Adidas adizero Adios 9 Introduction

Introducing the Adidas Adizero Adios 9. This shoe is devoted to racing and speed workouts. They are lightweight and have a minimalist design but carry premium technologies. The shoe comes in at 6.2 with a 7mm heel-toe offset which is made up of 28mm in the heel and 21 in the forefoot.

Lightstrike Pro is the midsole of choice and runs the full length of the shoe. New to the Adios 9 is a full length rubber outsole. Prior to this only high impact areas received outsole material.

The majority of the footprint received Adidas new Light-traxion GCPU compound with only a small portion being Continental Tire rubber. The GCPU material seems to be an ultra light, ultra durable upgrade to most other materials.

All of this at a price of just under $140.

Adidas adizero Adios 9 First Impressions

The Adios 9 stole most of its appearance from the Adios Pro 4. The latter is a long distance super shoe. In fact, they look almost identical other than the foam midsole.

Adidas is running a beefy Lightstrike midsole on the Pro 4 whereas the Adios 9 is slim and sleek. To make things even more confusing, they are offered in the same colorways with the main ones being white/black, silver/red and neon/black.

I’ve had inconsistent fitment issues with Adidas shoes in the past and these are no different. Some fit perfectly, others are small, some are narrow and others are not. I found the Adios 9 to run small and have a more narrow fit. Although it wasn’t enough for me to need to size up.

Adidas adizero Adios 9 Upper

The Adidas Adizero Adios 9 utilizes a Micro Fit upper made of a lightweight, breathable, and flexible one-way stretch mesh material.

This design places comfort and support where needed most while reducing unnecessary weight. An integrated LIGHTLOCK band runs from the eyelet row to the heel for a secure foot lockdown, as well as Slinglaunch technology around the heel.

All of this technology is great, but how’s it actually fit? Narrow is the first word that comes to mind. I don’t have wide feet but there was absolutely no wiggle room in these shoes. Most of this is by design to keep weight down.

I also thought I may have blister issues in the heel due to the collar being so tight but it turned out to be a non issue.

I really liked the simplicity of the tongue. Gusseted and soft with a hint of padding. It’s a no frills and no worries design that compliments the rest of the upper.

Adidas adizero Adios 9 Sole Unit

The Adidas Adizero Adios 9 features a full-length Lightstrike Pro midsole, which is a significant update from previous versions. This well known, premium foam provides high energy return and cushioning for a responsive ride.

The outsole utilizes a Lighttraxion GCPU compound to minimize weight while providing solid grip. A Continental rubber insert is located in the forefoot for added traction during toe-off.

The energy return in these shoes surprised me. They are quite lively when you consider the stack height compared to more cushioned long distance racing shoes. Striding felt effortless and the shoe just made me want to go faster.

Even as a runner with a bigger frame, I feel like this shoe would hold up very well for me in a 10k race. That may be the extent of comfort for a guy like me. For smaller, lighter runners, that distance may increase.

Adidas adizero Adios 9 Conclusions

In a day and age when bigger midsoles and more cushioning seems to be all you find, a shoe like the Adizero Adios 9 still has its place.

For serious runners who specialize in short distances or someone looking for a speedy shoe for workouts, you won’t be disappointed in what you get. These shoes definitely deliver on what they were made for.