Latest revision as of 14:33, 3 January 2017

The Adidas Adios has a new material in the midsole (see 'Adidas Boost Foam' below) which has more spring and lasts longer than conventional foam. However, unlike the Adidas Energy Boost, the Adios is thinner and lacks the immediate comfort of the Energy. The Adios is a traditional design, with the heel raised 11mm above the forefoot, more than the Asics GT 2000, a shoe I consider the epitome of traditional shoe design. The Adios confirms the potential of the Boost foam, if only Adidas could design a descent shoe around it. I've rated the Adios as "worth considering." (I use The Science of Running Shoes as the basis of how I test running shoes and what you should look for in a running shoe.)

Adios Boost 2 top	Adios Boost 2 bottom
Adios Boost 2 inside	Adios Boost 2 outside

1 Characteristics

• Why you’d buy it. If you can tolerate the 11mm drop, you're a heel striker and you're after a shoe that will last a long time, consider the Adios.
• Cushioning . The Adios has limited cushioning, especially in the forefoot where it's similar to a shoe that I'd consider minimalist. The large drop means that the heel is better cushioned, though still very poor for its weight. The outsole wraps around the inside of the heel, creating a pseudo-medial post. This reduces the cushioning on the inside of the heel and I found it a little uncomfortable. However, the Boost material gives more spring than the equivalent conventional EVA foam.
• Drop. The Adios has an appalling 11mm of drop, which made it hard for me to run in them. Running in high heels tends to move my initial contact point back, so I become a heel striker in these shoes.
• Structure. This shoe uses single density of foam, but there are features that create biomechanical interference. There is the outsole that wraps around the inside edge of the heel and a plastic plate that pushes up under the arch area.
• Flexibility. The thin forefoot gives the Adios good flexibility.
• Outsole. There is a hard rubber covering most of the contact area of the shoe, which improves longevity. There are also hard plastic nodules in the middle of the forefoot that improves grip on asphalt.
• Shape. The Adios doesn't come close to matching the shape of the human foot, so cutting open the toe box is important. (I recommend cutting open the toe box of virtually all running shoes, with the exception of a few shoes like some Altra shoes. When you have some worn out shoes, you should try cutting open the toe box. I've found that it's a big improvement, allowing my toes to move naturally and engage for toe off, as well as reducing the possibility of blisters.)
• Upper. The upper is inflexible and rather thick, with worse breathability than many other shoes. There's no padding in the upper except a little around the ankle opening, but at least the upper is largely seamless.
• Tongue. The Adios has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces, with a little padding.
• Lacing. The flat laces work well and remained tied.
• Heel Counter. The heel counter is external, but remarkably hard. The Adios is one of the few shoes I've tried where I've found the heel counter slightly uncomfortable.

Please support this site This review was made possible by readers like you buying products via my links. I buy all the products I review through normal retail channels, which allows me to create unbiased reviews free from the influence of reciprocity, or the need to keep vendors happy. It also ensures I don't get "reviewer specials" that are better than the retail versions. Buy Adidas Adios Boost at Zappos Buy Adidas Adios Boost at Road Runner Sports Buy Adidas Adios Boost at Kelly's Running Warehouse Buy Adidas Adios Boost at Charlotte Ultra Running Company

2 Cushioning and Shoes

It's intuitively obvious that the cushioning in a shoe will reduce the impact on your body when running. However, The Science of Running Shoes indicates that the reality is rather more complex. While slight cushioning may reduce the effort needed to run by improving your Running Economy, most scientific research indicates that more cushioning does further improve Running Economy. In addition, cushioning does not generally reduce impact and may actually increase it. This is counterintuitive, but is likely to be due to the way a runners mind and body adapts to softer cushioning. Unfortunately, the scientific evidence is far from complete and it's hard to give clear recommendations. I believe that some runners will prefer more cushioning, while others prefer less, and typically those running further have a fondness for greater cushioning. I also believe that a shoe should be as light as possible, and a shoe should justify its weight with the cushioning it provides. My advice is to decide what level of cushioning you're looking for, and then find the lightest shoes that also fit well and are comfortable.

3 Visualizing the Attributes of the Adidas Adios Boost

How Adidas Adios Boost compares showing rearfoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.	How Adidas Adios Boost compares showing forefoot cushioning against the performance penalty of its weight. Upper right is better.
How Adidas Adios Boost compares showing the price against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.	How Adidas Adios Boost compares showing the loaded drop against the benefit (cushioning/performance penalty). Upper left is better.

4 Adidas Boost Foam

The Adios uses a new type of foam in the sole that has more bounce and is more resilient. Adidas demonstrates this extra bounce by dropping a steel ball on their new foam and EVA, the industry standard foam. Because of the extra energy return in their new foam the ball will bounce much higher than on EVA. However, when we run our feet do not bounce off the ground, but have a short period of sustained contact, often called the 'stance phase'. So when your foot lands, it seems that the boost foam would return the landing shock back up your leg rather than absorbing it, which is less than ideal. It would be good to see a study that looks at how the boost foam changes the stresses on knees and hips compared with a standard running shoe. Regardless of how the bounce impacts your running, the increased lifespan of the new foam is appealing. Having a shoe that lasts longer is obviously good, but Adidas also claim that the new foam is more consistent through most of its lifespan, rather than gradually decaying in the way EVA does. Adidas also claims that their new foam does not change characteristics in extreme temperatures like EVA does.

Adidas Adios Boost. The foam used in this shoe looks a little like Styrofoam/polystyrene, but it's actually remarkably tough to cut. You can also see a small indent in the top of the midsole where the foot pod would go.

5 A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes

If you're looking for "the best of the best" running shoe, here are my top picks. Of course, the answer will depend a little on what you're looking for, so I have recommendations for various categories. Best All Round Shoe. The Altra Escalante is my current all-round favorite. It has plenty of cushioning for its weight, it has a very springy midsole, it lasts well, and it has a shape that's closer to the shape of a human foot than most shoes. It's a great shoe for any runner, including those Starting to run. It's also a fairly easy shoe to find due to its popularity. Best Maximalist Shoe: If you want something massively cushioned, then I'd recommend the Saucony Kinvara 8. It's remarkably light and remarkably cushioned, beating Hoka at their own game. Best Optimal Shoe: For those looking to trade cushioning for speed, the Nike Zoom Streak LT 3 was my top pick, but the latest version (LT 4) falls short of it's predecessor. There are lots of great optimal running shoes, which provide just enough cushioning with light weight and minimal frills, but all have their weak spots. Probably the best option at the moment is the Altra Vanish-R, which offers great cushioning for just over 5oz/150g. Fastest Shoe: If you really want speed, then check out the Nike Vaporfly 4%. It's light, massively cushioned, and has a carbon fiber plate. Nothing comes close, not even the now defunct New Balance RC5000‏‎ or New Balance RC5000v2‏‎. There are a number of caveats; it's really expensive, it's really hard to find, and there's a significant injury risk. Best Minimalist Shoe: Merrell Trail Glove. I recommend the trail glove for road running in spite of the 'trail' moniker. It's not a fast shoe by any means, but it's comfortable and will last well. All Terrain Shoe. For trail running, I've become a fan of Altra, and I think their best shoe is the the Altra Timp, though the Altra Lone Peak is really close. Honorable Mention: It's not really a running shoe, but the Vivobarefoot Ra is comfortable, minimalist and can more or less pass as a dress shoe. I've worn mine to weddings with a suit and they've not looked out of place. You can run in the Ra, but the leather means it doesn't breathe well.

For a more detailed on running shoes see the Recommendations for Best Running Shoes. This table lists the key attributes of What to Look for in Running Shoes. For more detailed information, on the shoes see detailed shoe comparison.

It's not a running shoe, but I love the Hoka Tor Ultra hiking boot and I've tested the Altra Lone Peak Boot, the Hoka Tor Speed 2, and the Inov-8 Roclite 325 hiking boots
Older shoe reviews: Saucony Hattori Review, Mizuno Cursoris Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, Hoka Clifton Review, Saucony Virrata 2 Review, Brooks PureCadence 3 Review, Brooks PureConnect 3 Review, Brooks PureFlow 3 Review, Skechers GO Bionic 2 Review, New Balance 980 Review, Brooks Transcend 2 Review, Hoka Huaka Review, Patagonia EVERlong Review, Asics 33-DFA Review, Hoka Conquest Review, Saucony Cortana Review, Puma Faas 100 R Review, Saucony Fastwitch Review, Nike Free Review, Asics Gel Lyte 33 Review, Skechers GOmeb Speed Review, Skechers GOrun Ultra Road Review, Nike LunaRacer Review, Altra Paradigm Review.