Reviewed: adidas Supernova Rise & Solution

Why two shoes in one review you ask? Well, they are kind of the same shoe but built for different people so I thought it made sense to review both at the same time. I’ll explain in a moment.

adidas, a brand with a long history in running, yet a complicated one in the recent world of run specialty retail so not familiar to many. adidas gets credit for changing the industry with the launch of Boost foam back in 2013 as it was the first trainer with a bouncy, high response foam, a foam created by BASF that had a higher rebound then regular EVA. When Boost launched every other brand realized they had to play catchup and fast.

At that time, adidas dedicated a lot of resources on being in run stores and getting on the feet of everyday runners and it worked, as Boost was very successful. Yes, it was kind of heavy, but man what a ride and so different from everything else at the time.

Then they did a corporate shift away from brick-and-mortar stores and changed to a direct-to-consumer focus and promptly lost the everyday runner as they also shifted away from Boost to newer foams and an elite level focus. They were still making some great shoes, but more in the niche/specialized category of high performance (adizero) and lost ground to every other brand that was outfitting the masses, and also launching their own new high rebound foams.

Enter 2024 and a complete re-focus for the product line, with dedicated models for the masses, while still making great high-end products. Think of Supernova as a collection of models for the everyman/women. The workhorse shoe that logs all the miles and doesn’t cost you your first born. Now why the two-shoe review? As I stated, they are very similar, Rise is the neutral daily trainer and Solution is the guidance version. Both feature Dreamstrike+ midsoles and very similar support rods between the Dreamstrike+ foam and the rubber outsole.

Those EVA rods on the Solution are aligned a bit more to the medial side by combining two rods together, offering more guidance/control, while on the Rise they remain more neutral providing transition assistance from heal to forefoot. Looking at the midsole, they are very similar with the Solution offering a higher stack height. Its in the midsole where you can easily see the difference between the two shoes Support Rods (the grey foam near the outsole), with the rods on the Solution being thicker and more sculpted, again to provide additional support/guidance.

So, how do they feel? Really nice. My foot pattern from midstance to toe off does best in a guidance shoe as my foot travels from lateral to medial going too far past neutral, losing me propulsion forces and causing my Achilles to be a mess. So, for me the Solution is a “better” option and between the upper, higher stack and extra guidance I got a really nice riding shoe for daily mileage. My heart, on the other hand ,preferred the Rise — a little lower to the ground, a slightly snappier, more alive ride and some extra flexibility. I do know long term for me that adds up to issues but if I had both I’d use Rise on shorter, quicker days and Solution on longer, slower days.

Overall, both shoes are really nice options. Great mesh on the upper that has a very good accommodating fit. Both are well cushioned without being overly soft and mushy and have some pop to them (Ride has more pop, Solution more cushion). It comes down to whether you need a little extra guidance in your stride but I’d say these are the 2 best daily trainers adidas has made in years. Add them to a rotation of faster models such as Boston 12 and adios Pro 3 and adidas has you covered.

Specifications

Supernova Rise
Cost: $140.00
Mens: 9.7oz (275g)
Womens: 8.6oz (243g)
Stack: 28.5mm/18.5mm
Drop: 10mm
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.7 oz (304g)

Supernova Solution
Cost: $140.00
Mens: 10.3oz (293g)
Womens: 8.6oz (245g)
Stack: 35mm/25mm
Drop: 10mm
*My 10.5 US weighed 10.7 oz (304g)

You can purchase either shoe here.

**I have no idea how my two pairs weigh exactly the same but they do, they shouldn’t but they do

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