Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 Shoes Review

Introduction

4 years ago, when the Adizero Adios was still a racing flat, I don't think anyone could have envisioned the direction that it was going to take. It used to be a lightweight, lean racing machine, designed for elite runners to race marathons in or for non-elites to race 5K’s, 10K’s and half marathons. It's now a very different beast.

It's still designed for elite runners but now it can be used by mid-pack runners because it has long-distance comfort in spades thanks to its super thick, super foam midsole. It also has a midsole geometry which utilizes a rocker to save energy. 

The Adios Pro is Adidas’ flagship marathon racer and is a very unique super shoe. Instead of using a full-length carbon plate like the rest of the crowd, it uses carbon ENERGYRODS which mimic the metatarsals in your feet.

When the original Adios Pro was launched in 2020, it was one of the most difficult super shoes to purchase because of how high demand was and how low supply was. As soon as elite Adidas runners started winning races in it, it increased demand even more.

The Adios Pro was unlike any other Adidas running shoe that had even been produced. It was soft, highly cushioned, light and stiff. Everything about this racer seemed to work and elite runners have continued to achieve podium spots in world marathon majors while wearing it.

The Adios Pro series is a very exciting one because every year, it gets very big, significant updates. A year after the Adios Pro was launched, Adidas launched the Adios Pro 2 and it had some significant changes to its midsole which altered its ride character such as the medial side foam cutout and the higher toe-spring.

It was a less stable shoe compared to version 1 and elite runners were still choosing the original version to race in instead of this new version.

The Adios Pro 3 is a complete overhaul of the Adios Pro 2. It has a new outsole, midsole and upper. It weighs slightly more than the Adios Pro 2 (2 g heavier) and is $30 more expensive.

Specifications

Price	$330
Drop	6.5mm (39.5mm heel, 33mm forefoot)
Surface	Road
Weight (US 9)	Men (215 g)
Pronation Control	Neutral

 

 

Upper

The Adios Pro 3 uses a single-layer celermesh which is very porous, very breathable and has no stretchiness. The mesh is not as soft as other racing shoe uppers but with medium-thick socks, the upper feels very comfortable.

 

The tongue of the Adios Pro 3 is thin and not gusseted so you have to make sure that the tongue lies flat against the top of your foot when putting the shoe on. During runs, there is no tongue slide because there's a lace loop that goes through the middle of the tongue.

The bottom of the tongue borrows a design from the Adizero Prime X. The first 2 rows of laces pass through thin wire loops to make the forefoot fit wider and more accommodating.

 

There is no heel counter so the heel of the Adios Pro 3 is completely collapsible. There is padding on the inside of the collar to lock your heel in and it is very effective- there's also no heel slippage in the Adios Pro 3. There are double first row eyelets are provided for heel lock lacing if you need a more secure hold.

 

The thin heel tab is floppy and it can be worn up or down. This is a very unique feature for a running shoe and is similar to soccer boots from 20 years ago which had tongues that could be worn up or down.

 

Last year, the Adios Pro 2 fit a half size large but Adidas has fixed the fit issue so the Adios Pro 3 now fits true to size. It has a narrow heel, midfoot and toe box with a slightly wider forefoot but the Adios Pro 3 is more suited to narrow feet than wide feet.

There is no reflectivity so this tells us that the Adios Pro 3 was designed exclusively for racing and not for training.

Midsole

There are 3 big changes to the midsole of the Adios Pro 3. The first change happens inside. The first 2 versions of the shoe had a carbon plate embedded in the heel. The Adios Pro 3 no longer has a heel plate so the ENERGYRODS 2.0 extend right into the heel. As a result of this change, the Adios Pro 3 feels softer in the heel and the forefoot cushioning now feels more consistent with the heel.

 

The second change is that the midsole flares out more in the midfoot and forefoot which provides a much stabler ride than the Adios Pro 1 and 2. The heel is also slightly wider so stability has vastly increased.

The medial cutout from V2 is still present in V3 and this allows the shoe to be lighter since Adidas’ testing has indicated that this section of the midsole is not crucial.

 

The third major change to the midsole is that there is more midsole foam under the forefoot so the drop has decreased from 8.5 mm to 6.5 mm. You can't feel the change in drop but you can definitely feel the extra cushioning under the forefoot.

 

The lateral side of the midsole at the forefoot now has a small cutout which exposes one of the ENERGYRODS 2.0. This is also a weight-saving feature and one which we first saw on the Takumi Sen 8. The cutout can't be felt during runs.

The main purpose of ENERGYRODS 2.0 is to provide stiffness in the midsole. This allows the forefoot rocker to work more effectively and it provides a high level of snappiness which wouldn't be there if the forefoot flexed like in a training shoe.

The ENERGYRODS 2.0 are so unique because each individual rod has the ability to move vertically independently. This is the main advantage over a carbon plate and it makes the ride feel more natural.

 

The Lightstrike Pro foam which makes up the midsole of the Adios Pro 3 is the same that made up the midsole of versions 1 and 2. Adidas doesn't tinker with the Lightstrike Pro foam so the cushioning feels consistent throughout all 3 versions. Lightsrike Pro feels dense underfoot but it's still one of the softest-feeling and highest energy returning midsole foams in all the super shoes.

The midsole consists of 2 layers of Lightstrike Pro with the ENERGYRODS 2.0 sandwiched between the layers. It feels as if it's still one single chunk of foam which is a good thing.

Outsole

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The updated outsole of the Adios Pro 3 features more midsole foam protection for increased durability as well as cutouts in the rubber which allow it to save additional weight.

A modified type of thin outsole rubber is used on the majority of the outsole. This rubber feels thin and matte to the touch. This rubber allows the Adios Pro 3 to remain light but still have excellent traction. You get a very small amount of thicker, regular Continental rubber on the toe area for better traction during toe-offs.

 

There are now many, large cutouts in the rubber on the forefoot and rear foot. Grip is still fantastic on all types of terrain and in all kinds of weather conditions. The rubber has a sandpaper-like finish to it which provides excellent traction. The exposed Lightstrike Pro foam is very soft which also provides good traction.

There is a new, thin, transparent plastic piece under the medial side of the rear foot, glued right underneath the rubber. This provides extra support on the medial side of the heel and also increases durability.

 

The midsole cutout exposes the ENERGYRODS 2.0 on the medial side. This cutout does decrease the level of stability but now that the net base of the Adios Pro 3 is wider, the lack of stability isn't a big issue anymore.

Durability of the Adios Pro 3 is slightly lower than the average super shoe and this is down to the outsole rubber being so thin. It's a shoe designed specifically for racing so you'll want to save your Adios Pro 3 for special racing occasions and key workouts.

Ride

 

The Adios Pro 3 is an excellent long-distance cruiser. The extra foam in the forefoot provides an even softer ride with more cushioning compared to its predecessor so the Pro 3 now has more long-distance comfort. The Pro 3 is one of the more cushioned super shoes on the market.

Adidas made a change to the geometry of the midsole to make it feel faster and more efficient. The forefoot of the shoe is now angled upwards, at a 45 degree angle. This results in a forward-tipping sensation, a similar feeling which you get in the Vaporfly Next% 2.

 

The forward-tipping sensation assists in getting you through transitions much faster, which allows for a quicker turnover. As a result of this, the Adios Pro 3 feels faster than the Adios Pro 1 and 2.

The Adios Pro 3 is a very versatile racing shoe. It feels just as comfortable at easy paces as it does during marathon-paced efforts. This is due to the extra stability that they have engineered into the show and the extra cushioning.

However, it was built for the marathon distance and that's what it feels best doing. At target marathon pace, the Adios Pro 3 really shines. During long runs, the shoe feels really efficient and energy-saving  because of its high toe-spring while the forward-tipping sensation provides propulsion.

 

With the extra stability, close to the end of long runs when your form deteriorates the extra stability makes a big difference. It's also now more suitable for slight overpronators who found version 2 not stable enough.

When it comes to transitions, the Adios Pro 3 still feels very smooth despite the large midfoot cutout on the medial side. The single-density Lightstrike Pro midsole feels very consistent from heel to toe now, with the removal of the heel plate.

Conclusion

 

With the Adios Pro 3, Adidas has managed to improve every aspect of the Adios Pro series: its upper fits better and is now true to size, its midsole has more cushioning so it is more stable and its outsole has more rubber which makes it more durable.

When it comes to the ride, versatility has improved because it feels more comfortable at slow paces and it also feels better on long runs due to the extra forefoot cushioning.

The new, upward-angled, more aggressive forefoot makes the shoe feel faster, more efficient and more dynamic. This was missing in the first 2 versions.

The Adios Pro 3 is only 2 grams heavier than version 2 which is an incredible masterclass in design because there is so much more foam in the midsole of the Adios Pro 3 compared to its predecessor.

The Adios Pro 3 feels like a more polished, more refined version of the Adios Pro 2 and I'm sure we'll see more elites and amateurs on the starting lines of races in the Adios Pro 3, even though it has increased in price. 

In an Adidas running shoe rotation, the Adios Pro 3 would pair perfectly with the Supernova 2 or the Solarglide 5 for daily training, the Boston 11 for workouts/tempo runs and the Adios Pro 3 for marathon racing.

 Reviewed by Brandon Law

Check out Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 Here