ADIZERO RANGE
DESIGNED TO BREAK RECORDS
Ever since the 2008 Berlin Marathon , when legendary Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie breezed to his 2:03:59 World Record in a pair of adidas adizero adios prototypes , the adizero range of running shoes has only got better . It ’ s a journey that has included over 150 World Records , so far , and the design team behind adizero know exactly why .
Haile Gebrselassie
TO RECORDS event in Herzogenaurach , Germany , home base for adidas . The late Agnes Jebet Tirop of Kenya set a new Women ’ s Only 10km World Record of 30:01 , taking a massive 28 seconds off the previous record that had stood for 19 years , and Ethiopian Senbere Teferi broke the Women ’ s Only 5km World Record by 15 seconds , running a time of 14:29 . ( Teferi ’ s World Record is a first for the latest addition to the adizero collection , the Takumi Sen 8 , which is set to launch worldwide this December .)
BUILT FOR PURE SPEED
The adizero adios Pro was co-created with world-class athletes specifically to help them in their pursuit for speed . The ground-breaking technology developed for this shoe , EnergyRods , sees five rigidly tuned carboninfused rods give the shoe an intuitive connection to the athlete , optimising running economy and allowing them to maintain their speed for longer . The EnergyRods are complemented by two layers of LightstrikePRO midsole , which provide super-light cushioning for explosive movements and enduring speed .
As Falk Bruns , Senior Footwear Designer , says , “ We are so close to the athletes . We get so many insights . The athletes are absolutely essential in our process , and in the end , that ’ s why we come to work every day . It ’ s to build shoes to allow them to take their performance to the next level .”
Each innovative iteration of the adizero is crafted according to a unique combination of designers ’ skill and pro athlete feedback . This is how the new adios Pro 2 model represents “ the tip of the spear , the top of the pyramid , the best of the best ... the greatest running shoe that we ’ ve yet built ,” according to Sam Handy , Vice-President Design / Running at adidas .
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
With each new adizero innovation , athletes are empowered to push past what was once considered the limit of human running . It ’ s no coincidence that Haile Gebrselassie ’ s marathon record was beaten at the 2011 Berlin Marathon by Kenyan Patrick Makau , wearing adizero as he took the mark down to 2:03:38 . Then another adidas athlete , Kenyan Wilson Kipsang , improved the record to 2:03:23 two years later in Berlin .
On the women ’ s front , Peres Jepchirchir was wearing the original adios Pro when she broke the Women ’ s Only Half Marathon World Record in 2020 , crossing the line in 1:05:34 , and then she went on to win the Olympic Marathon in Tokyo this year , wearing the adios Pro 2 to clock a season best 2:27:20 .
After her Olympic win , Peres said , “ Winning at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer was the culmination of years of hard work . It was incredibly tough on the day , but the shoes gave me the confidence to push myself in the final stages of the race . I thought it would be tough to improve on the Pro 1 , but these shoes are fantastic . They are light , and feel really fast and responsive . I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together as we head into a busy marathon season , and hopefully we can break some more records in the process .”
The most recent World Records added to the adizero hall of fame were run at the ADIDAS ADIZERO : ROAD
The adizero range is led by the adizero adios Pro 2 , and also features the adizero Boston 10 and the adizero Prime X . The vibrant sonic ink colour update , is designed to embody and capture the power of running , and to connect the mind and body . It also celebrates the resurgence of the sport , with runners returning to both elite and grassroots competition as the world begins to emerge from the COVID pandemic lockdowns and restrictions .
And it ’ s not just World Records that are constantly falling to adizero . Around the world , personal bests are dropping like flies as runners at all levels are inspired to push the limits of what was possible . So , are you ready for speed ?
And what was Kenyan Dennis Kimetto wearing when he chopped 26 seconds off Kipsang ’ s time in 2014 in Berlin ? You guessed it , adizero ! The same goes for another Kenyan , Rhonex Kipruto , when he set a new 10km World Record of 26:24 in 2020 . He too was wearing the adizero adios Pro .
Peres Jepchirchir
71