Geek Review: adidas Iron Man Response Boost Techfit Limited Editions

In the Marvel Comics Universe, the leader of the Avengers is Captain America. (Ok, the leadership role is rotational but in times of need, everyone looks to Steve Rogers.)

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe though, the undisputed champion is Iron Man. He’s the only Marvel movie character to have three standalone movies under his belt and when it comes to merchandising, he’s the top dog. There are more Iron Man Hot Toys figures than any other Marvel movie character, and the merchandising covers plenty of product categories.

With the recent Avengers: Age of Ultron, Samsung has already announced that it will soon be launching the Iron Man Samsung Galaxy S6. With the Under Armour on-screen replicas, I went out and picked up the Iron Man one. And when Adidas announced that they were launching the Avengers: Age of Ultron sneakers line, I naturally went and got my hands on the Iron Man ones.

Now, adidas has launched four different pairs of shoes for this line, one for Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Quicksilver. The main difference? Quicksilver’s footwear is based on the top end adizero Prime Boost model, while the other three are based on the adidas Response Boost Techfit series.

For this series, adidas did the smart thing by keeping the design to the basics, and not going overboard with things. What do I mean? These are the Reebok Instapump Fury OG, which look like they were designed by a kid, for kids.

And of course, who can forget this pair of custom made sneakers.

But here are the new Iron Man ones from adidas and they are a beauty. The style and execution here is pretty much a repaint of the Response Boost Techfit. Much of the shoe’s upper is in red, aside from the three strips fit-cage over the midfoot that are in yellow.

But the red is not uniform either. The toe area has a well designed foil image that shares plenty in common with Tony Stark’s Mach 43 armour. Compare this with Captain America’s blue shaded toe area, and the Hulk’s semi tie-dye aesthetic, and you realise that the Iron Man design is best looking of the lot.

The only thing missing is any blue to denote the arc reactor, and the most sensible placement is on the heel tab but instead, the stylised A (for Avengers) is placed there.

The sole itself retains the black and white colours of the regular shoe, and it would have been easy and simple to just appropriate an existing sole for use here. Instead, adidas went and took the extra step of having the sole keep the colour of the main shoe itself. Soles rarely get to see the light of day but if you do have a leg up, the red of the sole here would definitely draw some looks.

Now, it would be a great insult to a pair of shoes if it does not get worn with a purpose, but these are not shoes that you go running with, not because they are not built for it, but because these are the sneaker equivalent of dress shoes.

But if you are so inclined, these shoes have a great bounce to them. The foam sole offers plenty of cushioning, and also makes the shoes more lightweight. For those who prefer a sock-like fit, the Techfit upper wraps snugly around your foot, providing a secure and comfortable, but not tight wrapped fitting.

And if you are worried about pricing, fear not. While the premium Quicksilver set is priced at S$299, the remaining three Response Boost sneakers are available at an affordable S$159.

The bad news? These designs are only available at the Suntec City and Marina Bay Sands adidas stores.