I’ve been an ardent fan of the Adidas Adios for over a decade. I purchased my first pair in 2012, 4 years after Halie Gebreselassie broke the two:04 barrier within the marathon within the unique Adios. I can nonetheless image him flying to a world file on a moody day in Berlin whereas carrying a fluorescent yellow prototype.
His whiplash ending time of two:03:59 shattered everybody’s conception of quick, and, each time I laced them up, I held confidence that I, too, may very well be speedy. Since then, I’ve worn a number of variations of the top-shelf racing shoe all through its lifecycle, hundreds of miles clocked on street exercises and lightweight trails.
I really like this shoe.
Which is why the not too long ago launched Adios 8 arrived at a very attention-grabbing time, a time of leaps and bounds in excessive efficiency footwear, the place supershoes and carbon plates have stolen the present, and sometimes for good purpose. I questioned: What function does a shoe just like the Adidas Adios 8 fill immediately? What function does a non-carbon-plated, high-performance flat just like the Adios play in a shoe ecosystem filled with Alphaflys and Endorphin Elites and Rocket Xs?
I took the newest model of my beloved Adios out for a spin to search out out.
The Adidas Adios: A Fast Historical past
Earlier than we glance beneath the hood, it may be useful to contextualize the Adidas Adios. Adidas began making efficiency sneakers within the Nineteen Twenties—the three stripes have been on the toes of Olympic athletes since Amsterdam in 1928—which implies that, for almost a century, the corporate has been refining footwear for a few of the quickest working performances…ever.
The Adidas Adios shoe first emerged on the scene in 2008, following Gebreselassie’s aforementioned marathon file and alongside Adidas’ launch of the “Adizero” line, a proprietary innovation led by Japanese shoe designer Toshiaki Omori. The Adizero group sought to obsessively reengineer sneakers and attire to be as light-weight as attainable, whereas nonetheless hitting the very best efficiency marks. Cult classics just like the Adidas’ Boston, first debuted in 1982, acquired pulled into the Adizero vortex in 2010, and the franchise grew with sneakers just like the Takumi-Sen, the Adios and its carbon-plated model, the Adios Professional—we’ll get to those later—the Prime X, and others.
The Supershoe Revolution Will Be Televised
For almost a decade, the Adidas Adios dominated street racing podiums earlier than Nike’s 2016 introduction of supershoes to the market, demanding responses from different gamers to remain aggressive. In June 2020, Adidas launched the Adios Professional, however the non-carbon-plated Adios continued to reside on, by that point dwelling into its sixth incarnation.
Apparently, the Adios 6 was the primary model through which I ever observed any vital change within the Adios high quality and sturdiness. The Adios 6 didn’t fairly work for me. Certain, I wore them for tons of of miles, however they felt slender and unstable. They blew out sooner. And, forgive me, all these technocrat shoe reviewers on the market, however the outsole rubber felt slappy and flat, providing much less responsiveness than earlier variations.
Final summer time’s Adios 7 noticed minor updates to its higher, and some ounces shaved, however considerations about sturdiness and general consolation remained. Was this non-supershoe getting ignored, vulnerable to being phased out? Lastly, this June, Adidas launched the Adios 8, with the promise of a big overhaul.
The outcomes? Perhaps one of the best Adios but.
Adidas Adios 8: The Specs
The Adios 8 includes a 28mm stack peak within the heel with 20mm within the forefoot—each 1mm larger than the Adios 7—with the identical 8mm drop. Underneath the forefoot is a layer of the model’s top-end, bouncy Lightstrike Professional foam whereas softer, lighter Lightstrike 2.0 cushions beneath the heel and midfoot.
The pink Power Torsion Rod 2.0 system follows the outsole from heel to toe for wobble prevention, with a brand new, third rod working down the center to supply extra snap (the versatile materials appearing extra like a rebounding spike plate than the curved, inflexible, rocker plates in supershoes). On the skin, you’ll discover Continental rubber, primarily beneath the forefoot.
However you’ll discover probably the most vital replace within the Adios 8 within the higher, a wonderful mesh constructed from 50 p.c recycled supplies. You’ll be able to almost see by means of the higher to no matter shade socks you’re carrying, which makes for a extremely breathable but snug experience that holds the foot securely for assured, highly effective turns and push-offs. As well as, the shoe has a really skinny, partially gusseted tongue, including as much as lower than 200 grams (7 ounces!), the lightest Adios that’s ever been. (Chef’s kiss.)
The place Does the Adidas Adios 8 Shine?
Not like the development of excessive stacks which must be moderated by carbon plates, the Adidas Adios 8 commits to a fairly low stack (for comparability: the Adios Professional 3 has 39.5 mm within the heel, opposed to twenty-eight mm within the Adios 8), which retains your foot nearer to the bottom and makes your stance extra steady and agile.
The experience, nevertheless, continues to be propulsive and protecting. I discovered this shoe performs exceptionally properly for quick exercises and tempos—its light-weight, breathable pop tempted me to attempt to replicate Gebreslessie’s kick in Berlin—however much less so when shifting slower—as quickly I backed off the tempo, its minimal cushion resulted in a subtly much less clean experience.
One other of the Adidas Adios 8’s predominant appeals is the value. For $130, you’re getting a light-weight, high-performance racing shoe that may endure tons of of miles of exercises and racing at a fraction of the price of supershoes.
The Backside Line
After a decade-long love affair with the Adidas Adios, I’m comfortable to report that my involvement with this shoe will stay unabashed. And although I nonetheless reminisce about a few of the extra strong earlier fashions of the Adios, this new Adios 8 is successful me over as a cool-kid streamlined coach that’s extraordinarily enjoyable to put on.
I stay up for lacing them up every time for 2 predominant causes: First, name me shallow however they give the impression of being smooth and wrap completely across the foot, with out being too slender. Second, once I pull out the Adios, I simply know I’ll be going quick. They’ll now undoubtedly be my go-to shoe for tempos, progressions, and monitor work.
So if you happen to’re a seasoned Adios lover, you’ll be pleasantly shocked. And if you happen to’ve by no means owned a stripped down, race-ready street flat however are in search of a speedy shoe and aren’t keen to take a mortgage out for a $300 pair of supershoes—or have some and discover them too squishy or controlling—the Adios 8 would possibly simply be the proper addition to your lineup.
Supply Hyperlink : centrosommier.com
