Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 Review
By Matthew Klein
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1Price: $499.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 4.87 oz, 138 g (Unisex men's size 9 / Women's size 10.5)
Stack Height: 39 mm / 33 mm
Drop: 6mm
Shoe Purpose: Superlight Super Racing Shoe
Pros: Extremely Lightweight, Highly Cushioned
Cons: Extremely Low Durability, Not as Responsive As Other Options
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 is a super light super racing shoe for those who have money to burn and want a super light rockered ride for distance racing. The midsole is a hand cut piece of a new type of Lightstrike Pro that brings keeps the weight super light while still providing some bounce and plenty of protection. The ride is highly rockered with a smooth heel to toe transition regardless of the pace. The upper is a paper thin mesh that holds the foot down while letting you focus on your effort. A shoe that has already broken records and bank accounts, the Evo 1 signifies a drastic change in racing shoe design as we finally see racing shoes dip back under the 5 oz range.
SIMILAR SHOES: Nike Vaporfly, ASICS Metaspeed Edge Paris
PAST MODEL: N/A
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Adidas Pro Evo 1 fits me mostly true to size in my normal Men's US size 10. The fit is slightly short due to the low volume upper, but this stretches and adapts over a few miles. Thus I would suggest going your normal size. The upper is an incredibly light material that I continue to fear I will rip every time I put it on. The forefoot fits normal-to-slightly wide for a racing flat. This transitions into a normal-to-slightly snug midfoot. The tongue is extremely thin and non-gusseted. I had to take special care every time I put the shoe on the make sure the tongue did not fold on itself. The heel is normal width to slightly snug with mild heel collar cushioning. There is no heel counter but there is some thicker material for structure at the posterior-most section of the heel. Those with Haglund deformities/heel sensitivities should be fine although I had some pressure on my heel that went away after a few miles. I did experience some mild heel slippage initially that went away as my feet adapted to the shoe. I was not able to lock down the laces more without lace locking the shoe as the thin upper may me concerned I would break it. Socks are an absolute must with this shoe as the front edge of the tongue has some loose mesh that can be irritable against bare skin. Overall, this is an incredible light upper that must be dialed in cautiously with what little adjustability there is.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Extremely Low Durability
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Evo 1 is a super light super racing shoe for 10k to marathon efforts. The midsole is a version of Lightstrike Pro that has an extremely low density and weight. It feels compliant underfoot, providing plenty of solid cushioning without feeling mushy. The resiliency is moderate as there is some bounce but not as much as I was expecting from a super foam. The weight is the most significant factor, coming in at under 5 oz (men's size 9). This is noticeable immediately and feels like you are barely wearing a shoe while being high off the ground. The higher stack height is also noticeable and creates a unique sensation combined with the super lightweight. There is a 6mm drop and it feels like it is at that level or level. The compliance of the foam and rocker can make this shoe feel low drop especially when landing at the heel. The heel transition is smooth thanks to a large posterior lateral heel bevel. This transitions quickly through the midfoot to an equally smooth forefoot rocker.
The rocker at the front starts early and makes transitioning off the toes extremely easy. Thanks to the carbon energy rods there is no flexibility in the shoe, but the rocker makes the shoe less stiff. The easy transition, extremely light weight and moderate resiliency make the Evo 1 best for 10k to marathon paces. I have done a variety of workouts in this shoe and found it to work best during longer efforts. The easy rocker makes it difficult for me to hit really fast paces (5k). However, for longer distance efforts the shoe feels light, smooth and efficient. 10k pace and up is my recommendation as it has felt best during tempo runs and longer intervals. There is a lower limit to pacing in this shoe as it does not feel special, outside of being light, at slower paces. Although it can be used for warm-ups and cool-downs (I would not suggest this due to the low durability), the midsole does not respond until the pace picks up. Therefore, I would only suggest this shoe to elite or higher-level athletes as slower runners will not get as much out of this shoe.
Traction-wise the sole grips basic road well. I would NOT take this on anything but smooth road as the exposed outsole will get torn up by anything but smooth surfaces. The durability is terrible and may be the worst I have ever experienced for the cost of the shoe. The rear outsole rubber ripped off at 10 miles of use for me in the middle of a workout. I stopped, grabbed the piece and continued the pacing. I chewed through some of the midsole finishing the workout and getting home. Fortunately used shoe goo to repair the outsole twice to get to 20 miles but have now stopped running in the shoe to hopefully save whatever is left for David to test. My experience suggests that this is only a shoe for efficient runners who do not wear down outsoles. Anyone who rips, scuffs, or in any way is hard on outsole should not purchase this shoe. Regardless of who you are, Adidas has suggested that this shoe is only good for one workout and one marathon race. Although I have read many reports of people getting far more mileage out of this shoe, most of us will probably tear it apart quickly.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 is a neutral racing shoe. There are no traditional methods of stability but there are some mild guidance concepts. The heel features a large posteriolateral bevel. This creates a laterally biased ride that provides some resistance to medial heel motion at initial contact. This transitions into a narrow midfoot that has some medial bias. I did not feel supported at the midfoot but at faster speeds was able to transition quickly through this area without issue. The forefoot is the most stable part of the shoe with significant medial and lateral flare on each side of the foot. This combined with the stiff plate and large forefoot rocker a guided and centered ride during toe-off. Those with mild medial stability needs at the heel and forefoot may do well here while those with neutral mechanics at the midfoot will do best in the Evo 1.
Thoughts as a DPT: Weighing in On the Limitations of Lighter Weights in Super Racing Shoes
By Matthew Klein
While super racing shoes seemed to have maxed out the benefits of stack height thanks to World Athletics limits, the current shoe development races involve shoe weight and midsole properties. The current evidence on footwear seems to suggest that a combination of a maximal stack height, some kind of stiffening agent, a lighter weight and a resilient midsole material are key to creating a shoe in this category (Hebert-Losier & Pamment, 2023; Joubert & Jones, 2022). What the optimal combination is may be unique to each individual athlete rather than there being a perfect formula. Research has suggested ~1% improvements for the individual additions of a stiffening agent, lighter weights and resilient midsole materials.
What is key to understand is that the combined effect of these components together improve running economy less than the sum of all their individual improvements (Perry et al., 2024). This suggests there interactions have a limit or the optimal levels have not been determined. Balancing out each one is key. So when you have a super light racing shoe like the Evo Pro 1, there may be diminishing returns with aggressive amounts of one component like weight. We know that as shoes get lighter, there are inherent sacrifices that have to be made. Durability is certainly one, as most lighter materials, which tend to be less dense, do not last as long against wear as more dense materials. Midsole resiliency may also be another.
As shoes get lighter, the midsole can be made less dense but the ability to continue to reform to the original shape may be compromised. This may explain both my experience with the Evo 1's not having the most resilient midsole I have tried and the limited durability warning from Adidas. There are many reasons that many records have been broken in this shoe. One reason may be that certain people, like elite athletes, benefit most from individual components like weight, resiliency, etc. However, a certain combination of all the components is still needed and the more extreme one component becomes, the more limitations the overall shoe may have.
Joubert, D. P., & Jones, G. P. (2022). A comparison of running economy across seven highly cushioned racing shoes with carbon-fibre plates. Footwear Science, 14(2), 71-83.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: I'm honestly not sure how to give feedback for this shoe. Per Adidas, the midsole of each Pro Evo 1 is hand cut. It is the lightest racing shoe on the US market even with the maximal stack height, plate. For $500, the midsole is not as responsive as I would expect, which may be a limitation of such a low-density material. My major suggestion would be to deal with a small weight increase to improve the resiliency of the foam. The foam is compliant but not as resilient compared to other top performers on the market. For a little extra bounce, a greater than 5 oz weight may be worth it. From a durability perspective, I would highly suggest making the outsole coverage full length rather than split up. From my mechanics, it is easy to catch non-continuous outsole pieces and I knew the second I saw this shoe that I would rip the posterolateral piece off. I would suggest using a full-length amount of the forefoot outsole material for durability. I understand this is a single-use shoe, but for $500, I expect a few more miles before I have to use shoe goo.
I would also highly encourage Adidas to work on a version of this that uses the many lessons in a more appropriate cost range. I am hoping the Adios Pro 4 is heavily influenced by the creation of this product as most people will not and should not purchase a pair of the Evo 1s. I appreciate the effort that went into this shoe, the records being broken and the incredibly specs. However, the price tag makes this an almost inaccessible product, which is challenging since running is meant to be a sport everyone can access.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 is for the most elite runners looking for the lightest racer on the market or those with additional income who want an incredibly light ride. The upper is paper thin and will work best for those with normal-width feet who do not need to adjust lacing. The midsole is highly rockered and will work best for those who want a super light and moderately responsive sole. The overall ride is neutral but will work for those who need mild forefoot guidance or mild medial stability. This is by far the most expensive shoe I have both tried and almost ruined. I have tried to shoe goo the outsole piece back on and will send it to David to try. However, the fact that this shoe came apart after only 10 miles for me indicates how insane the pricing is and how insane a single-use marathon shoe is. From a company that prides itself on reducing waste, creating a one-use shoe is confusing to me. Most runners who do not crush shoes as hard as I do will likely get far more miles out of this shoe. However, the price makes it extremely specific to the most elite, those with tons of disposable income or those looking for the lightest possible racing options. The majority of people out there do NOT need this shoe and instead look at other options like the Vaporfly/Alphafly, Metaspeed Edge Paris and others that cost half as much. Much like a concept car, it is still a cool idea and I hope that the lessons learned from this shoe are integrated into future racing models. For now, this is a cool to look at shoe but not one to buy.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+ (Rationale for grade)
Performance: A (Extremely lightweight rockered ride with moderate responsiveness that works best at moderate to faster paces)
Stability: B [Neutral] (Laterally biased rearfoot with medially biased midfoot and stable forefoot)
Value: F (Outsole came off after 10 miles. Midsole seems to last longer than predicted, but terrible durability for a shoe that costs $500. Equally good options for half the price)
Personal: C (I really want to like this shoe but the horrendous durability and lackluster midsole responsiveness are disappointing, especially at the price point)
Overall Design: C+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORAdidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1Price: $499.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
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