Adidas Adizero Prime X Evo

The Adidas Adizero Prime X Evo is an illegal $500 race shoe. Designed to (unofficially) break the world 100K record, it features 50mm of Adidas’ Lightstrike Pro Evo TPEE race foam in an ultralightweight package. The Lightstrike Pro Evo foam in the Prime X Evo is less dense than the version found in the Pro Evo race models, which provides a softer underfoot feel. This is also the first shoe in Adidas’ lineup to utilize an energy rim to stabilize the foam rather than a carbon fiber plate or Adidas’ EnergyRods. It wraps around the shoe in a U-shaped pattern, making the foam feel even softer and more responsive. The upper is very lightweight and proved to be the one area where the shoe could definitely be improved. It is highly unstructured and didn’t allow for a good lockdown experience, which only made the stability of the shoe more problematic. Out on the run, the quintessential, defining feature of this shoe is the protection and cushioning you get from all of the foam, along with the aggressive toe-off that provides a unique sensation of feeling effortless to run in. The miles pass by with ease, making it an excellent long-run shoe. However, it does not provide the same bounce and snap found in more aggressive race shoes like the Hoka Cielo X1 3.0 or the Puma Fast-R 3. The outsole is covered in Adidas’ Lighttraxion GCPU compound, which is very grippy, but the tall stack of foam, narrow heel, and very thin upper make the shoe incredibly unstable when navigating turns or obstacles in the road. If you love innovation in the running shoe industry, are planning to run a road ultra, or need a race shoe for long time on feet, the Prime X Evo is worth every penny.