adidas Adios Pro 4 Performance Review

The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4, which I’ll just call the adidas Adios Pro 4 from now on, is the fourth iteration of adidas’ long distance racing shoe. It’s a big departure from the Adios Pro 3 taking just a little from that shoe and grabbing a lot from the Adios Pro Evo 1, the adidas shoe built to help its pro runners chase records and big wins.

Can adidas take what it learned from the high-priced ($500), super high end Evo 1 and integrate it into the more reasonably priced Adios Pro 4 while keeping the ardent fans of the Adios Pro 3 happy?

What is the adidas Adios Pro 4?

The adidas Adios Pro 4 is a marathon and long distance racing shoe that’s among the lighter shoes on the market, weighing in almost exactly the same as the Nike Alphafly 3 and slightly behind the adidas Evo 1, Asics Metaspeed Paris, and Nike Vaporfly 3. But, the weight differences are so small, less than an ounce difference from all the above listed shoes except the Evo 1, that it’s hard to even notice on foot.

But what you will notice about the adidas Adios Pro 4 is the softness. The Lightstrike Pro used on the Adios Pro 4 is much softer than the Adios Pro 3. It’s the same amount of foam but there’s more squish. Inside the Lightstrike Pro, the carbon Energyrods 2.0 are the same as used in the Adios Pro 3 and Evo 1. The snappiness of the rods will feel familiar to anyone who has run in adidas previous super shoes.

The rocker used on the midsole, especially the forefoot rocker point, will feel more aggressive. The team at adidas learned that pushing the rocker point back to 60% the length of the shoe helped the wearer experience more of a falling forward sensation. In my review of the Evo 1, which also used this rocker location, I commented on how the new rocker point made the shoe turnover quicker and feel faster.

Below the midsole is a completely new outsole, different from any previous adidas racing shoe. It’s a Lighttraxion outsole with a repeating rectangular digital-inspired pattern. And at the big toe, there’s a triangular section of grippy Continental rubber to better assist with push off.

Also completely changed is the Lightlock upper. It’s a “lightweight, one-way stretch woven mesh upper paired with internal locking bands, providing a snug and secure feeling when running at high speed.” The Lightlock upper feels like a comfortable fabric and is paired with a gusseted, neoprene-esque tongue that reminds me of a slimmed down version of the original Adizero Adios Pro’s tongue.

So like I mentioned in the introduction, that’s a lot of change for a shoe entering its fourth iteration. The question is, did those changes improve performance?

How did the adidas Adios Pro 4 perform?

Yes, the big changes that make the adidas Adios Pro 4 what it is do make the shoe a better performer than any previous Adios Pro model. But there’s some nuance there. Larger runners, for the most part, won’t like the Adios Pro 4 as much as they enjoyed the previous versions. Smaller, more agile runners will say it’s their favorite Adios Pro yet. Let me explain.

The adidas Adios Pro 4 locks in to faster paces easier than previous versions, has a lot of squish, and good bounce. The rocker also helps as it propels the wearer onto the big toe which helps get form right when pushing off fast.

But the Adios Pro 4 feels slightly lower to the ground than Adios Pro 3, even though it’s not (it has the same stack height). It also feels like the heel is slightly softer than the forefoot. Which, for larger, heel striking runners, means they’ll feel the ground a lot more than they did in previous versions. This could create the feeling that the Adios Pro 4 doesn’t have enough impact protection. And that may discourage some runners from wearing it for the marathon distance.

Lighter runners, or those that land softly, will just feel faster and lower to the ground. They won’t notice the potential lack of impact protection because they won’t be beating the foam all the way down with every step. I’m 6’6” and 200 pounds and it’s easy to see how much more I sink into the Adios Pro 4 every time I land.

Landing on the new outsole didn’t cause any issues. Despite feeling plasticky in hand, I never had problems with it on my runs. It transitioned well from road to concrete to gravel and from dry to wet to dry. I believe it will perform as well as previous models and the Evo 1. It will provide dependable race day traction.

I initially questioned the dependability of the Lightlock upper. It’s super comfortable to the touch but I thought it might be too fabric-y to stretch as advertised. But, it stretched and molded to my foot without issue. 

The thin neoprene-esque tongue also felt great and had no issue adding lockdown without undue tightness. The design team also included a helpful small pad to relieve lace pressure across the top of the foot.

Speaking of the laces…they’re the same ones used on the Evo 1 and arguably too short…but they stay tied and get the job done.

Finally, one thing to note is that even though the heel collar looks similar to the Adios Pro 3, the heel collar on the Adios Pro 4 dispenses with the heavy stitching that sat right on the achilles. That location caused lots of hot spots and blisters (which runners posted about all over the internet) so it was good to see adidas address that common complaint.

Overall, I really like the shoe and will be using it as my shoe of choice for the 2024 Berlin Marathon. After running the marathon distance (my max run in it so far is 18 miles), I’ll update my review with any new insights gleaned.

10.1.2024 Post Marathon Update: All of the above still applies, but I have more confidence in the stability and traction.

Marathon water stations, especially at the Berlin Marathon, with its plasticky cups made of corn starch, can be slippery and full of trip hazards. The adidas Adios Pro 4 handled all the water stations without any slippage and even allowed me to crunch a couple cups underfoot without issue. The stable build of the shoes, especially when I stepped on a few uneven or rutted portions of Berlin road, kept me on the footbed and upright.

Over the entire 3 hours plus of running I didn’t have to worry about my feet and my stride felt smooth even as my body got tired.

Pros

• Forefoot rocker that feels like I’m “falling” onto my toes
• Comfortable, stretchy, and fabric-y Lightlock upper
• Collar stitching removed from Achilles area
• Squishy, snappy Lightstrike Pro midsole
• Among the lightest marathon racers
• Dependable Lighttraxion outsole

Cons

• Not enough impact protection for some larger runners
• Not enough impact protection for heavy heel strikers
• Less stability than previous Adios Pro models
• Not wide foot friendly

Is the adidas Adios Pro 4 wide foot friendly?

No, the adidas Adios Pro 4 features a narrow, race-like fit from heel to toe. There’s just not enough room for many wide footers to feel comfortable.

Is the adidas Adios Pro 4 worth $250?

Yes, the adidas Adios Pro 4 is worth the $250 price tag. That’s the standard price point for marathon and long distance focused racing shoes that accounts for the space age foams and carbon rods/plates. The Adios Pro 4 delivers the value you’d expect from a race day shoe at that price point.

adidas Adios Pro 4 Summary

The adidas Adios Pro 4 is the most comfortable and lightest Adios Pro model to date. It won’t have enough impact protection for all runners and isn’t a good shoe for wide footers, but it ratchets up the squish and snappiness of the Adios Pro line to a new level.

Pro athletes wearing adidas shoes like the Adios Pro 3 and Evo 1 are already setting records. I suspect that will continue with the Adios Pro 4. The adidas product team created a shoe that feels fast as soon as you hold it in hand and feels even faster once it’s on foot. It delivers the majority of the Evo 1’s innovations to the table at half the price. Because of that, we’re going to see a lot of runners running very fast in the adidas Adios Pro 4.

adidas Adios Pro 4 Score

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Disclosure

While adidas did send a pair of the adidas Adios Pro 4 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.