Adidas has announced the release of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, its lightest – and supposedly fastest – supershoe yet. Weighing just 138g (that’s around 85g lighter than the Adios Pro 3), the shoe is set to premier on the feet of some of the world’s greatest marathon runners this autumn.
The Adios Pro Evo 1 features Adidas' newly developed Lightstrike Foam Pro midsole for greater energy return and has a stack height of 39mm in the heel and 33mm in the forefoot (giving it a 6mm heel-to-toe drop). There’s also a new forefoot rocker, designed to trigger forward momentum and increase energy return.
Meanwhile, the sock liner used in the Pro 3 has been completely removed to save weight. According to Moritz Hoellmueller, vice president of design running at Adidas, this doesn't make a big difference to the feel of the shoe.
'There's still structural support as well as foam in the key areas like the heel collar [for comfort] and the sling shot around the heel to lock you in,' he told RW.
There's also a reengineered upper that uses a super translucent material.
But the biggest weight saving (70g) comes from a new cutting-edge outsole that enables increased traction for less weight.
'It's the thinnest and lightest outsole we've ever created,' Charlotte Heidmann, senior global product manager at Adidas, tells RW. 'It's still [made of] rubber, but it's completely flat – there are no grooves anymore. But the grip is still the same – we've tested it in the rain with our athletes and wear testers.'
The brand says a number of its elite runners will be competing in the Adios Pro Evo 1 during autumn marathon season, including four athletes at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday 24 September and Benson Kipruto at the Chicago Marathon on Sunday 8 October.
But this latest supershoe isn’t just for the elites. Adidas says it’s also for ‘ambitious marathon runners’ and is releasing a limited 521 pairs of the Pro Evo 1 globally today (Wednesday 14 September).
Interested in getting your hands on a pair? Here's the caveat: not only is this Adidas' lightest ever shoe, it's also its most expensive. The Adios Pro Evo 1 will set you back a staggering €500/£400 (yes, we had to do a double-take too).
And how many miles can you expect for this price? According to Heidmann, there's a card in all 521 boxes stating that the shoe is designed for 'one race – so one marathon – plus familiarisation time'.
Has Adidas just created the most extravagant supershoe of all time? It appears so. Does it have the potential to dethrone the Alphafly for the title of world-record holder? We'll find out on Sunday 24 September.
