THE HARDEST PART of a marathon is the finish. After the euphoria of a race’s start and consistent pace in the middle miles, the end is typically filled with heavy footfalls, burning muscles, and ragged breaths as the stress of your many strides compounds on the body. I usually hit a point of no return around Mile 20—then the final 6.2 becomes an exercise in pain management.
I was dreading that moment (commonly referred to as “hitting the wall”) while running the Berlin Marathon last month. But as the Brandenburg Gate came into view over the last mile, the pain never came. That’s likely due to a few factors—the day’s perfect running conditions, my conservative race plan, and the flat, fast course—but it was also thanks to what I had on my feet. I was wearing Adidas’s new super shoes, the Adizero Adios Pro 4, and the kicks seemed to power me through the last leg of the race.
I’ve worn the Adios Pro 4, which releases in January, now in several different settings: the marathon, a slow 10-mile taper run, and a last-minute, three-mile shakeout the day before my race. The shoe isn’t the perfect fit for every runner and setting, but thankfully for me, it was the optimal choice for my goals at Berlin, my fourth time taking on 26.2 miles. I just wanted to finish feeling good, and the shoes were a big part of the strongest marathon I’ve run yet.
Adizero Adios Pro 4 Specs and Style
- Weight: 7.05 oz (US size 9)
- 39 mm stack height
- Drop: 6 mm
The Adizero Adios Pro 4 is the latest iteration of the brand’s main road racing shoe line, which was first introduced in 2020. The fourth edition retains some of the signature features of Adidas’s super shoes, namely the highly responsive Lightstrike Pro midsole foam and carbon-infused Energy Rods. Unlike shoes from other brands, which sandwich one-piece carbon plates within the midsole, Adidas uses a five-pronged rod designed to mimic the foot’s bones to introduce stiffness into its shoes. Like previous versions of the shoe, there’s also a medial cutout on the sole so you can see the rods peeking through.
There are a few standout features. The Pro 4’s shape is much different than its predecessor. Instead, the Pro 4 follows the design cues of the company’s ultra-premium Adizero Pro Evo 1, the $500 sneaker that is rated to last for just one race. One of the key aspects of that shoe is the rocker point—the spot of the sole where it curves upward—which is further back on the midsole than many other shoe models. The idea is that runners will roll forward into their next stride sooner, creating more forward momentum and increasing running economy. Adidas says the Pro 4’s rocker point is placed at 60 percent of the length of the shoe to achieve that effect.
The other new highlight is the Adios Pro 4’s upper and lacing system. Dubbed “Lightlock,” the material is a light and pliable but surprisingly sturdy woven mesh. This hugs the foot, while internal locking bands run the length of the attached tongue to reinforce the fit and a subtle toe cap retains the shoe’s shape. There’s also a new outsole, which features raised spots for extra grip that run from the outside of the sole inward and a Continental rubber strip around the top of the forefoot meant to reinforce toe off strides.
The shoes look slick, with a clean white colorway that makes the black Adidas three stripes and red accents pop. Flip up the heel tab on either shoe, and you’ll see a mantra dear to any endurance athlete: “This too shall pass.” This is the only style the brand has shown off ahead of launch, but Adidas usually releases multiple colorways of its racing shoes, so expect others.
How Running in the Adizero Adios Pro 4 Feels
My first impressions upon lacing up the shoes were mostly positive. The upper and laces combine for a tight but comfortable lockdown, and the tongue sits snug on the upper part of the foot. Adidas’s Lightstrike Pro foam is on the firmer end of of the supershoe spectrum (which I prefer to an overly soft ride), and I did notice some compression in the heel, which kept them from feeling too stiff. Most importantly, the Adios Pro 4 wear like a normal pair of shoes, not like a platform attached to springs, as some max cushion runners do. The Adios Pro 4 does feature a high stack of foam like all other super shoes, but, while I wasn’t exactly hooping in them, I didn’t worry I would topple over or trip with any lateral movements.
I first laced up the shoes for a slow 10-mile run to cap my marathon training cycle. The fit was solid, and the sneakers felt light on my feet. That was a great start, but as I jogged the first few miles with a friend, I was a bit disappointed. The bounciness and effortless turnover I look for in top-line racing shoes just wasn’t there. We kept the pace well below what I’d aim for in a race at around nine minutes per mile, and while the shoes were light and my legs didn’t fatigue, I missed out on the super feeling the best kicks provide out on the road.
I had a better experience the next time I put on the Adios Pro 4, but wasn’t totally won over. By then I was in Germany and preparing for the race. I opted to skip out on a slow group shakeout run to speed up beyond my marathon pace (6:51 per mile) on my own for just over three miles. The shoes felt snappy, responsive, and stable. I was running on public streets, though, weaving in and out of pedestrians and stopping for the flow of traffic, so I wasn’t able to fully experience the benefits of the turnover that comes within the miles-long flow state of a long distance race.
Finally, race day. I started out quicker than planned, splitting almost a minute faster for the first mile without much effort. This is a common issue I’ve had with super shoes: It takes less effort to get up to pace, so if I’m not paying attention, I can exceed my limits and gas myself early. I was able to moderate my speed, and that’s when the shoes really shone. I got into a groove for the bulk of the run, and the smooth turnover kept me within my goal pace range.
Around Mile 22, I was looking to make a move even as I was expecting that I’d smash into the wall of my endurance at any moment. I’ve dealt with a nagging hamstring issue for the better part of two years, and I could feel it threatening to ruin my run if I pushed too hard. But I was also stronger than I’ve ever been at that distance—no heavy feet, no forefoot hotspots, and consistently excellent turnover. I had sloshed through water stations and tramped on debris without slipping, passed runner and cornered tightly without wobbling, and felt like I could trust the Pro 4’s turnover to take me through the final stretch.
I sped up, increasing the tempo of my steps rather than lifting my knees and driving through each stride. This might have been mental projection at the end of a long race, but I felt like the shoes took over, with the rocker helping to press me onward since I couldn’t drive as much as I’d have liked. I finished with negative splits on the last few miles. Most importantly, I felt strong when I crossed the finish line.
Should You Buy the Adizero Adios Pro 4?
The Adizero Adios Pro 4 isn’t a shoe for every type of run. Speed is the main event here—think paces around or under eight minutes per mile. That’s not to say slower runners shouldn’t wear them or that you can’t wear them for laidback shakeout runs. You just might not get the most out of the finely-tuned kicks at those paces. I’d recommend them for those who will run (or have goals to run) around that speed or faster.
In such instances, the Adizero Adios Pro 4 is an excellent pick. They’re easy to wear. I had no issues with the fit over 26.2 miles, and finished the race without blisters and all my toenails intact. On top of that, the sneakers show some good signs in regard to durability. While I’ve put around 50 miles on the sample pair, they’re not showing major signs of wear. They got filthy on the Berlin course, sure—but the midsole still feels snappy, and the upper doesn’t have any nicks or snags. Expect these to be good for multiple marathon-length races.
The cost might seem high at $250 if this is your first foray into super shoes, but that’s fairly standard for a top-line marathon racing shoe within the current market. You will have to wait, though; the Adizero Adios Pro 4 won’t be widely available until January 2. You can set a reminder now (and keep an eye out for rumored shock drop releases before then). But your first run in these racers will likely have to wait til 2025.
