Comparing the Nike Alphafly 4 to the Adidas Adios Pro 5

We put Nike’s new marathon racer, the Alphafly 4, through the Supwell grading system and compared it to the Adidas Adios Pro 5. With a familiar Alphafly ride, a smoother transition, and a slightly softer step-in feel, the v4 makes some meaningful improvements without messing with what made the v3 so good.

Grading the Nike Alphafly 4

Midsole: A

The Alphafly 4 has a very similar ride to the Alphafly 3. It features the same booming bounce and mechanical forefoot ride, with a slightly softer underfoot feel and a smoother transition from heel to toe. Side note: the Alphafly 4 is even noisier than the 3, which may or may not bother you.

Upper: A-

The Alphafly 4 retains an Atomknit upper, and has a slightly more dialed fit compared to the 3. The toebox is on the lower volume side.

Outsole: A

The Alphafly 4 features a wider base vs. the Alphafly 3 with good rubber coverage in the forefoot landing zone.

Step-in Comfort: A-

The Alphafly 4 has a softer overall step-in feel compared to last generation, but it is still not the utmost in comfort.

Design: A

This new version continues the iconic design language established in the Alphafly 3.

Race Day

Nike Alphafly Next% 4

Race shoe designed for speed over distance

Price

$280

Plated?

Yes

Foam

PEBA

Weight (oz)

6.9

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

Comparing the Nike Alphafly 4 to the Adidas Adios Pro 5

The Marketing Brief

The Adidas Adios Pro 5 is a stable, versatile racer with a pronounced rocker and a carbon energy rim that allows for more foam directly underfoot, while the Nike Alphafly 4 s a safe update to Nike’s iconic mainstream marathon shoe that aims to deliver accessible speed assistance to the masses.

The Midsole Construction

The Adios Pro 5 features a slab of Adidas' Lightstrike Pro foam with a carbon energy rim running along the outer edges of the shoe for stability. The Alphafly 4 features two different foam: ZoomX LT on the top for a lighter, softer upper layer, a carbon fiber plate, and a bottom layer of standard ZoomX foam. It also features the newly formulated Air Zoom units under the forefoot.

Race Day

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5

Marathon race shoe designed for comfort and speed

Price

$275

Plated?

Yes

Foam

Not disclosed

Weight (oz)

6.0

Drop (mm)

5

Support

Neutral

see details

The Weight

The Adios Pro 5 is lighter, at 177 grams in a Men's US sample size 9. The Alphafly 4 is still 211 grams in the same size, which is slightly lighter than the previous version.

The Price

The two shoes are virtually the same price. The MSRP of the Adios Pro 5 is $275 and the Alphafly 4 is $280.

For Yowana's video comparison of the Adidas Adios Pro 5 and the Nike Alphafly 4, check out the Supwell YouTube channel:

For a weekly dose of MILEAGE, shoe reviews, and inspiration, sign up for Mileage Mantra, the Supwell weekly newsletter.