NC State Edition Adidas Ultraboost 21 Unboxing and Review

I am by no means a sneakerhead. Well, maybe I’m a window shopping sneakerhead. I follow the game, and respect those hustling for the latest drops. But I don’t partake in the madness. Those I know that have gone down the rabbit holes end up with dozens of pairs of admittedly fire sneakers. With two kids, I can barely keep up with getting shoes on their feet, let alone my own.

Adidas’s Ultraboost has been their most popular shoe line in recent years, second only to Yeezy’s, and the various colorways and limited edition drops have allowed it to keep pace with Nike in the exclusive sneaker game. I have been wanting to get one of these shoes for some time, but have been waiting not so patiently for Adidas to finally support NC State with a proper custom version of their popular Ultraboost line for a few years now. Every time they released one for another Adidas school, I would chirp at them on Twitter to make one for State. What I’m trying to say is everyone can thank me for Adidas finally coming through.

These actually came out almost a month ago. I got the following announcement in an email from Wolfpack Outfitters on August 25th saying they would be dropping online that night at midnight:

Considering I don’t sleep at appropriate times anyway, logging in at 12:01 wasn’t a problem.

I slightly hesitated at the price: $180. But since this is something I was personally responsible for making happen, I felt obligated to see it through. This is about the usual Boost price these days.

I was not disappointed in the final product. Here we go with the unboxing:

Speaking of the box, I do like the unique angled opening:

Initial Impressions:

Very positive. I like the gray, it pairs well with the red, white and black. I will admit the big ass heel was initially very off-putting. Some friends joked they looked like those Skechers that Joe Montana improved his posture in. But in person, it looks good.

The Little Details:

I really appreciate the details, like the Tuffy logo on one tongue and Aididas logo on the other.

Having the Block S tag on the back looks like a flag I’m flying behind me as I walk:

Really like the red on the rear insole, and the red shoelace caps:

The white on the heel and front is VERY white.

My absolute favorite detail is the “WOLFPACK” on the sole of the right foot:

The Tuffy and Adidas logos from the front of the red part of the tongues are reversed for the inside:

Bottom tread, also shout out to Continental Tires:

View from the rear: These shoes are THICC, I’ll give you that

I’m going out on a limb exposing my skinny ankles to the internet to give you this on the foot view:

The shoe also looks really good with jeans as well:

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Review

Appearance: 9.5 Tuffy’s out of 10. Love the colorway, the gray goes well with the classic colors. That being said, the big heel is an acquired taste. Over the last month, it has really grown on me, but I can admit it’s not for everyone. This is the design of all the Ultraboosts right now.

Attention to details: 10 Tuffy’s out of 10. From the use of the logos, down to the specific shade of red, these are the ultimate shoes to proclaim your NC State fanhood. Wearing them with pants does cover up the logos though, FYI.

Comfort: 9 out of 10. This is the one I wanted to get some time in the shoes before forming an opinion. My previous shoes have been the red and black Adidas Harden Vol 3. Yes, the same shoes Markell Johnson sprained his ankle in. I really didn’t like those shoes at first, but once I broke them in they’ve become some of my favorite sneakers. Given those had the same Boost sole, I knew I needed to give these new shoes a few weeks to get a real impression.

I’m glad I did that. Initially, I wasn’t very impressed, but giving some time with them has paid off. The Ultraboost line has a reputation as being some of, if not the most, comfortable shoes on the market. I wouldn’t go that far, but as I said these are the first pairs of Boosts I’ve owned. The fit is very snug, if you like that, and feels really nice to walk around in.

Smell: 10 out of 10, smells like June.

Availability: The NC State Edition Adidas Ultraboost 21 shoes are available on the Adidas site here, price is $180. They seem to no longer be available on the official NCSU store.

Overall: Recommend these shoes for the Pack fan looking to use their feet to broadcast their team allegiance. As long as you’re okay with the price tag.