At the 2026 London Marathon, Sabastian Sawe became the first man to run an official marathon in less than two hours. The Kenyan-born runner’s performance has been credited to his training, fitness and mindset, but attention has also turned to his footwear: the Adidas adizero adios pro evo 3, priced at £450.
This is the first sub-100g super shoe, weighing 97g in a UK size 8.5. It was also worn by Tigst Assefa, who broke her own women’s-only marathon world record, and Yomif Kejelcha, who also broke the two-hour barrier on his competitive marathon debut.
The shoe features a carbon fibre-infused “energy rim” in the midsole instead of a full carbon plate, providing stiffness and speed without unnecessary bulk. The outsole is half a millimetre thick and only covers the areas where athletes step. The midsole is less dense than predecessors but offers ample energy return under the forefoot. The rip-proof upper is reinforced with a lattice of fabric.
Testing the shoe on a treadmill, the reviewer noted it felt awkward at slow speeds but became responsive when running faster. The forefoot offered bounce while the rear depressed under heel weight. The shoe is designed for forefoot strikers aiming for fast times, and is not recommended for casual runs.
The shoe was released on 30 April and is available from Adidas. While the shoe does not make the runner, it can provide a marginal difference at elite level where every millisecond counts.
