The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, dubbed 'humanity's fastest shoe', made headlines when Sabastian Sawe became the first person to run an official marathon in under two hours at the London Marathon on Sunday. Tigst Assefa also broke the women-only marathon record wearing the same model. The limited-release shoes go on sale to the public at 9am on Thursday, priced at £450.
Weighing just 99g, the shoes are 30% lighter than their predecessor and are the first sub-100g marathon super shoe. Adidas says they are the result of three years of research with world-class athletes. The upper material, a blend of textile and synthetic inspired by kitesurfing sails, is described as 'weightless', while the 'super foam' base is 50% lighter than earlier versions.
Our writer, a lapsed runner who had not run a 5km in months, tested the shoes after finishing 305th out of 345 runners at a local parkrun. Initially sceptical, they found the shoes surprisingly comfortable and bouncy, with a forefoot rocker that propelled them forward. Despite the cushioning, the writer's muscles ached and lungs struggled due to lack of fitness.
Nevertheless, the writer completed a 5km run in 34 minutes, one minute faster than their previous time. However, they noted that even 'humanity's fastest shoe' could not compensate for months of inactivity. The shoes have faced criticism for potentially providing an unfair mechanical advantage, similar to Nike's Vaporfly Elite, and questions remain about their durability, with some suggesting they are effectively 'one-marathon' shoes.
