Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5

The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 is the Adidas racing shoe for the marathon and half marathon, the generation that brings everything learnt from the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, the ultralight shoe in which Sabastian Sawe broke two hours, into the standard range. While the Evo 3 is reserved for a chosen few, this Pro 5 is the super shoe for everyone else, as long as they have deep pockets. It takes over from the Adizero Adios Pro 4, a hit with critics and runners alike, and sits at the top of the Adizero range ahead of the Adizero Takumi Sen 11, the racer more focused on intervals and shorter races.

The changes from the previous generation are felt on the foot before they are seen. The Lightlock 2.0 upper is an ultra-thin, very breathable mesh, with less internal volume than the Pro 4 and a thin tongue that is now stitched to the sides, so it stays put and avoids annoying creases when you push hard. The forefoot has been widened slightly and the heel has a little more padding, although the fit is still snug and designed for rather narrow feet: the toe box narrows quickly and the toes end up tight. Sizing is as usual and, at last, Adidas ships it with the serrated laces that do not come undone, a welcome detail on a racing shoe. The heel pull tab is missed, a small luxury of the previous version that disappears here.

The midsole is the part that has been reinvented and draws the most interest. The Lightstrike Pro foam debuts a two-layer formulation, with PEBA on top and ATPU below, and the ENERGYRODS give way to the ENERGYRIM, a carbon rim that runs around the perimeter of the midsole and leaves the foam exposed right under the foot. The result is a clearly softer, friendlier ride in the central area, with a bounce that appears when you pick up the pace and that rewards the runner who racks up miles at a sustained pace rather than the one looking for an explosive toe-off, a distinction Asics already made in its day with the Metaspeed Edge Tokyo and the Metaspeed Sky Tokyo. The outsole, made mainly of LIGHTTRAXION, has the typical layout that seems to wear out just from looking at it, and the patch of Continental™ rubber under the big toe stands out, there for better grip at toe-off.