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Adidas NMD R1: the family member everyone wears

The R1 was the very first NMD in December 2015, and almost ten years later it pretty much is the family: by far most NMDs you see today are R1s. Nic Galway’s design idea — merging archive models from the eighties onto a full Boost sole — found its first and purest form in this silhouette. The full family tree is on the NMD family page.

When comparing, note one thing right away: R1 V2s are also sold under this name. You can spot the V2 by a translucent panel with multilingual print on the midfoot and a large, closed block at the heel; the original keeps the flank bare and has two separate blocks underneath. The title usually lists V2 — the photo reveals the rest.

The original is essentially a sock on foam. There’s no traditional tongue: the collar closes like a cuff around the ankle, with a pull tab at the back to get it on. The eyelets aren’t in the upper itself but on narrow straps placed over the mesh or Primeknit — so the upper doesn’t have to be stiff anywhere. In the Boost sole sit the two familiar plugs, on several editions printed with codes like shipping labels on a package. The plastic heel piece is the only real reinforcement on the whole shoe.

Within the R1s there are two upper options. Versions with PK in the name are Primeknit: knitted, with a visible yarn pattern, and as yielding as a sweater. The other versions use smoother technical mesh, which fits tighter to the last and holds its shape better. The sole and the plugs remain the same, so the choice is purely how you want the upper to feel on your foot.

If you want something slightly different from the same family: the XR1 puts a cage with a mesh window over the midfoot, the CS1 removes the laces entirely, and the UltraBOOST is the sporty cousin that puts the same foam on a running last.

On this page you’ll see which versions of the Adidas NMD R1 are currently hottest according to the Hypescore, from which price they can be found, and at how many shops they’re in stock.