adidas adizero Adios Pro 5 Review

• Carbon-infused ENERGYRIM for improved comfort and running efficiency
• Updated Lightstrike Pro superfoam with 9% greater energy return
• A full ounce lighter than the previous version

The Adios Pro 5 feels butter-smooth, highly energetic, and it's easily able to hit and hold marathon pace and faster. The new version of Lightstrike Pro foam feels maybe a touch denser than what we got in the adios Pro 4, but lends some necessary inherent stability for the shoe, since the Carbon Energy Rods from v4 have been removed.

This shift, from Energy Rods to an Energy Rim stiffening element, changes the whole underfoot experience and leaves things feeling a little softer and more flexible underfoot. It doesn’t feel aggressive or intimidating, yet the top performance is still there, making this a great race-day option for a wider range of running levels, and less likely to wear you down late in a marathon like some more aggressive racing shoes.

The foam is fantastic and feels responsive at any pace, but we found ourselves wishing it had that extra “pop” that a traditional plate would have provided when accelerating or charging hills. Perhaps the lack of a rigid plate under the toes, coupled with the soft foam, makes it feel like it lacks the same propulsion or acceleration that we find in some competing models.

Michael noted that a bonus of the lack of carbon plate was how good his legs felt after each run, and found that his recovery time was shorter. The extra cushioning and lack of rigidity punished him less, compared to hitting the same paces in some firmer, traditionally plated shoes.


The geometries aren’t the most aggressive, which has pros and cons. It feels steady and approachable, and it rolled with us when we wanted to go fast. The less-pronounced rocker, wider net base, and lack of midfoot cutout offer a more stable ride than v4. It’s very lightweight, and we can feel the responsiveness of the foam when hitting faster paces. However, it lacks that explosive, eager speed that encourages you to go beyond your pacing expectations and soar to new speeds.

On our early test pairs of the Adios Pro 5, the outsole design leaves a section of the lateral toe area uncovered. We’ve seen this in other adizero shoes before. The previous Pro 4 had a similar design, but the exposed foam was beveled away at a steeper angle, so it didn’t show the wear as obviously as the flatter (i.e., less beveled) geometry of the v5.

This design caters to runners who push off using their big toe, but runners who roll outwards and push off on the lateral side of their foot have experienced accelerated wear in this area and potential durability issues.

Cameron’s running form has him pushing off slightly laterally, which led to that exposed lateral section of the outsole showing significant wear after 25 kilometres. Loucas believes the wear on his own shoes is largely cosmetic and will not greatly affect the ATPU foam layer itself, while Michael's stride resulted in no significant wear over the testing period.

That said, at the time that this review is being published, adidas is currently in the process of modifying the Adios Pro 5 to extend the outsole rubber to this lateral area, so we are in high hopes that this durability factor will become a non-issue for future wearers.

The Adios Pro 5 has a lot going for it in comfort, at least in the midsole. Underfoot, the lack of an underfoot plate and the ENERGYRIM setup allowed the comfort properties of the foam to shine. It gave us all the performance benefits we expected from a super shoe foam, but also a delightfully balanced softness.

Because the shoe's geometries aren't overly aggressive, it feels incredibly approachable and comfortable enough for a variety of paces. It’s probably the most comfortable midsole experience in the race-day category.

While the plush underfoot comfort of the foam was nearly perfect for us, our comfort verdict got a big knock for the added fabric strip at the top of the heel cup. All of our testers experienced varying levels of irritation in their Achilles after just a few kilometres. Loucas was able to roll the fabric strip backward away from his skin, but even that didn’t make the sensation disappear completely.

It seems reasonable to worry this could cause chafing or bleeding to exposed skin, or even through a thin sock. If you have a sensitive Achilles, we recommend wearing blister tape and opting for thick socks that are long enough to prevent direct skin contact.

The Adios Pro 5 has a nice level of snugness to it. It was secure, but gave us just enough room to trust it over a long effort. The shoe feels true to size, with just enough length and width for our toes not to feel cramped.

The volume feels medium-low throughout, with a sleek fit through the midfoot. Since the upper doesn’t have significant stretch, the shoe may not be as accommodating to higher-volume feet. But for our testers, ranging from average to slim-width feet, the lockdown was nice and secure.

The heel fit was improved from v4 with newer, slightly more robust heel pads that kept us locked in without feeling overbuilt. However, that tab of fabric on top of the heel counteracts the experience by irritating our Achilles, as mentioned in the comfort section.

The tongue was thin, lockdown was good, and none of us experienced lace bite. The sewed-in tongue design worked well, preventing the tongue from flapping all over the place without leaning into a full sock-like construction that can sometimes be cumbersome.

When Cameron wore thicker socks, the forefoot felt crammed, but there were no issues when he wore an average or thin sock. The shoe’s standard lacing cinches a little further down on his foot than he prefers, but he found that utilising the top eyelet for a runner’s loop provided better security for him.

Michael found that there was a tiny bit more width in the forefoot than his narrow feet needed, and a little extra space above his foot in some areas. This wasn’t a huge issue, as he wasn’t slipping around in the shoe, but notable enough that the lockdown for him wasn’t perfect. For 99% of runners, he expects this won’t be an issue.

"The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 has been my favorite racing shoe in every way. It’s one of the few racing shoes that doesn’t make me blister; it’s simple, it’s fast, and it’s dependable. The Adios Pro 5 offers a more comfortable underfoot experience for the long haul, but that heel counter rubs my Achilles in dangerous ways. That being said, both are delightful racing options that simply come down to personal preference." -Cameron

"The firmness of the Sky Tokyo required my foot to get tougher, a dramatic difference from the soft comfort of the Adios Pro 5. The ASICS also has more of a ‘golf ball’ sensation under the arch, plus it feels more level and a little harder to get to toe-off. However, it's the lightest option from this comparison, and will appeal to runners that prefer a more rigid shoe. The ASICS also has a higher-volume upper—NOT wider through the arch, but with more height above your toes and instep." -Loucas

"If you want a super marathon shoe that feels more aggressive, may I recommend the Hyperion Elite 6? With its full carbon plate and steeper geometries, the Hyperions feel intentionally more aggressive. You’ll be on your toes from the jump, but she shoe still feels well cushioned and bouncy. Even though it's a touch heavier, I’d expect the Hyperion Elite 6 to fit certain people’s race-day mindsets and super-shoe expectations a little better than the diplomatically approachable Pro 5." -Michael