Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 Review: A Great Ride, But Compromised
The Adios Pro 5 matters to me more than most shoes right now. I'm tapering for the Amsterdam Marathon, where I'm chasing my fastest time, and I still haven't settled on a race day shoe. The Nike Alphafly 4, Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 and New Balance SC Elite v6 are all in contention, but the Adios Pro 5 went into testing as the top contender on my list. After around 50 miles, including an 18-mile long run, here's where I've landed.
What's New
The Adios Pro 5 costs £220 and weighs 195g in a UK 10 (US 10.5), noticeably lighter than the 213g Alphafly 4. It fits true to size, and I wear the same size in all my Adidas shoes.
The biggest change is the midsole. Adidas has moved to a dual-foam setup, with the Lightstrike Pro Evo foam from the Adios Pro Evo 3 on top and the Lightstrike Pro foam from the Pro 4 underneath.
The other major change is that the EnergyRods, which kept snapping on the Pro 4, are gone. In their place is a carbon-infused rim around the edge of the midsole. So unlike most super shoes, there's no full-length carbon plate here.
Stack height is 39mm at the heel and 35mm at the forefoot, a 2mm increase up front, which gives a 4mm drop. The rest of the package includes a Lightlock 2.0 upper, a Lightraxtion outsole, a very short tongue, and, finally, the sawtooth laces that every decent racing shoe should have.
Performance
I took the Pro 5 on my regular long run route, a lumpy 18 miles with three or four killer hills. I was trying to keep things steady ahead of a race the next day, but the shoe felt so racy that holding back was a struggle. My pace bounced between 8:30 and 6:45 per mile, and the shoe handled the whole range comfortably.
I really like this dual-foam setup. It isn't overly soft, and because the foam and rim do the work instead of a plate, you get a smooth, natural roll-through. It's a different sensation from the previous model, but it works, for me at least.
Above all, this shoe feels marathon-y. I can lope along steadily and confidently, which is exactly what I want over 26.2 miles. It's stable, it lets me move through the gears, and it gives me confidence at marathon pace. I wouldn't necessarily pick it for a 10k, but its range is reassuring.
I've also had no rubbing or hot spots. The Pro 4 gave me a nasty blister every time I ran in it, but not this one. I put that down to the new geometry: the toe spring is less aggressive, and the foam doesn't feel as squishy or compressive.
The Niggles
Lockdown. I had to stop and retie my laces twice on the long run, and I've struggled all week to dial in the fit. The short tongue is the main culprit. It needs to be a fraction longer. I'm either too tight or too loose, and then I get movement at the heel. To be fair, I had the same problem with the Pro 3 and even had to stop to retie my laces during the Amsterdam Marathon, so this may be an issue I have with the Adios Pro line specifically.
The rim. Or, as I call it, the razor blade. If your foot brushes your other leg mid-stride, this edge will cut it. I caught my ankle on it. That's partly down to my running style, but it's sharp, so watch out.
The upper. It isn't the best on the market. The material feels too thick and not as breathable as it should be, especially compared with the uppers on the Puma and the Alphafly.
The Durability Problem
This is the big one. Several reviewers, including Ben Parkes, have reported the Pro 5 crumbling, and now it's happened to me too. After just 50 miles and one long run, chunks are missing from the bottom of both shoes.
That isn't acceptable. My Pro 4s have over 100 miles on them with no damage, and my Pro 3s have well over 100 miles, much of it on long training runs, and still look fine.
Comparing the three models side by side reveals a likely culprit. On the Pro 4, the Lightraxtion outsole extends right out to the edge. On the Pro 5, it's been cut away along the outer edge, presumably to save weight, and that's exactly where the damage is. Plenty of runners, me included, land on that part of the foot.
Combined with the snapping EnergyRods on the Pro 4, it raises questions about Adidas's quality control. Still, I want to be fair. It could be a bad batch or a problem with this particular colourway. When the New Balance SC Elite v6 fell apart on me, New Balance sent a replacement pair, and so far that pair has been fine. I'll give Adidas the same benefit of the doubt and ask for another pair.
The Bigger Issue: A Compromised Shoe
Even setting the quality control issues aside, I think the Pro 5 is compromised.
A few years ago, the Adios Pro was Adidas's top-end racing shoe. The elites wore it and won races in it, it got all the R&D money, and anyone could go out and buy it. Now the true flagship is the Adios Pro Evo 3 at around £400, a price most runners can't justify.
What's left is a shoe that gets some of the top-end technology, such as the Pro Evo foam, but not all of the bells and whistles, while still costing a serious amount of money. It isn't just Adidas; all the big brands are moving this way. But the result is a watered-down version of what used to be the best shoe in the range. The Pro 3 was durable and fast, and it made you feel like a hero. The Pro 5 sits somewhere in the middle.
