adidas adizero Adios 9 review Introduction
The Adios gets an update 1.5 years after its previous version, the Adios 8, that was largely enjoyed by runners. With adidas’ pinnacle race day shoe that updated recently, we expected a similar step up across the range. Did the new adidas adios 9 deliver? What changed compared to version 8 and in which case should you consider this shoe for your rotation? Let’s find out in this review.
The upper of the new Adios 9 is very comfortable and could justify the upgrade in itself
If you haven’t watched our YouTube review of the adidas Adios Pro 4 (how did you miss it?), you probably know that the comfort is now on a whole different level. The Adios Pro 3 had that abrasive upper material, an unpleasant heel construction and overall a subpar fit experience. With the Adios Pro 4, adidas introduced a new upper material, a new Lightlock system and addressed one of the biggest issues on their top-end marathon shoe.
Why am I telling you this?
Because you could simply replace words and get the story of the Adios 9, albeit the Adios 8 was not as bas as the Adios Pro 3 in terms of fit. But in general, adidas applied the same formula to the Adios 9 as they did on the Adios Pro 4: a new upper material, a significantly improved heel design and the addition of the Lightlock system. This upgrade in itself would have justified the transition from the Adios 8 to the Adios 9. The comfort is now superb and I almost wondered how I managed to stand the fit of the Adios 8 after switching back and forth between the two shoes in the same session. The heel collar hugged my Achilles, the new tongue is soft and lightly padded, the upper material is miles apart from the old one. Happy feet, happy runners.
The adidas Adios 9 gets a full Lightstrike Pro midsole, and it’s zesty
But the fairytale does not end with the upper. The midsole of the Adios 9 wanted its share of glory and adidas decided to grant it. Gone is the dual foam construction of the Adios 8 (Lightstrike Pro in the forefoot and “regular” Lightstrike 2.0 in the heel). Gone is the torsion plate too, now replaced by a mere midsole shank – that is frankly unnoticeable to the extent that I wondered if that midsole actually featured some sort of stiffening element. From the 27mm of stack height in the heel to the pointy end of forefoot, the midsole is now full Lightstrike Pro. I would even say that it’s the same formulation as in the Adios Pro 4, but that’s just my guess.
How does it ride? It does offer a very pleasant experience. For the record, I did enjoy the ride of the Adios 8 quite a bit. And the new Adios 9 is very different from that shoe. It feels like one under your foot, whereas the Adios 8 had very opposite experiences in the heel and forefoot. The Adios 8 was firmer in the heel which helped to stabilise the ride. The new Adios 9 offers much softer landings and a decreased stability as a trade-off. Is that a huge deal? Not really in my opinion, mostly because stability is not really a big topic when it comes to shorter reps and short sessions in general. To a certain extent I personally see it as an upside, as it helps to train the legs differently and adapt to a different stimulus. The Adios 8 felt snappy because of the torsion plate, where the Adios 9 feels explosive because of the foam and how it reacts when loaded at faster paces. Overall the Adios 9 feels a little bit more agile, less clunky and like it makes one with the runner.
Grippy, rather inexpensive: in conclusion the adidas Adios 9 is the perfect shoe for faster sessions
I don’t say this very often but adidas really nailed this update. They really sent it out of the park in all departments. The upper is sensational compared to the Adios 8. The midsole feels much more modern, dynamic and ready to be set on fire. Furthermore, the new Lighttraxxion grip does a perfect job at keeping your feet secure on the ground. In my testing on diverse wet surfaces, I experienced zero slippage. Is the piece of Continental rubber under the big toe gimmicky? Maybe, but given the above I can easily forgive adidas their use of Continental’s name in the marketing strategy of the shoe. Yes, the adidas Adios 9 is more expensive than its predecessor. Yes, it overlaps with the excellent Adizero SL2. But I would pay the €140/$140 out of my pocket every single day for what it brings to the table.