adidas Adizero Adios 7 Review: Speedy
By Senior Contributor David Salas and Contributor Megan Flynn
The Adidas Adios line traditionally has been the racing shoe in the 3 stripe lineup up until recently. Now with the addition of the Adizero Adios Pro series the Adios series has become more of a performance trainer or training companion. The Adios 7 continues the speedy trainer (and potential racer) line with a light weight responsive package. The firmer and snappier platform is combined with a nice bouncy Lightstrike Pro midsole in the midfoot and forefoot.
Updated with Megan Flynn's review on November 4, 2022.
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 7.7 oz, 218 g (men's size 9), (women's not provided)
Stack Height: 27mm heel // 19mm forefoot
Drop: 8 mm
Classification: Performance Trainer
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
David: The Adidas Adizero Adios 7 is a performance trainer that has a relatively firmer and flatter profile built for speed work. The shoe has good traction underfoot and uses the traditional torsion system familiar to the series. The shoe uses a firmer Lightstrike midsole full length with nice amount of the bouncy Lightstrike Pro in the midfoot and forefoot. The Adios is a versatile performance trainer that can tackle fast paces and keep miles off of your special day shoes.
Megan: The Adios line has a history of being Adidas’s racing shoe, however with the release of the Adios Pro line, this non-plated version has taken a back seat (for racing, at least) and is now considered more of a performance trainer for speed/tempo workouts. The Adios line has been a staple shoe in my rotation since my college days for workouts ranging from speed to tempo to progression long runs. I always keep a pair in the rotation as my non-plated, back-to-basics flat and was very excited to test this version.
The Adidas Adios 7 is a lightweight, non-plated, performance trainer designed for racing or for up-tempo/speed workouts. The upper is a thin, breathable, and lightweight mesh material that makes these shoes a great option on hotter days. The tongue is lightly padded and partially gusseted and there is a thin layer of material around the ankle to protect from irritation, rubbing, and blisters. The midsole consists of a layer of Lightstrike foam throughout the length of the shoe and an additional layer of LightStrike Pro foam from the midfoot to the forefoot. The shoe is not plated; however, it does consist of the traditional torsion system (plastic shank) that extends from the heel to the midfoot and then splits medial and lateral in the forefoot. The outsole has Continental rubber on the lateral heel and medial forefoot to assist with traction and improve pushoff. Overall, this shoe is designed to shine at faster paces which allows the combination of the plastic shank, mild forefoot rocker, and Lightstrike Pro foam to work together and provide the ”pop” and bounce that is expected in a performance trainer.
SIMILAR SHOES: New Balance Rebel, ASICS Noosa Tri 14
FIT
David: The Adidas Adios 7 fits true to size in my normal Men's 9.5, though I think you could argue sizing down a half size due to length. The shoe fits similar to most Adidas performance shoes for me, being a little on the long side and a little more narrow through the midfoot. The tongue is lightly padded and lets me lock the shoe down a little bit tighter. I did have a little bit of heel slippage initially and used some of the additional eyelets to help with locking the shoe down a little bit better for me. The mesh material itself is very airy and decently comfortable. The volume through the shoe is a little lower and is consistent with that performance lock down fit in many speed shoes. There isn't a specific heel counter in the shoe but there is some slightly thicker material that lines midline of the calcaneus and like guide wires medially and laterally to help maintain the structure of that region. There is some suede overlay in the forefoot that seems to hold the structure pretty well too. Overall, the shoe itself is slightly long, but otherwise features a well-done performance upper.
Megan: The Adios 7’s have some extra room in the forefoot and are slightly on the longer size, but my normal size 6.5 was comfortable. The mesh upper is lightweight and breathable with medial and lateral forefoot overlays adding to the structure of the shoe. The upper includes a partially gusseted tongue which is lightly padded adding comfort for midfoot lockdown. The upper also includes an additional thin layer of material around the heel that extends slightly higher posteriorly, likely to protect from any irritation or blisters developing. The midfoot and forefoot are comfortable, however there is extra room in the heel which resulted in some slippage. There’s an additional medial and lateral padding, though not enough alone to secure the heel. A heel lock lace was able to provide more security in the rearfoot and improved the comfort of the shoe and the ride. The midfoot lockdown is pretty solid with a padded tongue and lacing system. The forefoot has some extra room in terms of length and width, but it did not impact the ride in my opinion. If anything it made for a more comfortable fit allowing more forefoot motion and flexibility.
PERFORMANCE
David: The Adidas Adizero Adios 7 is a performance trainer that likes to get things moving. The platform and geometry is a little flatter and not the big rocker design you are seeing in a lot of long distance racing shoes. The geometry lends itself to turning over fast and using your mechanics to drive the shoe. The shoe uses a dual density midsole with a firmer Lightstrike midsole through the full length of the shoe and the really soft and bouncy Lightstrike Pro through the midfoot and forefoot. The shoe has a lot of traction underfoot and gives you a good grippy platform to drive from. The shoe also uses the traditional torsion system (plastic shank) that extends from the distal rearfoot through the forefoot in a prong like motion as the shank blends with the medial and lateral aspects in the forefoot. This creates a firmer and snappier ride underfoot. On road conditions the shoe does feel a little rigid and "slappy" at easier paces but feels really smooth and responsive when running fast. The Lightstrike Pro really comes alive when you start entering tempo or interval pacing. There is a slight posterior lateral bevel that helps with easing the initial contact though it is not very dramatic. The shoe feels like it fits the traditional flat profile a little more and feels good at speeds. At easier paces it does ease up and feel less "slappy" when running in dirt or grass though. For me, this firm riding snappy performance trainer is a solid option for workout day whenever you want to run fast.
Megan: The Adidas Adios 7’s fall into the performance trainer category and over the 60 miles of testing, they prove to shine at tempo efforts/paces. They are a relatively flat shoe with a mild forefoot rocker. The shoe consists of a dual density midsole including a full-length lightstrike foam as well as a layer of LightStrike Pro from the midfoot to the forefoot. The Lightstrike Pro becomes more apparent at these faster paces and provides more of a “pop” on push-off that isn’t necessarily noticed at slower paces. In fact, at slower paces the ride seems very rigid and stiff and is actually pretty loud when contacting the pavement. I did a couple of easy runs in them to break them in and was a little disappointed with the rigid ride and lack of bounce/responsiveness that I was expecting from previous models I’ve worn. However, when I took them out for a fartlek type workout it was a different story. The combination of the Lightstrike Pro and the plastic shank (torsion system) resulted in the “pop” that I was looking for. The cushioning provided for a comfortable ride and added to the responsiveness of the shoe. As expected, the Continental rubber in the outsole never fails and provides excellent traction in all conditions I tested them in (rain or shine). The Adios line has been in my line-up of shoes consistently for the past ~10 years (or more) as my go-to, classic workout flat. The 7’s continue to impress in terms of performance and will remain as a staple in my rotation. Overall, the ride is comfortable, responsive, and “pops” at the faster tempo paces but wouldn’t be on my radar to wear for easy runs.
STABILITY
David: The Adidas Adizero Adios 7 is a pretty stable shoe for the category. The foam and platform is on the firmer side and blends well with the great Continental traction underfoot. The platform itself is a little more narrow and speed driven which does make the area underfoot a little less stable especially through the midfoot at easier paces. The torsion system does seem to provide enough rigidity to help with though. The torsion system prong design in the forefoot also helps with giving a solid trustworthy forefoot platform while still maintaining some softness or cushion in the midline of the shoe. The upper security is pretty good throughout once it is locked down with a solid lacing. The length creates a little room in the heel so I did need to use one of the additional eyelets to lock the shoe down more. The shoe has performed quite well for me in nearly any footing reasonable enough for a performance shoe or workouts. Outside of the foot movement due to length before locking it down the stability is pretty good.
Megan: As a performance trainer, the Adidas Adios 7’s provide a decent amount of stability and are more on the rigid side. The last of the shoe is relatively narrow from the rearfoot through the midfoot, however the forefoot widens and provides more width for full contact at push-off. The plastic shank (torsion system) provides rigidity and stability throughout the length of the shoe and helps guide the foot throughout stance phase of gait. The heel cup has extra room and required a heel-lock lace to provide adequate rearfoot stability and prevent slippage.
The midfoot is where most of the stability is provided with a firm lockdown from the lacing system along with the gussetted tongue. The last is narrowest at the midsole, however the lacing system uses the mesh upper to secure the midfoot throughout the stride. The mesh upper has very minimal elasticity which actually plays in the favor of the stability of the shoe allowing for a secure fit throughout the midfoot and improving comfort around turns. The secure midfoot combines nicely with the wider forefoot allowing for natural motion to occur from landing all the way to push-off.
THOUGHTS AS A DPT / FOOTWEAR SCIENCE
Why are many performance trainers and speed dependent shoes so stiff? This can be for a lot of reasons. When a platform has a little more rigidity and longitudinal bending stiffness the shoe will be harder to bend. Under greater forces and flex points the materials in the shoe will flex and provide a popping or bouncing sensation forward. In many ways a plate or stiffening agent will act more as a lever than it will a spring (Hoogkamer, Kipp, &
Kram, 2019). Increasing a lever arm under a greater amount of force will normally increase force output, though there is a lot of other factors that may influence this. Day & Hahn (2019) studied the effects of longitudinal bending stiffness on running economy and subjective comfort at varying speeds. They found that runners would show economic improvements in stiffer shoes compared to normal shoes at 17km/hr as compared to 14km/hr, despite the stiffer shoe being slightly heavier. Subjectively it was shown that the stiffer shoe was also more comfortable than the normal shoe at these higher speeds. There are a lot of factors that go into what makes a shoe pop, though one element that seems to be common and something worth looking at is longitudinal bending stiffness.
References:
Day, E. & Hahn, M. (2019). Optimal footwear longitudinal bending stiffness to improve running economy is speed dependent. Footwear Science, DOI: 10.1080/19424280.2019.1696897
Hookgamer, W., Kipp, S., & Kram, R. (2019). The biomechanics of competitive male runners in three marathon racing shoes: A randomized crossover study. Sports Medicine, 49(1), 133-143.
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I think the big thing to work on with the Adios 7 is the lockdown of the heel. I didn't have any problems with foot translation medially or laterally at any point, though I did have heel slippage. Once I used some of the additional eyelets and lace the shoe down tight then I did ok. I think cleaning up the length or heel security would be the best move as the other components of the shoe perform quite well.
Megan: Through testing, these shoes have proven to be a great option for tempo runs or even speed workouts. My one recommendation is to improve the fit of the heel. As with other Adidas performance shoes that I’ve tested (Takumi Sen 8s), the extra room in the heel results in slippage. Without a heel lock this significantly effects the comfort and ride of the shoe.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
David: The Adidas Adizero Adios 7 is a firmer riding performance trainer that really knows how to turn over when loaded. The shoe can be a little less smooth at slower paces especially on road conditions, though does okay in dirt and grass. The snappiness of the shoe really comes alive in workout and speedier efforts. Those that don't mind a little length on the shoe and like a snug fit throughout this is a solid performance trainer and training companion.
Megan: The Adidas Adios 7’s are an excellent choice for runners who are looking for a classic, non-plated workout flat that provides a decent amount of stability relative to other performance trainers. The combination of Lightstrike foam and Lightstrike Pro foam, the plastic shank, and the mild forefoot rocker provide the “pop” that people look for in a performance trainer. The responsive ride at faster paces and the level of stability the shoe provides makes the Adios 7’s a great choice to use in tempo and speed workouts.
GRADING
David
Fit: B (Good
volume and snug fit throughout with good security through the midfoot
and forefoot. Length issue being a little long required some lacing
modifications.)
Performance: B+/A- (Very
responsive performance trainer that is a little firmer riding. Not as
smooth at easy paces but can get it done for warm up and cool down.)
Stability: A- (The
upper fitting with length created a small amount of translation, though
otherwise is pretty solid with feeling secure on platform and traction)
DPT/Footwear Science: A- (A solid integration of new generation materials with a more traditional speed design without a plate)
Personal: A- (A
shoe that is really fun to run fast and workout in. It is a little
firmer and slappy at slower paces so this is really a workout day shoe
for me exclusively.)
Overall: B+/A- (A
solid performance trainer with some blends of new and traditional. A
firm and snappy shoe that requires a little bit of lockdown with the
upper.)
Megan
Fit: B+ (Slightly on the longer side and extra room around the heel bring this score down a bit)
Performance: B+ (At faster/tempo paces, the shoe performs pretty well. However, at easier paces it feels a lot more rigid/stiff)
Stability: A- (Relatively stable for a performance trainer. The heel lock and width of the midfoot last are the main things that can be improved for stability)
Personal: B+ (The Adios line is a staple in my workout shoe rotation and will remain there. However, the rigid ride at slower paces is definitely something I’ll consider before using them for a workout. For example, if a progression run is on the agenda, anticipate them being more uncomfortable in the early, slower miles.)
Overall: B+ (A great performance shoe with the right amount of “pop” at the right paces. I’ll keep them in the lineup for tempo and speedwork)
SHOP | SUPPORT DOR
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse
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***Disclaimer: These shoes were provided free of charge in exchange for a review. We thank the people at Adidas and Running Warehouse for sending us a pair. This in no way affected the honesty of this review. We systematically put each type of shoe through certain runs prior to review. For trainers and performance trainers, we take them on daily runs, workouts, recovery runs and a long run prior to review (often accumulating anywhere from 20-50 miles in the process). For racing flats we ensure that we have completed intervals, a tempo or steady state run as well as a warm-up and cool down in each pair prior to review. This systematic process is to ensure that we have experience with each shoe in a large variety of conditions to provide expansive and thorough reviews for the public and for companies. Our views are based on our extensive history in the footwear industry and years testing and developing footwear. If you are a footwear rep looking for footwear reviews or consultations on development, we are currently looking to partner with companies to assist, discuss and promote footwear models. Partnership will not affect the honesty of our reviews.
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