Adidas has made a serious comeback in the last year, showcasing an ingenious blend of design, style, and technology, leading to highly coveted limited shoe releases and exclusive sponsorship deals with A-list celebs and athletes. The NMD may be the brands most coveted release, and the German sportswear supplier has not held back with exclusive colorways, various styles, and limited quantity drops.
We got our hands on the NMD_R1, which is a running styled shoe designed for an urban nomadic lifestyle. The NMD, which doesn’t stand for anything in particular, is the blend of three old-school Adidas originals (Micro Pacer, the Rising Star, and Boston Super) with updated technology – most notably the patented BOOST sole technology.
The BOOST is essentially foam bubbles molded together to provide the ultimate in footwear comfort. From the Adidas website – “Boost™’s energy-returning properties keep every step charged with an endless supply of light, fast energy.”
We took the R1 for a spin at the local track and field, and give you our best feedback yet. Although these shoes are designed more for aesthetics and urban commuting, rather than sports performance, we’re highly impressed with what the brand with three-stripes has produced.
For straight away running the comfort of the NMD is unparalleled to any running shoe I’ve worn. Although the notable heel-to-toe drop takes some getting used to, after a few hours in the R1 you’re ready to challenge Usain for one of his Rio golds. From sprints, to longer steady-state distances, the NMD was like running on clouds.
The soft, pliable upper somewhat molds to your top foot, securing it snuggly in place without pinching or feeling too tight. Although the durability of this material may come into question toward the later stages of the shoe’s lifetime, it does a fantastic job without sacrificing comfort.
The upper material seems a bit hard to clean and somewhat succeptible to dirt, so do your best to keep these puppies smudge free, especially in the lighter colorways. The laces are a bit coarse and maybe too long, but they easily break in after a few ties. This may have to do with the reflective material in the lace – a minor sacrifice for added function.
On the field the NMD was, as expected, a different story. This shoe was simply not designed for cutting, pivoting, and making short, sudden changes of direction. If you’re looking for a training shoe, look elsewhere, as the NMD will always outperform in comfort, but not in performance.
As a basic gym shoe for stationary exercises like squats, presses, and the like, with some treadmill work to follow, the NMD will perform just fine. And you’ll surely catch the eye of every sneakerfreak in house.
I wore the NMD_R1 on a 6-hour plane trip to and from New York and California, and the only comfier option would have been slippers or a pair of flip flops. After 5 hours of trekking around downtown Manhattan, my feet were zero percent tired, achy, or beat up. These are by far the most comfortable city shoe I’ve worn to date.
PERFORMANCE:
- Perfect for long and short distance running.
- Unparalleled for urban walking.
- Better options available for agility workouts, Crossfit, or field work.
COMFORT:
- Hands down the most comfortable walking shoe around.
- Very comfortable out of the box, heel drop takes a day to adapt to.
- Snuggly holds foot in place without loss of comfort.
- Sustained comfort for longer periods of standing and walking on concrete.
- Training shoe suggested for performance training.
DESIGN:
- Sleek, modern design makes any foot look narrow and aesthetically pleasing.
- Every stitch and element of the shoe has a function. No excess or waste.
- Reflective R1 model adds function without sacrificing aesthetics.
- Highly coveted design praised by sneakerheads and athletes alike.
VALUE:
- At $130/pair, comparable with competitors. However, must act early to purchase from website.
- Well worth the price if an urban commuter, avid walker, or frequent stander.
- Other NMD models range new from $120-200.
- If you miss the drop expect prices to jump from $130-$450 range.
DELTA GRADE: A
Shop the latest NMD offerings here.