Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 Shoe Review: World Record Breaker

On Sunday, Sabastian Sawe etched his name in history as the first runner to clock a sub-2-hour marathon in an official race. He achieved this remarkable feat wearing the latest iteration of Adidas' top-of-the-line performance running shoe — the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3, priced at a hefty $500. Unsurprisingly, the shoe is currently sold out.

The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 is an engineering marvel, boasting an impossibly light weight of under 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces. This carbon race shoe is designed to provide a boosted running economy, effectively reducing the energy cost of running long distances. For Sawe, the Pro Evo 3 delivered on its promise, but the question remains: is it a viable option for the rest of us chasing marathon personal records?

I had the opportunity to test the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 on a 5-kilometer treadmill ahead of its launch at the London Marathon. The shoe's remarkable lightness is its most striking feature, setting a new benchmark for weight-saving running shoes. To put it into perspective, the Pro Evo 3 is a staggering 150 grams lighter than the Nike Alphafly 3, which retails for $305.

According to Adidas, every 100 grams shaved off a shoe reduces the aerobic demand of running by 1 percent — a crucial advantage for record hunters. However, this cutting-edge technology comes at a steep price. At $500, the Pro Evo 3 is one of the most expensive running shoes on the market.

Adidas is clear that this shoe is designed for elite runners looking to break records, such as Sawe or Tigst Assefa, who set a new women's world record at the London Marathon with a time of 2:15.41.