The adidas Adizero Adios Pro is adidas’ long awaited high stack carbon plate road racing shoe. Except, adidas has tweaked the carbon plate formula. The Adios Pro only features a carbon fiber plate in the heel. In the forefoot, adidas uses carbon infused rods that mimic the foot’s bone structure. In addition to the rods, adidas uses an all new foam in the midsole, Lightstrike Pro.
That’s a lot of new in one shoe and it all comes together nicely. So nicely in fact, that the Adios Pro will compete with the Nike Alphafly Next%, Saucony Endorphin Pro, Nike Vaporfly Next%, and Brooks Hyperion Elite 2 for king of the road at the world’s major marathons.
Cushion
Five biomechanically correct, carbon infused rods are embedded in the forefoot of the ample Lightstrike Pro midsole. To the touch, the Lightstrike Pro is stiffer than the pebax foams used by Nike and Saucony and about the same as Brooks’ DNA Flash. In fact, the entire midsole feels super stiff in hand. I’m talking tough to even bend. The carbon rods are rigid. But on foot, everything changes.
On foot, the Lightstrike Pro delivers a nice peppy bounce with every step. It’s similar, but maybe a touch softer than the Hyperion Elite 2’s DNA Flash. Lightstrike Pro works better the longer you run. My legs felt fresh well throughout double digit runs.
The carbon rods have a different feel than traditional carbon plate racing shoes. It’s more of a quick roll of the toes than a trampoline-like feeling. More of a fling forward versus a pop up. The feeling’s different, but the effect is the same — your foot transitions extremely fast from heel to toe to lift off.
We’re at the point where the carbon plate racing shoe you choose will come down to personal preference in how the cushioning tech feels on foot. Adidas has created something that feels more natural and which a lot of people will enjoy.
Traction
One of the more noticeable features of the adidas Adizero Adios Pro is the outsole. Inspired by Formula 1 racing tires, adidas provides ample rubber, but keeps it smooth. Though it looks baby smooth in the online product images, the rubber does feature micro grooves. The micro grooves help some with the traction but the real work is done by the extremely tacky rubber compound.
Due to the tacky rubber, I didn’t have any issues on dry surfaces and cornering wasn’t an issue. Cornering wasn’t even an issue in wet conditions. The only issue I experienced was with wet traction on some slicker mildew-ridden sidewalks and bridges.
Despite the lack of outsole pattern, I trust the Adios Pro’s traction as much as the other carbon plate racing shoes on the market. It’s amazing what adidas was able to do with such simplicity.
Materials
Just like with the traction, adidas keeps the materials simple and focuses on keeping the foot cool on race day. The entire upper is Celermesh, which is essentially a plasticized mesh backed by a diamond-patterned synthetic suede that provides structure. It’s extremely breathable and I enjoyed the airflow during my summer long runs.
Near the tongue and around the eyelets, the upper loses the diamond pattern and fuses the synthetic suede to the mesh overlay for added strength and support. The same thing is done at the end of the toe to give it structure. The tongue is the only place without Celermesh, instead using a stretchy neoprene-like material.
Fit
The fit is driven by the tongue structure. The tongue is gusseted on the medial side and sewn in on the lateral side. It’s also got three built in slim foam pads to remove lace pressure. It’s really comfortable and locks in the midfoot. I would prefer the tongue to be slightly longer as it’s a little hard to manage every time I put on the shoe. However, once you make sure the tongue is straight, it fits like a glove.
Lengthwise, the Adios Pro fits true to size. Wide footers may want to try them on as the aforementioned tongue structure does make the shoe feel narrower through the midfoot. It’s a similar fit to the adidas Boston 9 but hugs your foot more in order to be race day ready. That said, the toebox is plenty wide and I think the majority of people can wear their true size.
Support
The Adios Pro, like most racing shoes, doesn’t pack a ton of support, just a few small things to keep you upright. The Adios Pro’s heel counter is a small vertical tab and you sit ever so slightly inside the midsole at the heel and midfoot. The midfoot lockdown is great due to the tongue structure and that keeps you firmly attached to the footbed.
And for those that need even more lockdown? Adidas’ pros wanted extra lace holes to customize the fit so you get them too. 10, count them, 10 extra lace holes on the lateral side of the shoe offer the ability to lace up in any number of configurations. It’s probably the most versatile current racing shoe in terms of fit and support.
Overall
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro is a legit race day beast. If you enjoy the feel of the carbon rods and the fit through the midfoot, you’ll love them. The Adios Pro is just as good as other race day focused carbon plated super shoes. And at $200, the Adios Pro is priced better than similar offerings from Nike, Brooks, and New Balance. Only the Saucony Endorphin Pro is priced the same as the Adios Pro. If you’re in the market for a race day shoe, the Adios Pro deserves heavy consideration.
Where to Buy the adidas Adizero Adios Pro
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro will be available in the Pink/White colorway at 8am on October 14, 2020 at adidas in a Creators Club only release (free sign up).
Thanks to adidas for sending a pair to test. adidas was not given any editorial control of the review. This review is based on our weartesters’ experiences using the shoes for speed workouts, trail runs, treadmill training, long runs, casual wear, and more.
