Adidas Men's Adistar Sneaker

Product Information

The Adistar is one of the few Adidas performance trainers to not have a Torsion or LEP shank on its outsole so it feels more relaxed and doesn’t feel as snappy. The ride is quite firm and rockered, so those who want a high stack height that still feels grounded will do well here.

The forefoot has flare on the medial and lateral side, which combined with the toe spring makes for a stable transition forward. It clearly offers a lot of protection with all that cushioning, but the pronounced rocker geometry means you don’t notice the high stack at all because you move through your footstrike so easily. I haven’t been able to confirm the material of Repetitor, but I’m assuming it is a fairly soft flavor of EVA, because on that cold weather run, the midsole was noticeably firmer - and that doesn’t usually happen with other types of midsole foams. They obviously make great shoes and sponsor some of the best athletes in the world, but I never found a shoe that really shined for me.Lastly, the upper is made from 50% recycled polyester and 50% Parley Ocean Plastic, meaning it is more sustainable than most, which is a nice bonus - while the fit and finish is top notch, and very plush and soft to the touch.

The Adistar upper feels like an homage to early Boost era uppers, and for me that’s an incredible thing. On that run, the Adistar reminded me of 2 other shoes that I tested this year: the Mizuno Wave Rider 25 and the Hoka Bondi X. Designed with a dual-density midsole, these premium performance running shoes provide a soft, cushioned landing that enhances your natural movement by creating a consistent rocking motion to propel you forward. This makes extremely posterior/rear landings comfortable, but more forward heel or midfoot landings clunky and uncomfortable. If you need that, check the Nike ZoomX Invincible Run 2, which scored only 2 in both manual assessments and is 9% less stiff in the 90º bend test.The rocker is aggressive and often clunky, which may be due to the firmness and excessive stiffness from the plate. What’s more, landing on the heel is outright jarring - which for me, as a midfoot striker, only happened when I was trying to make it happen. Combined with the extremely wide platform (the midfoot does not narrow) and massive guide line through the outsole/midsole, there is no other direction but forward to go. I would love to see Lightstrike Pro in this to soften the ride and if combined with current geometry, would still maintain the higher level of stability. My single favorite shoe of 2021, the Aurora-BL is lighter, bouncier, and squishier than the Adistar - but it also costs 50% more and is less durable.

Given the choice, I’d still probably choose the Adistar Boost (even though it’s 9 years older) over this new version because it was more versatile, lighter and it was more comfortable. Jeff is the token slow runner of the RTR lineup, and as such his viewpoints on shoe and gear can differ from those who routinely finish marathons in three hours or less. The ultra firm heel feel will be a deal breaker for heel strikers, but could double as a training device for runners trying to change their stride. What's more, even among stability shoes, only Hoka Gaviota 4 can beat this Adidas shoe in its width (115 mm in the forefoot and 103 mm in the heel). On my initial run I found that it was more breathable than I would like, with 17 degree temps and a slight wind cutting right through the shoe and freezing my feet, but in more normal weather the breathability is a non-factor and in the summer they’ll be a great shoe.I have had some mild blistering on the inner (medial) side of my big toes, so with the sizing issue, thicker socks may be warranted. At first glance it seems like it might be a pure lifestyle shoe, not really fit for running, but it can really perform as a dedicated runner. a shoe for our daily workouts that has some of the most outstanding technologies of the brand and that, in addition to our running workouts, we can also use them without problems in other sports activities. And since Adidas is now taking the Ultraboost series in a new direction by focusing on female runners, the time was ripe to release a running shoe that fills the void. Heavy shoes can result in some individuals having to work extra hard to lift their legs during the swing phase of gait to advance their foot forward.

The shoe is designed to stabilise your heel when it strikes the ground and then have a softer forefoot push off. The Adistar really is built for one kind of running only, and while you can go through the gears to some extent on longer runs and progress to steady paces, it really is designed solely for easy sessions.Designed with an engineered mesh upper, this pair combines a Repetitor platform with Repetitor+ to create a durable midsole for support as you move.