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Adios! Of the several Spanish words for goodbye, it is the most final and definitive. You’re not going to be seeing each other again for quite some time. So it’s more than fitting that it’s also the name of a shoe that adidas has clearly designed for leaving your competition on the track in the proverbial dust: adidas’ new Adizero Adios 8 sneakers are engineered for speed and optimized for race day.
First introduced in 2008, the Adios immediately set a standard, propelling Ethopian Olympic athlete Haile Gebreselassie to break his own marathon world record that year and setting the standard as a premiere shoe for race day.
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While the adidas Adios sneakers were originally designed specifically for race day, adidas has since shifted their focus to turn the Adios into the speed trainer of their Adizero performance line. This has thrown off a few loyal fans who love the shoe’s distance racing heritage. But as a speed trainer and budget-conscious race day alternative to the high-end, carbon fiber-plated Adios Pro 3, the Adios 8 has a lot to offer. We took them out for a road test to evaluate their fit, feel, and performance.
How We Tested the adidas Adizero Adios 8 Running Shoes
- Product tested: adidas Adizero Adios 8 Running Shoe
- Testing period: 1 week
- Testing methods: A combination of shorter distance training runs (5k to 10k) and track workouts
- Testing surfaces: Primarily dry pavement (both road and rubberized track) with very short distances across dirt, gravel, and sand.
- Pros: This is a very lightweight shoe. adidas knocked almost an ounce off the weight of its predecessor, and you can feel the difference.
- Cons: To pick up speed, you sacrifice some comfort. The construction of the upper is very thin and the cushioning, while sufficient for shorter distances, may leave you wanting more.
- Best for: Speed workouts, shorter distances, and race day.
- Testing verdict: A great lightweight shoe that doesn’t break the bank but still provides optimization for track work, race day, and shorter distances where speed is of the essence.
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A Featherlight Design
When I picked up the box holding my Adios 8’s my first thought was, “Oh! It’s empty. They forgot to pack the shoes.” It’s a mistake I’m probably not alone in making and one that also probably has the designers at adidas smiling. Adidas very consciously knocked off over an ounce of weight from the shoe’s predecessor, bringing it from eight ounces to a very enviable seven ounces. How did they achieve such dramatic weight savings? It’s all in the materials. Starting up top with a redesigned, lightweight mesh upper constructed from recycled materials, the design team has fully reimagined the materials of this shoe throughout. At the midsole, they’ve incorporated a lightweight mix of Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro technology to provide an adequate amount of cushioning (more on that below) without any excess weight to slow you down. The cumulative effect is a very attractive shoe, with an aerodynamic design that, even standing still, just looks fast.
Cushioned for Speed
The cushioning system is where the Adios 8 gets into trouble for some users. The Adios 7 was very deficient in this category. There simply was not enough cushion to make it an enjoyable ride. Fast? Yes. Ultra comfortable? That might be a stretch for runners used to cushioned running shoes.
The Adios 8 is still not a cushy shoe, but the upgrade to Lightstrike 2.0 in the heel and midfoot is game-changing. This shoe is zippy and nearly perfect for a speed workout on a rubberized track. The more forgiving surface compensates for the slightly lacking cushioning and really lets the benefits of the shoe’s weight shine. On hard paved roads, my experience was a little different. I fartleked my 5k run and loved how easily the shoe allowed me to change up the tempo. But on a 10k at a steadier pace, I found myself wishing I had a bit more padding under foot. If you’re after a cushioned training shoe for longer distances, the Adios 8 is not for you. But if you’re after a lightweight speed trainer for the track and shorter paved distances, it hits a sweet spot.
An Easy, Breezy, Secure Fit
Beyond the reduction in weight, the reimagined mesh upper of the Adios 8 is also a revelation in ventilation. The overall feel of the upper is light and airy. The tongue construction, however, is very thin and the laces are quite flat. I personally did not have any issues with that design, but some users might find the tongue flimsy and the laces prone to coming undone. I have always been a double knotter, so the laces were not an issue for me, although I did notice that my second knot had come undone on my longer 10k run.
You might also be concerned that, with materials as thin and light as these, the shoe might not feel that secure on your foot. That isn’t the case at all. The fit through the heel is great with no noticeable slippage. The toebox is generous, although it may err on the side of wide for those with particularly narrow feet (a pro for those after shoes for wide feet). My foot felt well supported and secure on every run. On one particularly humid day, it was tempting to run without socks and really capitalize on the ventilation, but even before I got out the door, the upper was rubbing. I opted for my thinnest socks and you should, too.
An Outsole that Sticks
As with adidas’ other entries in the Adizero line, the Continental outsole of the Adios 8 provides the superior traction you would expect from the performance tires that inspired its design. Across rubberized track and hard paved surfaces the outsole performs very well. However, while the outsole performed fine on unpaved surfaces, I did notice that there was an alarming amount of wear after even just a quarter mile on a dirt road, reinforcing that the Adios 8 is better tailored to speed training on paved surfaces.
Final Impressions
For many design aficionados, form follows function. That is definitely the case with the Adios 8. This is not a cushy shoe for every day training. The Adios 8 is a shoe designed for speed training and the days and surfaces where that matters most. It’s a great lower budget alternative to pricey carbon fiber racers like the Adios Pro 3. The Adios 8 will never be the only shoe in your training stable, but it definitely warrants a stall if you’re looking to punch it out of the gate.
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For this story, the writer was gifted the Adios 8 Shoes by adidas for an honest product review.
Meet the Author
Peter Tittiger is a freelance journalist and content consultant. He is also an avid runner and a slave to his feet. A firm believer in “No Days Off,” he regularly logs at least five runs a week and cross-trains in the pool or on a bike. He has trained for and run in nearly a hundred races, including the New York City Marathon, multiple completions of the full, 5-borough, NYRR half-marathon circuit, and annual completion of the Falmouth Road Race. Learn more about us here.
