Discontinued · road · Race day · $250
The sub-two-hour marathon experiment: minimal, ultralight, expensive.
Built for race day, at a target pace of 4:45–6:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10.
Adidas tuned this midsole very firm (1/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 20 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 6 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 narrow and performance-oriented; wide-footed runners should try before buying. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 200 miles from the outsole, about $1.25 per mile at $250.
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
155 g / 5.5 oz
120 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
20 mm
16 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$250
90 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
1 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~200 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.
Altra Golden Spike
155 g / 5.5 oz · 15 mm · 0 mm drop · — · $100
Zero-drop track spike for middle- and long-distance racing.
Adidas Adizero RC 5
210 g / 7.4 oz · 28 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $90
Lightweight, firm budget racer for track work and 5Ks.
Nike Free RN NN
197 g / 6.9 oz · 26 mm · 7 mm drop · — · $120
Nike Free RN NN: 26 mm heel stack, 7 mm drop, 197 g — specs from independent lab testing.
On Cloud Waterproof
250 g / 8.8 oz · 24 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $180
On Cloud Waterproof: 24 mm heel stack, 6 mm drop, 272 g — specs from independent lab testing.