Anyone wear Adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 or 4.0 for riding your EUC ?

[SanDiegoGuy]

I am planning to get new shoes for riding my EUC.  I find that using my old shoes while standing a long time on the EUC somewhat ache my feet

 I read that the Adidas Ultra Boost is very comfortable so I hope that they will provide me the comfort while riding.  These shoes are on the expensive side but they may be worth it.  Anyone here use them and what do you think of them?

[Klin]

I ride sometimes with NMDs and Yeezys. 

It's up to the rider but I prefer shoes that have flatter, stiffer bottoms like my Jordan 4's or some Vans high-tops.

[houseofjob]

Ultra Boosts are waaay to spongy for me, hinders pedal feel/sensitivity while riding. I've actually sequentially eliminated all my spongier kicks from my collection due to this.

NMD's work way better IMHO, as they still have some of that Boost technology (less Boost count), but enough stiffness to still feel the pedals.

[kasenutty]

Too spongy on the toe side, try some nike metcons and thank me later ?

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, kasenutty said:

Too spongy on the toe side, try some nike metcons and thank me later ?

If I thank you now will you ship out my trial metcons tomorrow? Size 10 1/2 wide plz. 

Edited October 26, 2018 by Rehab1

[Hsiang]

15 hours ago, houseofjob said:

Ultra Boosts are waaay to spongy for me, hinders pedal feel/sensitivity while riding. I've actually sequentially eliminated all my spongier kicks from my collection due to this.

NMD's work way better IMHO, as they still have some of that Boost technology (less Boost count), but enough stiffness to still feel the pedals.

Of course you would. You are like an EUC riding machine!! =D

But I agree with this also, flat and grippy, basically skateboarding shoes works best for me. 

[LanghamP]

It matters little what footwear you use so long as the bottom isn't excessively foamy and the bottom of the shoe isn't cleated, but even then you can make it work with a little practice. Everything from Vibram 5-fingers to thick snow boots will be fine.

To be fair, riders do get caught up in footwear due to the logical conclusion of "if my feet hurt then I must change my footwear." This is false; the solution is having better control of your wheel in order to combat numb or aching feet.

If you can control your wheel one-legged, then anytime your feet start getting numb then you can move around. If you can do monster zig-zags then it's likely you won't feel your ankles rolling over because your feet are naturally positioned right. If you can do pendulums or ride backwards, then you can easily relieve the pressure on your front part of your foot.

Again, you shouldn't worry at all what shoes you wear (probably the shoes you can comfortably walk the longest distance is best) but instead concentrate on better wheel control. Having the ability to cruise down the street while wagging one foot is worth more than all the fancy shoes you can buy.

[yourtoys7]

LOL, just too funny. EQT sport here...

[Darrell Wesh]

If your feet hurt buy a wheel you can ride seated ?

or on a less expensive note... take walking breaks. Trolley it. 

[Vincei13]

Well, I do! And it looks fab with my Workout Leggings. A lot of people at the gym ask me about it and I was the lucky one who was able to find these shoes online on discount. I saved good money by shopping for my activewear online.

Edited November 15, 2018 by Vincei13

[Blitzwheelz]

IMHO,  EQT (93/17) are the best, though very spongy. Its boost material acts like a shock absorbers on very uneven terrain terrain. Also great for cruising .

[mrelwood]

We all have so different feet (shape, tenderness, etc) that one’s solution will not necessarily work on others. There are several reasons that can cause foot pain while riding, and unsuitable shoes sure is one of them. But it isn’t the only one.

For me the regular pedals are way too small. It’s not that I need the room to move around, but large parts of my shoe were hanging outside of the pedals. That hurts pretty quick.

For shoes I go for Vans kind of height, flat outer sole, with super comfy, thick, shock absorbing and archy insoles. My feet are tender, but my current solutions take me past 50km without pain.

[qweiczz]

LOL, just too funny. EQT sport here...

 

[mrelwood]

On 11/15/2018 at 10:46 PM, mrelwood said:

For shoes I go for Vans kind of height, flat outer sole, with super comfy, thick, shock absorbing and archy insoles.

Old thread, great news! Bought new shoes. First impression: Groundbreaking!

A local basketball store had Adidas Marquee Boosts on sale, 1/3 off. I thought basketball shoes would be just another soft framed sneaker, but I was very wrong. They actually check all the boxes from the quote above, and have a firm but comfy support. A little more arch from my go-to Sofsole Arch Performance insoles, and my shoeware got exponentially better in every possible way. The outer sole is extremely rigid, and despite the shallow pattern on the outer sole it grabs to the pedals extremely well even after a few steps on mud. And the Boost cushioning is indeed revolutionary: Even cobblestones returned a relatively smooth ride, and the control of the wheel remains undisturbed despite the wheel bouncing like nobody's business.

Most riders seem to prefer a lot more solid connection. My guess is either they ride mostly on smooth surfaces, or their knees are made of steel. My knees are mush and I off-road a lot, so I need a little help from the shoes. Basketball shoes with Adidas Boost or full-length Nike Zoom is what I will be riding from now on.

[eucinsea]

I picked up some Nike SB Blazer high tops from a local skate shop last week and love them. Much better than the chucks I was wearing before.  

[Darrell Wesh]

I only wear Vivobarefoot shoes when riding. To be able to feel where I am on the pedals and to have a biologically natural posture from zero heel lift (zero drop)is very important. Someone said they need cushioning for off roading but I find it quite the opposite; when you’re constantly hitting bumps off roading you need to be able to feel the position of your feet on the pedals so they don’t go too far forward. 

It also helps that with zero cushioning means you have more leg contact with the EUC since you stand shorter than conventional shoes. 

[mrelwood]

Even a healthy human foot is not designed for hard smooth surfaces, even less for standing still on a shaky and bouncy one. I would be barely able to walk with Vibrams.

Quote

when you’re constantly hitting bumps off roading you need to be able to feel the position of your feet on the pedals so they don’t go too far forward.

The thing is, with proper cushioning your feet don’t move much at all. The cushioning works both ways: Instead of throwing your foot in the air, the bumps just compress the cushioning. And when your foot bounce up a bit, the cushioning still pushes the shoe against the pedal grips.

Yesterday I was speeding on cobblestones and speed bumps like crazy, and my shoes stayed completely glued on the pedals. Didn’t move one bit. With regular shoes I would’ve been off the pedals right from the start.

Quote

It also helps that with zero cushioning means you have more leg contact with the EUC since you stand shorter than conventional shoes.

Riders with more experience usually ride just barely touching the wheel shell.

It’s great that you have found shoes that work for you. So have I.

Edited May 30, 2019 by mrelwood

[Darrell Wesh]

41 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

Riders with more experience usually ride just barely touching the wheel shell.

That depends. The more contact from lowered stance is best for doing one legged tricks but also helps with grabbing the wheel for acceleration up hills. I usually ride with minimal contact all other times. 

It’s funny because when you’re going over poor terrain or riding at 35mph on questionable asphalt, you want to do the complete opposite of what you think you should do to remain stable. Conventional thinking would have you believe at those speeds or over rough terrain you’d want your feet closer in and ankles/knees gripping the wheel so you don’t get “thrown off” from a bad bump. 

You actually want to do the opposite. You want to get a wide stance, feet almost hanging off the side of the pedals, and you want to flare your knees outward, away from gripping the wheel. On paper it would seem that any bump would more easily throw you off the wheel since you’re standing on the pedals at the very edge. But this wide stance lowers the center of gravity better and as a result increases balance and stability. 

[Darrell Wesh]

1 hour ago, mrelwood said:

Even a healthy human foot is not designed for hard smooth surfaces, even less for standing still on a shaky and bouncy one. I would be barely able to walk with Vibrams.

Eh, old myth, plenty of studies and books (that I’ve read!) that refute this. And the modern age concept of a healthy human foot is completely warped due to hundreds of years of wearing built up overly cushioned, tapered shoes. No normal western adult has a healthy foot anymore. Anyone who makes the switch to minimalism conditions their feet to be healthy again. Not really trying to go into the whole minimalist/barefoot is best debate even though it is🙂

I will say that standing still on a shaky surface is absolutely when you would want to be barefoot to have the most proprioception. Think of a BOSU ball... do you really think you’ll balance better in Air Jordan’s or Adidas Boost Foam over your bare feet?

Edited May 30, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[LucasD]

Squash shoes may be good for riding.

They are flat and have cushioning, for example Adidas Stabil X

 

For bare foot, someones forgets I think about natural tendency of foot to pronate. If you are lucky and have neutral pronation then barefoot like may be the way to goo. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by LucasD

[Darrell Wesh]

2 hours ago, LucasD said:

Squash shoes may be good for riding.

They are flat and have cushioning, for example Adidas Stabil X

 

For bare foot, someones forgets I think about natural tendency of foot to pronate. If you are lucky and have neutral pronation then barefoot like may be the way to goo. 

The stabil X are certainty not flat. They have a built up heel like most athletic shoes which acts the same as woman’s heels and place your spine in an unnatural posture as well as anteriorly tilting your pelvis(forward). Built up heels shorten your calves and Achilles’ tendon, fatiguing them quicker when standing as you’re loading them more. 

You are incorrect about pronation. Pronating and supinating happen during the locomotive gait- walking or running. You can remain neutral while standing. Literally the definition is “Pronation is a natural motion of your foot during walking and running.” Not while standing. 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Darrell Wesh

[mrelwood]

2 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

You actually want to do the opposite. 

So, zero shell contact is best on bad terrain?

7 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

It also helps that with zero cushioning means you have more leg contact with the EUC

So more leg contact is good after all? I don’t follow. To me your argument sounds contradicting.

2 hours ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Think of a BOSU ball

Haven’t tried, but I imagine barefoot would be better.

But an EUC is not a BOSU ball. The rider doesn’t need proprioception as precise as possible. As soon as you step on, the balance is kept with whole body leans, twists and tilts. None of which are useful when standing on solid ground, or on a BOSU ball.

One of the most rudimentary reasons for the existence of pneumatic tires and vehicle suspension is to increase grip on rough terrain (before paved streets existed). Proprioception and BOSU ball methods are of little importance if your feet won’t stay on the pedals. You said it yourself, your feet shake around on the pedals on rough terrain. Well, mine don’t.

11 minutes ago, Darrell Wesh said:

Built up heels

Luckily this can be counteracted completely by the neutral pedal tilt setting on every EUC.

Dunno, man. I don’t think you even had a counterpoint towards shoes with suspension, other than zero suspension being ”important”. I’d love to hear why though.

[houseofjob]

19 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

So more leg contact is good after all? I don’t follow. To me your argument sounds contradicting.

He means pedal feel.

 

I know what @Darrell Wesh is talking about, as I ride the same exact way, feet wide, almost not even on the pedal flats, more on the outer edges (ie. MSX, i5, etc.)

And due to this, I do prefer sneakers with low-riding, minimal cushioning, as is found in old school sneakers like Jordan 1's, adidas Stan Smith / Superstars, even NMD's, which people knock for not having enough cushion-y boost, but I find much more stable not having as much bounce. This is because my feet are literally always pivoting and readjusting, grabbing the front/side/back edges of the pedals like ~30% of the time. Thick sneakers with spongy foam tend to eliminate this ability to feel and leverage around the pedal, despite giving up the shock suspension type feel (FYI, if you really want sneakers that feel like actual suspension, try a pair of Nike Vapormax! Terrible pedal feel, but felt like my wheel actually had true suspension!)

 

But I will give credence that, as I've noted plenty on these forums, not everyone's technique is the same, and it would be hard to change this overnight, so riders who tend to hug the wheel with narrow feet, or have substantial knee problems without the skill to tip-toe and maneuver their feet mid-ride, might have different shoe preference needs.

 

BTW, with less cushy sneakers and riding with wide feet, cushioning bumps is totally possible, but involves a combination of knee bend to minimize the shock while it's happening, then dampening the post-shock of the bump by sticking a dominant leg post-bump, ala one-leg tricking, but without touching the wheel body.

Edited May 30, 2019 by houseofjob

[Darrell Wesh]

46 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

Luckily this can be counteracted completely by the neutral pedal tilt setting on every EUC.

Ah yes you are correct. Forgot all about that feature. One can wear a shoe with incredible heel lift and still tilt the wheel to compensate and achieve a neutral stance. 

48 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

You said it yourself, your feet shake around on the pedals on rough terrain. Well, mine don’t

If you go down a flight of stairs on an EUC, every drop puts your feet farther forward. Speedyfeet took a spill on his MSX and commented those exact thoughts in one of his latest videos. That’s what I mean, and is achievable by some off road terrain. Cobblestone is too easy for that to occur. Speed bumps aren’t immediately  consecutive so it doesn’t occur. Pedal feel is important during those periods. 

53 minutes ago, mrelwood said:

But an EUC is not a BOSU ball. The rider doesn’t need proprioception as precise as possible. As soon as you step on, the balance is kept with whole body leans, twists and tilts. None of which are useful when standing on solid ground, or on a BOSU ball.

😄 you’ve already said you’ve never tried a BOSU ball so would you believe me if I told you whole body leans and twists and tilts are exactly what’s useful for staying on one ? 

And with less cushioning means you stand shorter. Shoes commonly have 20+mm of cushioning, which is why you stand taller in Nike Air Max then some cheap sandals. All that height is gained from the ground up obviously, so if you take away 20+mm of cushioning you have more shin contact with the EUC. For situations where you need a leg to hug the wheel (one legged tricks, uphill acceleration, mounting and dismounting) it helps.

[Rehab1]

1 hour ago, Darrell Wesh said:

You are incorrect about pronation. Pronating and supinating happen during the locomotive gait- walking or running. You can remain neutral while standing. Literally the definition is “Pronation is a natural motion of your foot during walking and running.” Not while standing. 

I politely disagree. I treat patients daily where their feet are in pronation during stance phase. Sometimes it is attributed to a tight achilles tendon where the range of motion is less that 90 degrees but in other cases the patient just has stronger evertors where the foot is collapsed.  I see similar patients for supination.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Rehab1