Adizero Adios 2010

February 22, 2010

The Adizero class of shoes is characterized by very lightweight racers and trainers, generally featuring weights between 7 and 9 ounces.

It's only right to start out our discussion of Adidas for 2010 with this shoe, since this is the world record breaking shoe Haile Gebreselassie ran in during his Berlin marathon 2008 race.

This shoe is exceptionally light, it's fast but its still has enough cushioning even when you are not built like the diminutive Gebreselassie. It fits perfectly in the heel, it's got a very lightweight mesh upper and it's in a bright blue color (replacing last season's yellow). The shoes are very responsive and feel like you can only run in them fast.

The upper is narrow but not too narrow. It fits just right on most feet; but those who like a roomier toe box or who have wide feet might take exception.

Adizero shoes all fit a bit low around the maleolus (the bony protrusion of the ankle, made famous by Kathy Bates in Misery), which makes them feel even lighter than they are. This shoe is so light it should be used only once a week and only by experienced athletes. With a weight of 7.4oz it's a coin-flip whether this shoe sits better in the neutral trainer or the racing flat category.

The Adizero Adios is not available in a specific women's last, but is available starting in men’s size 5.

As an aside, just over a year ago triathlete Dave Jewell, then working for Adidas, started a discussion on the Slowtwitch Reader Forum explaining the shoes in the Adizero category. It's slightly dated, but, still has legs (even though Dave now works for Zoot's footwear division), especially since forum threads often have a way of keeping themselves current.

[Editor’s note: Our capable editor-at-large for footwear Jeroen van Geelen owns Total Running, one of the more important running and triathlon retail establishments in The Netherlands.]