Light On The Feet, Heavy On The Wallet, But Is It The Future?
Okay, what is white, costs a fortune and is intricately measured to the gram? You guessed it! It’s my weekly fix of running shoe news courtesy of Adidas and the launch of their new super shoe, the ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1.
Retailing at $500, which converted into Great British Pounds equates to ‘loads’, Adidas have potentially set the standard for elite level running shoes. The shoe weighs in at a remarkable 138g which is a whopping 40% lighter than any other racing shoe Adidas has ever created.
This evolution of Adidas’ super shoe range boasts a new Lightstrike Pro foam wrapping their proprietary ENERGYRODS. The foam is created in a non-compression moulding process meaning it’s not only lighter than ever, but provides greater energy return for runners. The upper is also as light as can be (surely!) with any unnecessary structure removed, and a new mesh that drastically brings the weight down.
It is worth noting that whilst there are resemblances to the ADIZERO Adios Pro 3, the Adios Pro Evo 1 is apparently not the successor, and an Adios Pro 4 is touted to drop some time next year, which is great news for those that don’t want to spend $500 on some shoes.
So the questions that remain are a) is this the biggest step in super shoe development since carbon plates slithered their way into every brands’ lab and b) where do we go from here?
To answer the first question, it just so happens that the shoe has dropped just before the Berlin Marathon, the flattest of the major courses and one in which Adidas is a main sponsor. The brand will want to see big performances from the likes of Amos Kipruto and Tigist Assefa, not least to announce the shoe as a titan in the super shoe arena.
And in terms of where we go next? It seems that weight, or lack of, seems to be the name of the game. The next couple of years will no doubt see competitor brands shed parts of their uppers and be more efficient with their foam structures. All I know is, I’m here for it!
As for testing these shoes, lemme look at remortgaging.
