Adidas' $500 race shoe might just win your next marathon for you

If you're serious about your next marathon PB, you might want to start saving: Adidas has just unveiled the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2, and it’s a $500 (€500) slice of speed-focused engineering that might just become your new race-day obsession.

Built on the legacy of the record-breaking Evo 1, the running shoe that helped rewrite the women’s marathon world record and win more than 30 major races, the Evo 2 doesn’t just continue the story, it turns up the volume.

The new model packs a 10% increase in forefoot stack height, adds 5% more energy return, and somehow still weighs the same as its predecessor, which is an incredible engineering feat to achieve.

The Evo 2 is built on a refined midsole, using Adidas' LIGHTSTRIKE PRO EVO foam, now with an extra 3mm of it under the forefoot.

According to the company's lab data, that translates directly into more propulsion and greater efficiency, precisely what you need when you're gunning for a negative split.

The outsole has been completely rethought, too. Gone is the full-coverage rubber; in its place, a strategically gridded pattern across the forefoot delivers traction exactly where fast runners need it most.

Combine that with the familiar forefoot rocker positioned at 60% of the shoe’s length (similarly to the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4), and the Evo 2 is built for aggressive race-day transitions.

And the specs? Here’s the nitty-gritty:

• Midsole stack height: 39mm heel / 36mm forefoot
• Drop: 3mm
• Midsole tech: LIGHTSTRIKE PRO EVO foam
• Outsole: New grid-pattern design for targeted grip
• Weight: Same as the Evo 1 (approx. 138g / 4.9oz)

The look is also pure speed, with a minimalist silver upper and bold red three-stripe branding designed to turn heads even at 3:00/km pace (people might want to do some stretches not to pull a muscle seeing you zoom past).

Speaking about the development process, Adidas’ Patrick Nava said: “The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 is born from our relentless pursuit of speed – refined through rigorous testing – from the high-altitude training camps in Iten, Kenya to our innovation labs in Herzogenaurach.”

And if you need one more reason to believe the hype, here’s what Tigist Assefa – who famously broke the women’s marathon world record in the Evo 1 – had to say: “It offers incredible lightness while providing energy return and bounce underfoot, giving me a feeling of comfort and confidence to focus on running my best race.”

The shoe officially launches on 25 April in limited quantities at Adidas and select retailers, with a wider release planned for the autumn marathon season.

Given the demand for the original Evo 1 (which sold out almost instantly), you’ll need to be quick.