle flair and performance running shoe DNA,” she wrote in her notes. “It’s a striking shoe at first glance. Between the silhouette and the color, it can definitely feel like a lot. But once I got past the initial visual shock, my attention went straight to the midsole.”After giving the shoe a first test run, I, Koutsourais, and other testers found the Hyperboost Edge was anything but a gimmick.“This shoe really shines as a crossover option for runners who want something that works both on the run and in everyday life,” Koutsourais said. “It’s responsive enough for easy mileage, durable enough to handle regular training, and comfortable enough that you could leave it on all day without thinking twice.”Testing the Hyperboost EdgeI took the shoe out on a 10-mile rail trail run, after a runner asked, “Have you done a long run in the Hyperboost Edge?” He said it like it would be the best run I’d have in a long while. He wasn’t wrong.I sailed through that long run, running 7:10 instead of my usual 8:10 pace. The lightweight cushioning made each step feel effortless, despite my jet lag from traveling coast-to-coast and back in two days.Tester Brandon Beane also commented on the shoe’s ride and feel, saying it outperformed the previous pair he tested for us, the Nike Vomero Plus.Winston ZhouThe Hyperboost Edge has a 45 mm stack height and 6 mm drop.“I really enjoyed logging miles in these shoes,” he said. “The low weight in combination with the response after every stride made for fun running. I didn’t race in the shoes at all, and was mostly running at a comfortable pace in them, but did open up my stride enough to get some speed out of them on a few runs. They felt as good fast as they did at an easy pace.”But Change That Upper!Hyped after my 10-miler, I took the shoe out on a 14-mile long run on a paved loop, with half marathon pace intervals. Something went horribly awry that run: miles in, I could feel tenderness between and on top of my toes. By the time I got to the trunk of my car hitting 14.03, I took the shoes off, only to reveal blisters on top of both pinky toes, both sides of the big toes, and randomly scattered between the middle ones.The Primeweave upper rubbed my toes, despite the wide toebox. The material feels similar to some of the bags in my tote bag pile: rough, rigid, impenetrable.If only I had read Greg Jaindl’s write-up before going on that second run.Trevor RaabThe shoe has a responsive ride.“My least favorite part of the shoe was the upper,” he wrote. “They decided to use a rough and sturdy material. This looks great and I am sure makes it durable, but for a running shoe it does everything it shouldn’t. It adds weight, hot spots, and uncomfortableness. Making a shoe that leads to a ton of hot spots, making me feel like I can’t trust it for longer runs, is not a great step.”Perhaps my threshold is 10 miles, nothing more. If Adidas can replace the upper, making it softer and more flexible next time, I think we’ll have another Shoe Awards winner.Shop Men’s at adidas.com | Shop Women’s at adidas.comAmanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.