Adidas Ultraboost 5X vs Asics Gel-Pulse 17:
Which to Choose

Start with how similar these two actually are. Both are neutral trainers with no propulsion plate, both carry generous-but-not-maximal cushioning, both ride on a traditional offset — 10mm for the Ultraboost and 11mm for the Gel-Pulse, a difference you will not feel — and both name the 10K and half as their happy place while staying firmly in easy-to-steady daily territory. Weight is effectively a wash too: the Ultraboost lands around 266g and the Gel-Pulse around 275g in a men's US 9, so neither is light, and both start to feel their heft when you push the pace. The meaningful split is the midsole character. The Ultraboost uses Adidas Boost, a TPU-bead foam that reads soft and springy with a bouncy rebound most runners notice on the first stride — plush and lively underfoot, if a touch dense and sluggish when you ask for speed. The Gel-Pulse answers with FF Blast plus a rearfoot GEL unit, and the personality is the opposite: firmer, more planted, and damped rather than energetic, with the GEL quietly soaking up heel impact for a smooth, controlled, decidedly un-bouncy ride. The uppers reinforce that contrast — the Ultraboost's laceless Primeknit gives a sock-like, slip-on hug but traps heat on warm days, while the Gel-Pulse's jacquard mesh is airy and breathable with conventional lacing. If anything, the Gel-Pulse holds a slightly faster effective zone (down to roughly 5:00–5:30 min/km versus about 5:30 for the Ultraboost) before its firm, plateless setup runs out of return, but both are base-mileage shoes, not tempo tools.