Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 2
I first experienced the thrill of racing in the Adizero Adios Pro 2 on the international stage. I ran the Paris Half Marathon this past March in the shoes after logging just one short test run in them a few days prior. Despite jet lag, miles of walking in the City of Lights, and fueling solely on croissants, I still clinched a PR.
The shoe fits like Asics’s Metaspeed Sky: not restrictive around the midfoot, not too narrow in the toebox. Its synthetic upper provides paper-thin coverage that hugs your foot much like a track spike or racing flat. It’s a tight fit squeezing your foot into the Adizero Adios Pro 2, with its flat tongue and secure padded collar. But the folded heel tab makes all the difference, helping you ease into the shoe with little struggle.
The midsole is two layers of resilient LightStrike Pro foam, which delivers high rebound, and cushions ground contact so your body doesn’t take a beating. In place of a carbon-fiber plate, which the original Adizero Adios Pro had, are five connected carbon-infused rods that resemble the metatarsals in your foot. EnergyRods 2.0, as Adidas calls them, aren’t as stiff as a full-length carbon-fiber plate, and they work with the movement of your foot instead of forcing it into position during turnover.
Completing the trifecta of what a super shoe entails, the last component after responsive foam and carbon fiber is geometry. The Adizero Adios Pro 2 has a rocker with a transition point located at 70 percent of the shoe’s length. This positioning helps your foot roll forward as you accelerate. Molly Sunderlin, a local tester who slightly underpronates and runs with a midfoot strike, told us that the rocker worked well with her running mechanics, saying her stride felt “easy and efficient.”
Sunderlin also noted that, even though the fit was a little too roomy, the shoe still felt stable and secure.
“The platform is quite wide and the midsole is medium-soft—not so soft that you squish into it. I felt in control even on some muddy roads following rainstorms,” she said.—Amanda Furrer
