A big weight saving upper change…Is it for the better?

Article by Jeremy Marie

Adidas Adizero Adios 7 ($140/140€)

Introduction

Jeremy: The Adios 6 marked a complete overhaul of the Adios series, along with a general overhaul of the whole Adizero  (Boston 10, Takumi Sen 8…) with supercritical Lightstrike Pro foam (entire or part of the midsole) combined with Lightstrike leading to a softer, bouncier ride, way higher stack heights, and a more relaxed fit tAdios and other Adizero of old. All of these changes result in a friendlier, more versatile ride in these models, if losing some “grit” in the process. 

The Adios 6 was one of my favorite daily/tempo trainers of 2021, due to its sufficient cushioning for 30kms runs, responsive but in no way harsh feeling, natural smooth rolling forward ride, stable and efficient toe off, and all at an excellent value (130€) especially so considering the durability of the shoe.

For this 7th version, Adidas kept the exact same platform, midsole arrangement, outsole, fit, and just changed the upper to a Celermesh like one, shaving a massive 20g / 0.7 oz per shoe in my US10.5 while improving breathability. 

Let’s see if this upper change (and weight drop resulting) brings any improvement to the shoe.

Pros:

Massive weight drop – 20g less!

Stable ride

Snappy, directed yet natural smooth ride

Versatile: works for everything but easier paces and (really) fast ones.

Nice controlled rebound from the LSPro forefoot with stable Lightstrike heel

Breathable paper-thin upper, soft with a nice foothold

Still best in class Continental outsole traction- no matter the conditions

Stability and outsole make the shoe suitable for light trails – the color less so!

Cons:

Creasing from the forefoot overlays causing huge blisters and skin peeling on the top of the toes (and I might have got one blister at the heel during many years of ultra racing…not too sensitive skin)

Very classic geometry – your calves and feet need to work!- might be a good thing though.

Less legs-saving than more modern uptempo trainers

Ride can feel a bit too firm, especially during the first 40kms of use.

Stats

Approx. Weight:  7.6 oz / 215g (US9)

Weight: men’s 8.32oz / 236g (US10.5)

Stack Height: men’s 32mm heel / 24mm forefoot. 8mm drop 

140€. Available now in Europe at our partner Top4 Running Europe HERE. 

First Impressions, Fit and Upper

Jeremy:  In my opinion, Adidas still nails it when it comes to bringing a very classical vibe to their shoes. The discrete suede-like overlays on the front has always been a trademark of the Adios line, and this remains true with the Adios 7. Especially in this white and light gray colorway, the shoe has this 80’s look that I’m fond of.

Static fit and comfort are totally on par with the Adios 6: the heel counter is efficient and unobtrusive, the slightly stretchy semi-gusseted tongue stays in place and eases foot insertion. All of those elements are as efficient as they were on last year’s model.

It sure looks more tapered upfront but they are not. I measured in every way possible, it really is just a visual impression given by the suede-like toe rand that goes much further over the top. 

The midfoot still leans towards an efficient, snug race-ready fit without any over compression despite my high volume feet. The lacing is still a bit cumbersome, as it was last year: Thre are many eyelets and laces that are difficult to put through the holes. It will require a bit of time at the beginning in order to find and lock the lacing the way you want it.

Some holes are placed wider in order to modulate the lacing: it’s a really nice idea, as it gives runners an easy way to customize the upper fit. It can also maximize midfoot hold, as the laces would pull the upper towards the foot from a lower start point. 

But I’m still convinced that it’s really even necessary on the Adios . Even with the new light mesh, foot hold is not lacking at all in this shoe. For comparison’s sake, I find it even snugger than the Adios Pro 2, probably due to the more substantial overlays that have been introduced along with this new light mono layer engineered mesh. 

It looks a lot like the Celermesh found on the Adios Pro series or the Takumi 8, but Adidas does not advertise it as Celermesh, so engineered mesh that is.

The weight savings using this new light mesh is astounding with a massive 20g drop for my 10.5US, bringing the Adios 7 to a mere 236g.

Last year the mesh was already breathable, but the 7th iteration of the Adios puts it to shame. 

It’s literally paper thin, incredibly breathable, light and soft to the foot.

All this sounds like a hit…until the dreaded overlays come into play on the run.

The counterpart of having such a light, soft and pliable mesh for a daily tempo trainer shoe is that you need to add some elements to enhance foot hold and give it some structure. 

The grey “Adizero” labeled ones on the medial side replace the inlays found on last year’s model, with an equivalent success.

On the external side the famous stripes are now made of a plastic overlays, and join with some new light gray longitudinal overlays that were absent on the Adios 6.

Adidas, for a reason I cannot explain, decided to add some structure to the toe box, reminding of the new similar overlays in the Adios Pro 3. It was perfectly fine last year, giving the toes some play, kind of a free zone, with a firmly held midfoot.

Adidas has achieved this using some fairly rigid gray plasticy overlays on the top of the foot, but they are way too rigid and crease during the toe off, pushing hard on the upper of the toes.

Those two light gray overlays literally tore holes into my toes, something I have not experienced…at all, with any shoe, if memory serves.

Yup, those red stains are what you think…after a 20km run.

So, even if the fit, thanks to the new lightweight mesh, is even better that last year’s Adios (more pliable, softer), those two overlays on the toe completely ruins things on the run.

Midsole

The midsole carries on the exact same construction as the Adios 6.

A full Lightrike length slab goes from thick at the heel to a thin bottom layer at the forefoot, where it’s topped by a layer of softer, bouncier Lightstrike Pro.

Lightstrike is firmer than LS Pro, hence having a heel exclusively built using this foam is no surprise: it gives the Adios 7 a good amount of stability for those who heel strike more, and it can also help all at the end of long runs. 

As in the Adios 6, at the front, the Lightstrike Pro foam is nested inside a carrion of Lightstrike and even more secured by the Torsion shank, limiting its compression on footstrike.

Thanks to the Torsion System, a thermoplastic shank that goes from the front of the heel to the forefoot, transitions remain snappy, and stability is kept during the gait. This is not a “plated shoe”, but this plastic piece gives a nice snappy toe off.

But the star of the show – or of the shoe – is the front layer of soft en energetic LS Pro positioned just under the foot.

The first benefit is that it brings some comfort to the front half of the shoe. The foot can sink a little into this layer, hence giving a nice soft feeling.

Then, for midfoot and forefoot strikers, the Lightstrike Pro lets its bouncy, energetic character express itself. The thin layer of Lightstrike under it just gives a tiny bit of firmness, and stability, that might be missing, were it absent. Think about the Takumi Sen 8 for instance, which can give this unstable feeling with its thick all LSPro layer.

This is a total carry over from the Adios 6 midsole construction, and given how successful it was, I’m glad that Adidas didn’t mess with it.

 

Outsole

Nothing special to say here, it’s exactly the same grippy, durable but a bit slappy Continental rubber outsole. It has proven its qualities over many years in Adidas lineup now, and cannot really be faulted, no matter the running surface. Dry, wet, asphalt, light trails…it sticks to the ground yet remains durable.

The only slight drawback is, as always, a “slappy” feel during the first twenty-thirty miles.

As far as durability is concerned, I don’t have enough miles on the Adios 7 but my Adios 6 pair is reaching 500kms (~310 miles) and can probably handle 250-300 more kilometers before being worn out.

~500kms Adios 6 on left, new Adios 7 on right

Ride

The ride experience could have been a total copy/paste of last year’s review, be it my French one (RTR Review), or Adam’s English one (RTR Review), with which I completely agreed at the time. 

The somewhat firmish, pure Lightstrike (EVA foam) heel, with good dampening characteristics, is just “correct”, but as soon as you transition, or even better, land on the midfoot, the combination of LS and bouncy energy-returning LS Pro foams works together to deliver a lively, controlled and smooth ride. It’s a very traditional fee and ride-unplated, flexible, but it’s really refreshing to put on some “lower stack” shoes at times. The plastic shank, still called “Torsion System” even if it aims more at giving a propelling momentum than giving torsional stability, also delivers a nice amount of snap at toe off.

As the shoe is still quite flexible, it handles different kinds of footstrikes well, without forcing you into a specific gait. Of course, its construction favors a quick turnover more than a “long stride” oriented gait, staying true to its “old racing flats roots” and this despite the total makeover of last year.

Combined with the very grippy Continental outsole, the Adios 7 is still a blast to run, especially when you have lots of turns and direction changes.

But all this goodness is totally ruined by the two gray overlays on the toe box, at least for me. They simply turn my runs into painful experiences – and for three days given the injuries it created on my toes. I can’t feel them softening at all for now, pushing the Adios 7 to the closet for some time if I want to heal my toes.

I hope for Adidas this issue is specific to my sample or to my foot shape, or footstrike…

It turns one of the most enjoyable “traditional” daily tempo-trainer of last year into an unrunnable shoe for me…

Conclusions/Recommendations

Jeremy: Why? Oh why? I’m so disappointed with those two tiny overlays that totally ruined the shoe for me.

Everything was pointing towards a great update: the new upper is heads and shoulders above the previous one, lighter, airier, the shoes dropped 20g and retained the same great snappy, stable energetic ride as last year’s Adios 6…But considering that every run with the shoe ended up with blister and blood on the top of the toes (an unusual place for me that is for sure), I cannot recommend enough that you try the shoe at the store and check for pressure from those overlays.

The detailed scores below do not reflect this issue, as I can’t blame the fit, nor the ride of the shoes, but only this overlay detail that can ruin the shoe. The final score reflects the impact of this missed detail.

Jeremy’s score: 8 /10

Ride: 9 Fit : 9 Value: 9 Style: 9 

Comparisons

Adidas Adios 6 ( RTR Review )

Same ride, same outsole, better fit, lighter, more breathable….The Adios 7 is better in every way…until the overlays tore through my toes…

If you can’t feel the overlays on your first run, the Adios 7 is clearly a better choice. Otherwise…a discounted Adios 6 will give lots of fun miles.

Salomon Spectur (RTR review)

Same kind of firm-leaning tempo trainer, the Spectur is a bit of a miss. Heavier with an overdone heel, too firm and rigid, a snappy forefoot but difficult to activate despite the fork-like plate, and the Energy Surge foam appears way firmer than on Phantasm CF, as its two layer construction consist of a firmer slab at the bottom. As a consequence it does not handle easier paces any better than the clearly tempo-oriented (and marketed) Adios 7.

Its upper is also denser, less breathable, hotter…But it does not hurt my toes!

Save from this issue, the Spectur has a hard time winning any point vs the Adios 7. It might be less firm, or better at absorbing impacts.

Saucony Kinvara 10 (RTR review)

The K10 might look old now, but the latest iteration, the 13th (RTR Review), stayed quite true to the spirit of the line: a light, cushioned, comfortable do it all trainer. It’s softer than the Adios, more accommodating, 

Adios 7 is available at our partner Top4 Running below

Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes by Top4 Running and adidas. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased through affiliate links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors’