Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 Review
By Matthew Klein
adidas adizero Adios Pro 4Price: $249.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 7.1 oz, 201 g (men's size 9), 6.4 oz, 181 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 39 mm / 33 mm
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Super Distance Racing Shoe
Pros: Light, Highly Responsive, Durable, Fast
Cons: Upper Slightly Short/Pressure on Toes, Unstable Midfoot
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is the latest version of Adidas's flagship super racing shoe. Featuring a completely redone upper and midsole with inspiration from the Pro Evo 1, the newest version features a bouncier midsole, a faster geometry, and a far lighter upper. A new Lightstrike Pro midsole makes for the softest and bounciest version of this foam yet in the Adidas lineup. A new lightweight upper fits slightly short but keeps weight down for those with normal to narrow feet. An early forefoot geometry makes for a quick transition off the front that, combined with a grippy outsole and the new midsole, gives this shoe a far faster ride than prior versions. The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a massive performance improvement for the series, and although it loses the slower versatility of the prior version, makes up for it with the ability to compete against other top-level super racing shoes currently on the market.
SIMILAR SHOES: Nike Vaporfly 3, Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 (review coming soon)
PAST MODEL: Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 fits me slightly short in my normal men's US size 10. The slightly short fit comes from the lower volume of the upper, which has put noticeable pressure on my first toe. This has not caused any issues over runs up to 13 miles but anyone considering marathon distances or longer should go up a half size. The upper material is an incredibly light and thin mesh called Micro Fit which also sits quite comfortably against the skin. The fit overall is slightly snug and fairly normal for a racing shoe. The toe box is slightly tapered with a thin toe guard that puts noticeable pressure on the first toe. As mentioned, this has not caused any issues other than mild discomfort during the warm up. This opens into normal width but lower volume forefoot. The midfoot is snug with a thin, gusseted and secure tongue. The laces are thin but stay locked in. The fit is secure enough that I did not have to tighten the laces much to get a good lock down. The heel is also snug with no heel counter and mild padding around the collar. The lack of a heel counter will work great for those with haglund deformities or sensitive heels. The "Slinglaunch" in the rearfoot, an external piece of overlay that wraps around the heel, actually does a good job of keeping the upper locked onto the rearfoot. This incredibly light upper is actually comfortable against bare skin along the length of the entire shoe except at the toe guard mentioned early. Wearing this sockless provides a little more length and certainly can be done, although those with sensitive toes should still be cautious.
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: Stiff
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Recommended for Sockless: Mostly Yes
Durability Expectation: Above Average
Editor's Running Dictionary
What is Lateral bias?: pushing runner's foot outward, eg. left foot encouraged more left, right foot pushed more right
What
is Medial bias?: pushing runner's foot more inward, eg. left foot wants
to fall more to the right, right foot wants to fall in more to the
left.
What is a posterolateral heel bevel?: a
curvature in the rear of the shoe that if positioned right can help
with transitions, in this case it is posterolateral, meaning situated on
the outer side and toward the back (eg. for left foot, the rear left
side of the shoe if you are looking down at your feet)
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a super racing shoe with a brand new Lightstrike Pro midsole and full length Carbon Energy Rods 2.0. The new Lightstrike Pro midsole is the bounciest and most resilient version of this material I have experienced. It is moderately soft, but extremely responsive - the most of any Adidas shoe I have tried. The entire shoe also feels incredibly light, even lighter than the 7.1 oz / 201 g (men's size 9) listed weight. There is a 6mm heel drop and it feels exactly like that, not too high or low. There is a posterolateral heel bevel that transitions smoothly and quickly into the midfoot. The midfoot transitions easily, almost like it isn't there, when running fast. When running slow, the cut out is more apparent and less stable. The midfoot cut out makes landing at the forefoot more comfortable, especially with the wider and more stable platform up front. The forefoot features a new early rocker that makes the shoe transition quickly.
Running at slower speeds feels slightly awkward as the shoe transitions forward almost before you are ready. This feels much more natural at faster speeds. I found that easy and uptempo efforts were awkward in this shoe and it did not shine until I started hitting 5k to half marathon efforts. It shines most at 10k paces (currently 5:45-6:05 pace with a stroller right now) where it felt easy to get into a rhythm running faster. Personally, this is a 5k-to-half marathon shoe to me as it is really aggressive and fast, but not stable enough for me to take for longer distances. Those who run faster and are more elite will easily be able to take this for marathon distances, although on an unrelated note I would again suggest going up a half size for that.
While the paces may feel best running faster over short to moderate distances, the outsole and durability easily hold up for long miles. I have 45 miles on my pair with no noticeable wear on the outsole. The new GCPU material has small lugs that grip pavement extremely well and the additional traction from the forefoot Continental rubber allow a great pull forward. While durable and gripping, this shoe is only good for road and track surfaces. The midfoot cutout, soft foam and road outsole make it not great on trails, but those interested in a super shoe for trails should definitely check on the Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra (review soon).
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a neutral racing shoe. There are a few elements that add some lateral bias, but these are offset by a midfoot with a large amount of medial bias and a softer midsole. There are no sidewalls, so those sensitive to those will not have an issue. There is significant sole flare in the forefoot, which is the most stable part of the shoe. The posterolateral heel bevel does create lateral bias at the heel, especially as the shoe breaks in and the foam softens. This transitions into a medially-biased midfoot that collapses inward unless you are running fast. The forefoot features a large amount of sole flare and the rocker has more material on the medial side than lateral. This creates a lateral bias of motion at toe off, which works extremely well for those with medial forefoot stability issues. The rods are also most apparent in the forefoot, adding additional torsional rigidity. The Adios Pro 4 may work as a forefoot stability shoe for those who need medial help, but will not do as well for those with midfoot stability needs. Even the heel, with its strong lateral bias, feels a little wobbly with the softer sole. So overall this shoe is neutral with a stable/laterally biased forefoot.
Thoughts as a DPT: When is Lateral Forefoot Bias Appropriate?
By Matthew Klein
Lateral forefoot bias refers to a forefoot design that encourages motion across the lateral foot, or towards the 5th metatarsal/toe, rather than the medial side. This can occur through several ways, including a stiffer medial forefoot (like a plate that is stiffer or travels more through the medial side), medial forefoot flare, a wedge design with a higher medial than lateral side, or a rocker that is angled slightly lateral. Two recent shoes that come to mind with the last feature are the Puma Fast-FWD and the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4. Both feature a little extra medial sole flare, which already resists motion in that direction and a forefoot rocker that is just slightly more filled in on the medial compared to the lateral side.
Bias in a shoe may be good for some people, while problematic for others. I personally respond well to lateral bias at the forefoot as I tend to collapse at the medial forefoot and do well with forefoot medial stability. Knowing what your preference is and what you respond best to is key as people are different and have different needs.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: In terms of making a high level, aggressive super racing shoe, the Adidas Adios Pro 4 is a massive improvement. The foam is way more responsive, the weight is far lighter, the geometry transitions forward quicker and the overall shoe is far faster. While I struggled to get the Adios Pro 3 to get into 5k to 10k paces, the Adios Pro 4 has no issue while still excelling over half/full marathon paces. The only challenges this shoe has is the slightly short fit and the less stable midfoot. Although the toe guard pressure on the 1st toe can be fixed with a half size up (which I may try), most people will be fine using this shoe over half marathon and less distances true to size.
Still, I suggest Adidas consider smooth that out/remove it as it adds unnecessary pressure over the toes. The midfoot cut-out feels far more apparent than prior versions. This is fine for those who transitions quickly through the shoe, have stable mechanics or those who land farther forward. Those rearfoot strikers with medial motion this can be a bit challenging combined with a softer foam. Rather than changing the foam (which is awesome), I would like to encourage Adidas to think about a central cut-out with both the medial and lateral sides filled in. This may save weight while still keeping a centered ride, rather than introducing bias. Outside of those things, this is a massive improvement from a performance standpoint.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is an aggressive racing shoe for those who land farther forward, want a bouncy, quick transitioning ride and a super light upper. The fit is best for those with normal to low volume feet wanting a light upper without a heel counter. Those using these for longer distances may want to consider a half-size given the pressure from the toe guard while those going half marathon and down may be fine. The ride is best for those who want a bouncy, light and responsive ride that excels at faster paces and is not meant for slower paces. Those who liked the Adios Pro 3 for being more accessible/stable may want to stock up on v3 while those who yearned for something more aggressive will love version 4. The Adios Pro 4 is a massive step up in performance with the bouncier foam, better grip and much lighter weight. The midsole is what I had hoped for and expected from the Pro Evo 1 and I am excited that Adidas has stepped up their foam game with their newest super shoe. Whatever new formula they are using is obviously a secret but it certainly works for running fast.
Unlike version 3, the Adios Pro 4 is tailored for faster running and will do best during workouts, races and uptempo long runs. The fact that the cost remains the same while the performance jumps up so much higher is great and compensates well for the loss of versatility into easier efforts. The Adidas Adizero SL will likely take the place of the Adios Pro 3's ability to tolerate easier efforts, although I cannot confirm this yet as I have not tried that shoe. While there are some mild upper issues to fix, the Adios Pro 4 continues to demonstrate Adidas's commitment to performance. If the Adios Pro series benefits this much from lessons learned through the release of the Evo Pro 1, then the development and creation of a $500 shoe may be worth it after all.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B+/A- (Super light upper with no heel counter and snug fit. Toe guard puts pressure on toe that may require a half size up)
Performance: A (Fast, bouncy, aggressive ride. Best for everything faster, less comfortable and awkward at slower/easy paces)
Stability: B [Neutral] (Neutral ride overall, Laterally biased forefoot and heel, midfoot medially biased. Softer foam and tall platform slightly wobbly)
Value: B+ (Fast ride that has a highly durable outsole. More specific and less versatile than the prior version, but definitely worth the money as it stacks up well against similarly priced super shoes)
Personal: B+/A- (If not for the slightly short fit and less stable midfoot, this would be a top racing shoe for me. I still like it and it will be something I keep reaching for but only for half marathon and under)
Overall Design: B+
SHOP | SUPPORT DORadidas adizero Adios Pro 4Price: $249.95 at Running Warehouse
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