Shoe battle: Adidas Takumi Sen 8 vs. Nike Streakfly

Takumi Sen 8 vs Streakfly: not comparing apples to apples

When the Adidas Takumi Sen 8 and the Nike Streakfly were announced, most people – including myself – were convinced that we would have an epic 5/10k racing shoe battle. The reality is a little bit different.

Both shoes are really lightweight (181g for the Streakfly, 207g for the Takumi Sen 8 – that is in my size US11). And both share similar stack heights and drop (32/26 for the Streakfly, 33/27 for the Takumi). But their foams and rides are very different. And it’s hard to argue that they’re both 5/10k racing shoes.

The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 8 has a TPE-E Lightstrike Pro foam with a durometer score of 33.6/100. Most importantly it comes with Adidas signature energy rods (a plastic version of them), which help rigidifying the forefoot.

The Nike Streakfly gets a full lenght ZoomX midsole with a durometer score of 27.3/100 (durometer scores go for 0 to 100, and the lower the softer). It has a Pebax midfoot shank (a little plate that also brings structure to the shoe, but does not run all the way to the forefoot).

For a midfoot/forefoot striker like myself, the stiffness of a shoe in the forefoot can make a lot of difference. I feel like the Takumi Sen 8 offers me what I need to push on whereas the Streakfly bends to much and has that inefficient feeling.

How they ride

The Takumi Sen 8 feels more snappy and responsive. While I probably would not race in it (no matter the distance I think there are better shoes for that), I enjoy training in it.

I can nonetheless totally understand why people will love running in the Streakfly. It’s a light and very comfortable shoe, with a soft and bouncy midsole. Ground contact combined with some decent leg protection is a rather rare thing and the Streakfly has them. I compare it a lot with the Rebel v2 and if you loved that shoe (and many people did), go ahead because it’s a more durable, more comfortable and lighter version of the Rebel.

Who they will work best for

I can see the Streakfly working better for heel strikers and cadence runners (runners that increase their cadence more than their stride length at higher paces). The Takumi will probably be a better choice for midfoot/forefoot strikers (it works fine for heelstrikers but it does not transition very quickly to the forefoot because of that “flat” geometry.

Sizing alert

One very important thing to flag: both shoes run long and I opted for 1/2 size down on both. I would recommend you to do the same.

If you’re interested in more data and metrics (pounding, pronation, pronation velocity), please check my YouTube video of this shoe battle Adidas Takumi Sen 8 vs Streakfly.

You would like to compare the two shoes and their specs? Click on the button below to launch the Shoe Supertool.

The Adidas Takumi Sen 8 is available in several colorways and costs $180/€200

The Nike Streakfly released in limited quantities so far (Proto colorway and Fast Pack colorway). More pairs will be available in April. It costs $150/€150