In production · road · Tempo / Race day · $90
Lightweight, firm budget racer for track work and 5Ks.
Built for tempo, race day, at a target pace of 6:15–8:30 /mi on road.
Adidas tuned this midsole firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 28 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.30 per mile at $90.
For the foams and plates Adidas uses across its line, read the Adidas brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
210 g / 7.4 oz
65 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
28 mm
8 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$90
70 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Adidas line it is lighter than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (35 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Nike Rival Fly 4
235 g / 8.3 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Firm, low and cheap — the no-frills speedwork trainer.
Saucony Kinvara 16
198 g / 7.0 oz · 29 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $140
Saucony Kinvara 16: 29 mm heel stack, 4 mm drop, 207 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Brooks Launch 11(2024)
218 g / 7.7 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Firm, cheap, flexible and quick — the no-nonsense budget trainer.
Brooks Launch GTS 12
255 g / 9.0 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $120
The budget-friendly Launch with GuideRails added for mild support.