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Adidas Adizero: rods instead of a plate

Adizero is not a model but the speed line of adidas, and what sets it apart sits in the sole. Where most racing shoes hide one continuous carbon plate in the foam, adidas uses separate rods. On the Adios Pro you can even see their ends jut out of the sidewall: five points in a row, one per metatarsal. They flex with the foot instead of lifting it as a single unit.

Around them sits the foam the line runs on, with the name pressed full into the sidewall. The upper is kept as thin as possible each time, often half-translucent, with the three stripes as perforated bands over it. Everything is built around one question: how much can you strip away before the shoe gives out.

The range on this page is large, and the name after Adizero tells you what the shoe is for. Adios Pro is the marathon racer, with the full rod construction. Takumi Sen is the short-distance racer, built for five and ten kilometers. Boston is the counterpart for training and tempo, meant for anyone who races in the Adios Pro. EVO SL uses the same racing foam but drops the rods, which makes it fit for daily fast running. Prime X goes the other way with extra stack height.

Two branches fall outside that lineup. Ubersonic is the tennis version, built for sideways moves on a court, and older versions like the Adizero XT and Prime Boost come from the days when the line still ran on Boost foam.

Anyone after comfort rather than speed looks to the UltraBOOST or the Supernova. Those stand on the same brand philosophy but with the opposite goal: there, material gets added back in.

On this page you can see which versions of the Adidas Adizero are running hottest right now according to the Hypescore, from what price they’re available, and how many shops have them in stock.