Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Gear Review: Adidas Adios

As the time has come to say goodbye to my pair of Adidas Adios I figured that I've logged enough miles in them to give my $.02.  I purchased the Adios at Paragon Sports in NYC during the weekend of the Aquaphor NYC Triathlon in 2012.  I'm typically a heavy researcher for all my purchases but these were an exception and basically an impulse-buy due to the coupon I received at the race expo.

The Adios were only the third make of shoes that I'd purchased since I'd begun running.  At the time I had just about finished burning through my second pair of New Balance MR1400s and was in the market for something more durable.  I'll admit that I was drawn to the sole of the Adios which is made by Continental; seeing as how they manufacture car tires I hoped the shoes would wear well.  Once the sole drew me in, the weight and fit of the Adios sealed the deal.


Fit
The Adios is a fairly narrow shoe and is probably not suited for runners with wide feet. It fits me snugly but comfortably through the mid-foot and has never felt too tight. The toe box is not as roomy as other shoes I've owned but I never found that to be a problem. 

At the time I bought the Adios I was sort of obsessed with heel-toe drop; I've since realized that - with the exception of the massive-heeled, overly cushy variety - my running form makes drop less relevant.  I am a forefoot striker and the wear pattern on my shoe proves that I almost never land on my heel. Regardless, for those concerned: the drop is about 12mm which is average-to-highfor a typical racing flat.

The Ride
I find the Adios to be a pretty stiff shoe and as a result they simply like to go fast.  I had never really planned on using them for my slower, longer runs and my first run in them corraborated that intention.  It's not that they are unforgiving (they do have a bit of cushion) but due to their firm sole they are much more suited to the quicker turnover and lighter foot strike I tend to favor when running fast.

My first couple of runs in the Adios left my feet a little more worse for the wear than I was used to them feeling.  My previous flats (the New Balance MR1400) were much softer and more forgiving.  What the Adios give up in comfort (at least initially) they make up for in speed.  The more I ran in them the more I came to appreciate the stiffness which seems to rebound the energy in each stride right back into my legs.  By comparison, the few times I have run in the New Balance since owning the Adios they now feel too soft, squishy, and almost sloppy. 

I mostly use the Adios for my faster workouts and have run up to about 10 miles in them.  I have also done the majority of my shorter-distance racing in them including several 5Ks, Sprint triathlons, and a couple of Olympic-distance races.  I think I could easily run a half-marathon in them and plan to do so in my next pair.  A marathon is probably pushing it for the Adios; I think at that distance I'd rather have a bit more cushion.

Final Thoughts
My first pair of Adios are officially retired now (after logging upwards of 300 miles).  I shopped around several times for new flats and came home empty-footed each time.  I tried on several pairs of flats, none of which felt good enough to steer me away from just buying another pair of Adios.

In the end I decided that if "it ain't broke" I should just get another pair and so I did.  I am currently breaking in my new set of kicks and have no regrets with my decision.

For additional (more thorough and technical) reviews of the Adios 2 check out:

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