adidas adizero Adios Pro First Look

With the adidas adizero Adios Pro, adidas brings its own innovations to the high stack height, carbon plated road racing shoe wars. Recently, we’ve been heavily covering similar models from other brands. You can check out our Saucony Endorphin Pro Performance Review, Nike Alphafly Next% vs Saucony Endorphin Pro comparison, and Nike Alphafly Next% vs Nike Vaporfly Next% comparison to learn more about what other brands are offering.

adidas adiZero Adios Pro Tech Breakdown

Celermesh upper. Celermesh appeared previously on the Ultraboost PB. It’s super thin, light, and strong. And a little plastic-y. I wonder if this version is tweaked for comfort.
EnergyRods. Instead of a traditional one piece carbon fiber plate in the midfoot and forefoot, adidas is using five carbon-infused rods. The rods mimic the metatarsal bones of the foot to optimize running economy. There’s also a carbon fiber and nylon heel plate to take care of the back of the foot. I’m excited to experience the difference in feel versus the usual one plate setup. My gut tells me the rods will perform similarly to a carbon fiber plate but with more flexibility. We’ll see once I get them on foot.
LightstrikePRO. I LOVE original recipe Lightstrike. I recently asked adidas to use more of it in our adidas SL20 review. Request granted! Lightstrike PRO is a modified form of Lightstrike that adidas marketing says is both lighter and more responsive. That sounds real nice. The Adios Pro uses two big slabs of LightstrikePRO to surround the EnergyRods. I’m hoping the LightstrikePRO/EnergyRods combo delivers a big bounce.
No traction pattern. As previously seen in leaks, the outsole looks like an Indy car tire. There’s no pattern. It’s flat, lightweight, and sticky. The traction on the Adios Pro is going to depend entirely on the rubber compound used. Adidas is taking a risk with the outsole. But if the learnings they’re taking from motor sports work, they’ll start a new trend.
Drop. It’s a fairly standard 8.5mm which will make plenty of runners happy.
Stack height. 39.5mm in the heel and 31mm in the forefoot. That’s very similar to both Nike’s Vaporfly Next% and Alphafly Next%. It’s also within the new legal limit.
Weight. The Adios Pro weighs in at 8.6 ounces. That’s heavier than rival shoes from Nike and Saucony but lighter than the New Balance FuelCell TC. I’m not worried about the extra weight but am curious if the shoe feels bottom heavy.

Final Thoughts

Adidas is using new and different methods to improve its racing shoes. All brands have the same goals: limit energy loss and lessen leg fatigue. I give adidas a lot of respect for trying something we’ve never seen before.

Keep your eyes on WearTesters. When I get my pair for testing, you’ll be the first to find out if adidas’ newest racing shoe and its new tech live up to the hype.