Adidas’ Marathon-Destroying Running Shoes Get a Facelift

Adidas has revealed the Adizero Boston 12 and Adios 8 running silos – the latest additions to its award-winning Adizero franchise. Both shoes have a long history of serving the different needs of Adidas’ running community, having originally launched in 1982 and 2008 respectively. Haile Gebrselassie broke his own Marathon World Record wearing the Adios 1 in 2008, while the Boston is now on its 12th iteration.

A testament to Adidas’ continued determination to push the boundaries of innovation forward, the Boston 12 was tested across 19 sessions with its pro athletes in Kenya, including Peres Jepchirchir, Abel Kipchumba and Angela Tanui. The unique insights obtained during those sessions were leveraged throughout the development process to ensure this shoe would best serve the needs of Adidas’ ambitious running community.

The result is the Adizero Boston 12, which is designed to give runners the race feeling on fast training runs, with high-performance technology inside a training shoe. Also joining the Adizero franchise is the Adizero Adios 8 – a racing allrounder that, thanks to its lightweight design in combination with a low profile and responsive midsole, offers runners a direct and snappy feeling in races and speed workouts.

Charlotte Heidmann, Senior Global Product Manager, Running Footwear at Adidas commented: “At Adidas, we work with some of the most successful elite athletes on the planet. So listening closely to them and implementing their invaluable feedback is a crucial part of the development process of new products. Our latest round of athlete testing led to the Adizero Boston 12 becoming an even more powerful partner for speedwork and tempo runs. Meanwhile, we’ve also created the Adizero Adios 8 which is softer and lighter than previous iterations.”

Adizero Boston 12

The Adizero Boston 12 is a lightweight, fast and cushioned training shoe, featuring a range of technological updates including engineered mesh, and targeted support of engineered key zones that provide both midfoot lockdown and forefoot flexibility.

Adidas has also included what they call “Energy Rods 2.0”, which provide midsole stiffness with glass-fibre-infused rods to provide a system designed for a seamless transition from heel to toe.

The Boston 12 also comes with a layered midsole construction consisting of Adidas high-performance foam, Lightstrike Pro. The outsole from Continental provides superior grip in the most demanding conditions.

Adizero Adios 8

When it comes to race day, the new Adizero Adios 8 is a purpose-built racing shoe designed to help runners achieve their best times. New tech features of the model include a lightweight mesh upper with a new micro-fit pattern, the ‘Energytorsion Rod 2.0′ for a snappier toe-off, and Adidas’ Lightstrike pro foam.

The goal of the Adios 8 is to locks runners in during high-speed races and provide maximum energy snap when striding.

The Adizero Boston 12 and Adios 8 are available online and in Adidas stores, both models are priced at R2,999 each.