adidas Hyperboost GTX review

After testing the adidas Hyperboost GTX, we concluded that it's an excellent choice for:

• Runners seeking a rare combination of GORE-TEX waterproofing and top-tier energy return.
• Those who want a highly-responsive super trainer for both short and long runs during winter.
• Fans of the Hyperboost Edge or Hyperboost Run who need a waterproof alternative.

For budget-conscious runners, the Hyperboost GTX may be out of reach. However, adidas offers the EVO SL ATR for those who only need a winter-ready shoe without GORE-TEX, while the Nike Winflo 11 GTX is a true low-cost alternative.

We also believe that heel strikers who prefer a more stable shoe should go for the Nike Vomero 18 GTX.

Given our experience with other shoes featuring the excellent Hyperboost Pro foam, we expected plenty of impact protection. And our lab test confirmed it, returning 142 SA in the heel and 123 SA in the forefoot, both comfortably above average and more than enough for any distance.

Here's where the Hyperboost GTX fully justify its premium price for performance-focused runners. We measured 74.5% energy return in the forefoot and 70.1% in the heel.

These are excellent numbers and a major improvement from the muted response of most waterproof running shoes out there.

The brand advertises a towering 43 mm heel stack for the Hyperboost GTX, but our calipers revealed a slightly lower 40.6 mm.

We also found a discrepancy in the forefoot, where adidas claims 37 mm but our calipers revealed just 32.8 mm.

That's an even larger gap than at the heel, although the actual stack remains comfortably above average. In our view, it still qualifies as a true max-stack shoe.

We measured a 7.8 mm drop, a versatile setup that should feel familiar to a wide range of runners and accommodate any footstrike pattern.

The Hyperboost Pro foam that powers this shoe from heel to toe offers a balanced softness feeling. When we pressed our Asker C durometer against the foam, the result of 34.9 AC fully validated that it's far from the usual firm-feeling ride of the old Boost.

In cold, Hyperboost Pro became only 2% firmer, an outstanding result and exactly the type of temperature consistency we'd want from a shoe designed for cold-weather mileage. For us, this is one of the strongest technical arguments in its favor.

From the side, we can see a moderate forefoot rise and a beveled heel, although the Hyperboost GTX lacks the aggressive rocker geometry often found in modern trainers with premium foams and high stacks. In our view, this makes it better suited for daily runs than faster tempo sessions.

At the widest part of our gel mold, the Hyperboost GTX measured 97.6 mm, surprisingly wider than average.

That's welcome news in a waterproof model, especially because runners often wear thicker socks when temperatures drop.

Despite the roomy forefoot, the Hyperboost GTX offers a more conventional shape around the big toe. We measured 72.7 mm at this point. 

Our gel mold revealed just 25.0 mm of toebox height, noticeably below average, even though the shoe offers plenty of horizontal room at the forefoot.

We believe this low ceiling matters more in a waterproof model because the upper has limited stretch and runners may wear bulkier socks.

The outsole features Continental WinterGRIP rubber, and we were eager to see how this winter-focused compound would perform in our standardized traction test on wet concrete.

We measured a CoF of 0.62, which is above average but maybe falls slightly short of the high expectations we have whenever we see the Continental logo.

This is one outsole that stands out immediately, right? Instead of a flat sheet of rubber, adidas uses separate bright-green, arrow-shaped WinterGRIP lugs over a dark Continental rubber base. The lugs are spread across the forefoot and heel.

We also noticed the protective rubber reaching around the edges, while the raised elements create extra tread for wet and colder surfaces. In our view, it's a fully winter-oriented design that seems ideal for this shoe.

The Hyperboost GTX is far from being a flexible trainer. In our 30-degree bend test, we needed a whopping 24.0N of force to bend it, a surprisingly high result that could be a dealbreaker for runners who prefer a more natural and adaptable underfoot feel.

The all-weather outsole and waterproof upper make the Hyperboost GTX 11% heavier than the regular Hyperboost Run. In our view, that's a reasonable trade-off for the added protection, bringing the GTX version to 9.7 oz (275g).

The adidas Hyperboost GTX has a very different mission from a summer-focused daily trainer. Its waterproof construction is meant to help on wet runs, but the membrane also gives air an extra barrier to cross. We therefore had very modest expectations before starting our usual smoke test.

And those expectations were confirmed: hardly any smoke escaped through the upper, earning it just 1/5. This is the lowest rating on our scale, although it makes sense for a shoe aimed at rainy and cooler conditions. We wouldn't choose it for runs where maximum airflow is the priority.

At first glance, the Hyperboost GTX looks like a neutral, high-stack running shoe. And that's exactly what it is, especially since the midsole platform is far from wide.

However, we found that the Hyperboost GTX delivers surprisingly good stability for neutral runners, thanks to its secure foothold and high rigidity that limits unwanted deformation. We wouldn't call it a stability shoe or recommend it for severe overpronators, but in our experience, it's more stable than it looks.

One of the most striking structural results came when we twisted the shoe. We recorded 20.1 Nm of torsional rigidity, significantly above average, meaning the Hyperboost GTX strongly resists rotational deformation.

The heel counter is one of the most controversial design choices in the adidas Hyperboost series, as runners seem to either love it or hate it. In this GTX version, we found it very pliable, scoring just 2/5 in our stiffness test.

This is an interesting finding because the midsole looks quite substantial from the side, yet the brand from Herzogenaurach hasn't made the forefoot platform particularly wide where it meets the ground.

We actually appreciate adidas going against the trend here, maintaining a more agile, streamlined design instead of turning the Hyperboost GTX into another oversized, SUV-like running shoe.

The heel platform measures just 87.7 mm, making it even narrower than average. Given the towering rearfoot stack, we believe heel strikers seeking maximum stability would've benefited from a slightly wider landing area.

On the other hand, adidas has a long history of narrow heel designs, so this stays true to the brand's DNA...

Waterproof uppers often use additional layers, and the Hyperboost GTX has a tightly woven textile shell with protective overlays around the toe. We put that construction through our Dremel test and awarded it 3/5, slightly better than average but maybe a bit short of our expectations.

The heel lining earned a perfect 5/5 in our Dremel test, placing it among the most abrasion-resistant constructions we've examined.

Continental WinterGRIP did well in the traction test, and its abrasion resistance also deserves credit. After running our Dremel against the outsole, we found just 0.8 mm of wear, better than average.

We measured the maximum outsole thickness, including the lugs, and found a generous 4.10 mm of rubber protecting the shoe.

For those curious, the lugs themselves are 2.3 mm deep, making the Hyperboost GTX a potential option for gravel paths or light door-to-trail use. However, we believe it's still primarily a road running shoe.

We found a slim 2.6 mm insole inside the Hyperboost GTX, significantly thinner than average.

We confirmed that the Hyperboost GTX has a removable insole, which is a practical feature for runners who use custom footbeds or simply want to air out the shoe after a wet run.

It's great to see huge, heel-to-forefoot reflective details on the Hyperboost GTX. They especially welcome in a shoe intended for the darker months of the year. 

We found an intriguing lacing system in the Hyperboost GTX, combining three rows of lace loops at the bottom with two pairs of thin, punched eyelets at the top. Unlike the Hyperboost Run, which uses punched eyelets throughout, this design makes sense because keeping water out of the lower part of the shoe is a priority.

The tongue also features a more complex design. We noticed that adidas opted for targeted padding near the top, measuring 4.3 mm thick, in an effort to keep weight under control.

The Hyperboost GTX uses a fully-gusseted tongue, attached on both sides rather than floating freely under the laces. We believe that's a perfect choice for a GORE-TEX shoe because it limits open gaps along the instep.

The Hyperboost GTX lacks a traditional heel pull tab, but that's hardly surprising given the series' design language.

It's evident that the Hyperboost GTX asks for a serious investment. That's more than the regular Hyperboost Run, but the GORE-TEX membrane and distinctive Continental WinterGRIP outsole explain what the extra money is paying for.

The excellent energy return, impressive cold-weather consistency, and Continental rubber help justify its positioning. However, there are much cheaper alternatives for runners who don't prioritize energy return in a winter-ready shoe like this one.