The shoe
The Adizero Adios Professional 3 is a world-record-breaking race-day shoe, designed primarily for velocity throughout the marathon (and half marathon) distance. That includes Adidas’ Lightstrike Professional foam cushioning and full-length power rods (which you’ll be able to see from the underside), the Adios Professional 3 is turning into one thing of an icon – and a go-to shoe for PB chasers come race day.
How is the Adios Professional 3 totally different to the Adios Professional 2?
The Adios Professional 1 was worn by athlete Peres Jepchirchir, when she broke the half marathon World File in 2020. She then wore the Adios Professional 2 when she received gold within the 2021 Olympic marathon. Nevertheless it’s the Adios Professional 3 that has scooped probably the most world information.
The Adios Professional 3 was worn by Kenyan runner Amos Kipruto when he received the London Marathon 2022; by Evans Chebet, the winner of the New York Marathon 2022; by Benson Kipruto, the winner of the Chicago Marathon 2022; and by Peres Jepchirchir, who received the Boston Marathon 2022. The checklist of accolades goes on and on.
The most important distinction between the Professional 3 and the earlier iterations is that it is a race-day shoe with no full-length carbon plate. Charlotte Heidmann, Adidas operating senior product supervisor, says, ‘We moved away from utilizing the carbon plate within the Professional 3 and targeted as an alternative on utilizing the power rods. A couple of years in the past, the market was targeted on plates, plates, plates, however the good factor concerning the rods is that the power return is healthier (they don’t really feel as slappy), and also you save weight. A full-length carbon plate is heavier than in case you simply have the rod system – and on the Adizero, each gram is necessary.’
The power rods work properly when mixed with the Lightstrike Professional expertise too, she provides, ‘Lightstrike Professional is a fabric with none rods inside, which is why it would really feel extra unstable, so the rods supply stability and a stiffening factor.’
The mesh higher on the Professional 3 has additionally been tailored, as has the tongue development – so it feels fairly totally different to the Professional 1 and Professional 2. Even the stack top has modified to 39.5mm (to cohere with the brand new rules from World Athletics, which state that trainers over 40mm tall are unlawful).
What’s the Adios Professional 3 prefer to run in?
Once we first slipped these on, we instantly seen that they felt a bit wobbly and unstable to stroll round in. However they arrive into their very own if you begin to run. Tremendous bouncy, you’ll be able to really feel them rocking you onto your toes and jetting you ahead with a magnified toe-off feeling.
Considered one of our testers, who raced within the shoe over the half-marathon distance was ‘critically impressed by the consolation and power return; the Professional 3 appears to maintain your legs feeling brisker for longer, permitting you to maintain a faster tempo.’
They’re fairly light-weight, too. And extremely breathable. One tester discovered that as a result of the higher mesh materials is so skinny, the eyelets (the place the laces are threaded) rubbed the bone on the base of their massive toe fairly badly. So you probably have bunions or bony lumps in your ft, do attempt these in particular person earlier than hitting that ‘purchase now’ button, as there’s actually nothing worse than a shoe that rubs on race day.
How does the Adios Professional 3 match?
Discovering the precise slot in these is considerably of a problem. Heidmann recommends sporting your regular shoe dimension, or solely sizing up by half a dimension, within the Adios Professional 3, ‘as a result of they’re constructed to suit the anatomy of your foot, and if you go larger, the foot then doesn’t sit in the identical place,’ she says.
We sized up by half a dimension and nonetheless felt like there was plenty of room within the toe field for any race-day foot swelling. They felt tremendous hugged across the arch of our ft, and a tad unfastened on the heel – however nothing to significantly complain about.
RW verdict
For those who’re in search of a marathon or half marathon race-day shoe to unlock your potential, smash your private greatest otherwise you’re racing to win, the Adios Professional 3 might be for you. It boasts spectacular power return, glossy seems and the most recent in go-faster expertise – one thing that interprets to faster miles underfoot. Whether or not you’d plumb for it over a Nike Vaporfly is a matter of non-public choice. However there is not any doubting that, within the Adios Professional 3, Adidas has a shoe to rival one of the best on the market.
