Boost on the Tubular

The adidas Tubular Instinct is getting the Boost treatment. Two new colorways—beige and black—both in that high-cut silhouette that was always somewhere between tech and elegance. The appeal is obvious: Boost cushioning on a shoe that already had some presence to it. Thick soles, that wrapped-around collar, the three stripes appliquéd at the heel instead of sewn along the side—it’s not a minimalist sneaker, which is probably why I like it.

The design brief was Paris. That Paris-as-fashion-capital stuff that justifies almost anything. But with the Tubular it actually kind of works—the beige and black colorways have that quiet European thing going, the kind of shoes you’d see someone wearing in a gallery or a café without anyone thinking much about it. The Boost sole doesn’t hurt that. It’s soft underfoot in a way the original probably wasn’t, which means less of that thin-soled discomfort after a few hours of wearing something you bought for how it looks.

I’ve always been suspicious of shoe upgrades, especially when the marketing leans on revolutionary and game-changing. Usually it means they’re charging more for the same thing. But Boost is legitimately different—it’s airier, springier, more responsive than traditional foam. Whether it matters on a high-fashion sneaker is debatable. Does the average person care that much? Probably not. But I do. The difference between a shoe that looks good and a shoe that looks good and doesn’t destroy your feet by evening is worth noticing.

The Tubular Instinct was never meant to be a workhorse. It’s a design object that happens to be something you can wear. Putting Boost on it doesn’t change that, but it makes the whole thing feel less like a compromise—like you don’t have to choose between looking like you have taste and feeling okay when you walk around. Which, fair enough, is not a high bar. But it’s something.