adidas X_PLRBOOST Review: I Wore These All Day at the Airport and My Feet Thanked Me

2026 Update: The adidas X_PLRBOOST remains in active rotation — adidas has expanded the lineup with new colorways and a Helen Kirkum collaboration since this review was first published. The comfort verdict still stands.

The world of sneakers is a myriad of choices regarding design, comfort, function or simply street cred. Recently, most purchases came down to the latter with lifestyle sneakers and performance or affordability on running/sports shoes. There are, however, times when these worlds collide to provide a great aesthetic, comfort, and boundless street cred. adidas and Nike have led the way in this regard, especially with their respective YEEZY and Jordan brands. A few weeks back, adidas launched its latest sneaker, the adidas X_PLRBOOST – a sneaker designed to keep you moving across the city at will.

Having recently received a pair for review from adidas South Africa, I was eager to test how well it would do throughout a busy day and in various situations. I rely on specific sneakers for all-day wear, a few of which come from adidas’ stables. The X_PLRBOOST is built from the adidas Sportswear DNA, primarily based on the BOOST midsole to offer comfort at its core. Let’s see if it passed the test.

adidas X_PLRBOOST Design: Minimalist Done Right

While offering excellent performance and comfort, running shoes aren’t always aesthetically appealing to match your threads. In many cases, when going out, even if it’s simply off to work, you want to have a good pair of sneakers to match your outfit. Sometimes, however, not all sneakers are a good match.

With its minimalist design approach, the X_PLRBOOST expands on your reach to perfectly style your sneakers to your outfit. I received a pair with a grey and white primary base – or Silver Pebble and Aluminium, as it’s officially labelled. It gives off a monochromatic aesthetic. However, the sneaker does have accent detailing throughout, breaking this dual-tone colour palette. This includes Purple Rush on the heel tab and a visual torsion system (TPU frame in the midsole) with a light green finish.

The upper is crafted from a mix of mesh, neoprene and suede. These blend well together to give it a premium aesthetic and feel. The upper is divided into two sections, separated by the oversized lace closure, which runs from the top of the sneaker down the sides. The conventional three-striped design is also replaced, built into the lace closure as protrusions on either side.

Overall, the design is quite simple, with only the mix of premium materials breaking what would otherwise be a minimalist design. It looks great and, with its soft colour palette, makes it easily pairable with almost any outfit while you’re out and about.

Build Quality: Does the X_PLRBOOST Hold Up Over Time?

As with every adidas product, the quality is excellent. As one of my daily drivers, I’ve been wearing the sneakers for a few weeks, and it hasn’t shown any signs of wear and tear in trouble areas.

Owning several other sneakers with the BOOST midsole, some more than three years now, I expect that the midsole on the X_PLRBOOST to be equally as robust. With a softer cushioning, it may lose a bit of that over time, but nothing drastic in the first year.

Furthermore, the upper is also crafted with a mix of premium materials. As mentioned above, it combines a fabric mesh, suede detailing, and neoprene touches to tie it all together. They not only look great, but they also feel like quality.

Lastly, there’s the rubber outsole. This isn’t the Continental rubber on the Ultraboost range, but it provides a decent grip. It’s reasonably thick all around, making any wear over time less impactful.

Comfort Testing: Why the X_PLRBOOST BOOST Midsole Hits Different

The adidas X_PLRBOOST is now the benchmark for me regarding comfort. Yes, many other sneakers provide additional padding around the foot, but when it comes to midsole comfort to keep you up and about for hours, nothing comes close.

It garners most of its comfort levels from a softer BOOST midsole. While the Ultraboost series offers excellent cushioning and tremendous energy recovery, the X_PLRBOOST is far softer to cushion your feet with every step. This wouldn’t be ideal for runners, where you require more stability. However, when covering great distances walking around all day, that softer landing is much more welcome.

The squishiness of the BOOST midsole reminds me of the adidas ZX 2K BOOST. It, too, had a super comfortable BOOST midsole, but not nearly as soft. It may not be ideal for 100% of wearers, but it’ll offer comfort to the majority.

Additionally, another aspect of its comfort comes from its sock upper. It wraps neatly around the foot to provide easy movement. This means that when you need to pivot or change direction suddenly, the upper makes it easier to do so without compromise. Furthermore, the rear end of the sneaker, around the collar, also has added padding in the upper. This provides a much softer approach to this area.

All of these elements combined make for excellent, all-day comfort. This is especially useful when you are more active as you run between meetings, venues, shoots, etc.

Real-World Testing: All-Day Wear in the X_PLRBOOST

Although this isn’t a running shoe, it was built for performance. It allows wearers to traverse larger areas while being on their feet longer throughout the day.

I tested the sneaker on a few events and extra busy days. This included several shoots, events, and even travelling via the airport. Typically, for the latter, I always aim to wear exceptionally comfortable clothing, knowing it would make life easier. The adidas X_PLRBOOST fits right into this category as comfy clothing.

After queuing in lines, walking around the airport, being seated for a few hours and then the same as you disembark, I can attest to its extreme comfort. Typically, you can feel the pinch or pain in your heels from all the standing and walking around, but I continued to wear the sneakers throughout the day with no issues.

The X_PLRBOOST has become my go-to when I know I will be on my feet for an extended period. It was designed to cater to those needs and does the job brilliantly.

adidas X_PLRBOOST Verdict: Is It Worth The Price?

In short, a resounding yes. If you’re looking for unmatched comfort, the adidas X_PLRBOOST is your sneaker. With its extra cushioned midsole, you can feel comfortable in each step. This comfort is only increased the more you’re up and about, especially compared to other sneakers that often cause aches, heat and general discomfort. The X_PLRBOOST just works.

The sneaker is a bit on the pricey side. This is more in line with your performance and running shoes that provide specific functions for wearers. However, the adidas X_PLRBOOST also serves a particular purpose and does so with ease and style.

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