The Sub-100g Super Racing Shoe That Powered a New World Record! The Future Forged by Adidas's 'ADIZERO ADIOS PRO EVO 3'

From Adidas's Adizero series—developed for every runner striving to shave even one second off their personal best—comes the ultralight racing model: the ADIZERO ADIOS PRO EVO 3. It weighs in at a stunning 97 grams (per shoe, size 27 cm).

This latest creation, born from a three-year R&D journey, was designed to be Adidas's first-ever running shoe to break the 100-gram barrier. Roughly 30% lighter than its predecessor and boasting a 1.6% improvement in running economy, just what kind of technology is packed into the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3?

Supporting Humanity's First Sub-2-Hour Marathon

 An astonishing new world record was set at this year's London Marathon in April. Athlete Sebastian Sawe clocked in at an incredible 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 30 seconds. It was the first time in history that the 42.195 km distance (in an official race) was conquered in under two hours. This achievement will undoubtedly be remembered for years to come as humanity's first sub-2-hour marathon.

 Yomif Kejelcha, who took second place in the same race, also posted a time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and 41 seconds—an unbelievable time for his marathon debut. On the women's side, Tigst Assefa claimed victory with a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds, setting a new world record for a women-only race.

 And what was powering all three of these athletes? None other than the 'Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3' (hereafter referred to as the Evo 3). The Adidas innovation team reportedly worked in close collaboration with Sawe, Kejelcha, and Assefa throughout the product's development. In every sense, they made history right alongside the athletes.

 Sawe commented, "Breaking the world record was a long-held dream of mine. To have achieved it means so much to me personally and to the sport of running. It’s a testament to the unseen hard work, the support of my team, and the innovation that helped me push beyond my limits. I am honored to be part of a new chapter in this sport's history."

The Secret Behind Its Sub-100g Ultralight Design

While aiming to deliver unprecedented performance and keep the weight in the double-digit gram range, the 'Evo 3' incorporates a new material in its midsole: LIGHTSTRIKE PRO EVO foam.

 "The pursuit of lightness is something we’ve continued since the development of the Evo 1. Weight impacts running economy, and it's a feature many athletes demand," says Yusuke Ota of Adidas Japan K.K. "Of course, being light alone is meaningless. It must have enough rebound and cushioning to give athletes that extra performance boost. LIGHTSTRIKE PRO EVO has high rebound and cushioning, yet it’s an extremely lightweight material with a high air content."

 The stack height (sole thickness) is 39mm at the heel and 36mm at the forefoot. While maintaining this thickness, the foam's weight has reportedly been reduced by approximately 50% compared to conventional models.

Featuring the Innovative ENERGYRIM Technology

The shoe is equipped with ENERGYRIM technology, designed to enhance stability and stiffness while optimizing energy return, propulsion, and efficiency.

 "The ENERGYRIM is there to harness the immense energy return of the extremely light and soft LIGHTSTRIKE PRO EVO, with its high air content, while also reducing instability, wobble, and energy loss.

Deformation of the midsole material is inevitable between landing and toe-off, but its role is to control that and convert it into forward propulsion without any waste."

 Adidas's top racing shoes, like the 'Evo' and 'Adizero Adios Pro,' have historically used ENERGYRODS—five-fingered carbon bars inspired by the metatarsal bones of an athlete's foot. Similarly, many other companies' super shoes feature carbon plates.

 Sandwiching a plate or bars between layers of lightweight, high-rebound foam material has been the standard practice of the super shoe era (2017 and beyond). However, the ENERGYRIM is a U-shaped component that frames the perimeter of the shoe, meaning there's no hard material placed directly beneath the foam. The impact of a shoe with this new structure producing a world record is, without a doubt, immense.

At the announcement of the "Evo 3," Patrick Nava, General Manager of adidas Running, remarked, "With the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, we knew we had to think outside the box right from the beginning. Instead of just making incremental improvements on previous models, our goal was to see just how far we could push the boundaries of what's possible.

We went through more than ten rounds of prototypes, collaborating closely with athletes and conducting tests not only in our lab in Herzogenaurach but also at high-altitude training camps in Kenya and Ethiopia. After all that hard work, we believe we’ve created a shoe that offers a new perspective on what a race-day shoe can be." As his comment suggests, this is a truly groundbreaking shoe.

The outsole strategically places Continental™ Rubber in the forefoot. This thin and lightweight rubber is said to deliver exceptional grip. Additionally, the upper structure, inspired by the sails used in kitesurfing, achieves a balance between being lightweight and providing support.

"We re-evaluated everything—the length of the shoelaces, the number and placement of the lace holes, even the stitching. By trimming every last bit of waste, we managed to achieve an incredibly light weight of around 97g," says Ota.

We can expect to see many athletes excel while wearing the "Evo 3" in the upcoming fall race season. We're sure to see athletes in Japan setting impressive new records in marathons and ekiden relays with the "Evo 3" on their feet.