Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 review: nimble as a swift

Adidas' Adizero franchise has been going from strength to strength these past years, winning races left, right and centre. The company's race-ready lineup includes the Takumi Sen franchise, now in its tenth iteration, explicitly designed for 5-10k races.

Admittedly, it's a niche market compared to marathon runners, but considering the growing running population, it makes sense for Adidas to have a shoe like the Adizero Takumi Sen 10 in its roster.

As a speciality shoe, the Takumi Sen 10 really only makes sense if you have a running shoe rotation and need a fast pair for short distances or if you're a runner who often participates in 5-10k races. It certainly isn't a general-purpose running trainer.

Is it worth buying? Should we add the Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 to T3's best running shoes guide? Most importantly, is it good enough to add to your rotation? Let's find out.

Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 review

Price and availability

The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 was announced on 1 January 2024 and is available to buy now at Adidas US, Adidas UK and Adidas AU for a recommended retail price of $180/ £170/ AU$ 270.

I find Adidas shoes slightly tighter than others (more on this below), so I went half a size up, which, in my case, is UK 10.5. Currently, the shoes are only available in a couple of colourways, including the tested Ivory / Core Black / Off-White and Green Spark / Aurora Met. / Lucid Lemon.

Specifications

• Best for: 5-10k races
• Weight: 198 grams (M UK 8.5)
• Drop: 6 mm
• Stack height: 33 mm/ 27 mm
• Sizing: true to size
• Colours: See above
• Carbon plate: yes, EnergyRod 2.0
• World Athletics approved?: yes, under 40mm max stack height, one plate
• Vegan: no
• Sustainability: Contains at least 20% recycled content

Comparison

Design and materials

The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a lightweight shoe that feels nimble on foot. It has a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam for impact force reduction and energy return. 

Adidas seems to be on a mission to confuse people about its foam technologies (not to mention carbon plates; more on this below). There are at least three distinct versions of Lighstrike currently in circulation (Lightstrike, Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro), and Adizero shoes use different combinations of these.

The Lightstrike Pro used here is the same foam as the one in the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, and you also get a double serving of it here. However, the Adios Pro 3 is taller, and the construction isn't the same, either. As a result, the Takumi Sen 10 is lighter than the Adios Pro 3, weighing in at 219g (7.7oz, men's UK 10.5).

A new addition to the Takumi Sen franchise is the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system. Adidas' take on the propulsion plate concept has a long, strange history. Previous Takumi Sen models used a combination of a carbon plate in the heel and individual, separated carbon-infused rods in the forefoot, which was said to mirror the shape of the metatarsal bones in the feet.

The new setup is one continuous heel-toe lattice that looks less anatomical than the original. One feels like Adidas is taking the scenic route towards traditional carbon plates, joining the different rods more and more at each iteration. The system works, but the rods are certainly thicker than most carbon plates.

One thing to mention is that Adidas' ENERGYRODS 2.0 is made from partly recycled glass rather than carbon fibre. The brand says glass fibre is more flexible than carbon, which is crucial for "navigating tight corners of 5-10K road races" and "enduring the high impact" experienced from running fast on hard ground.

The synthetic mesh upper is made from 100% recycled polyester and looks exactly what you'd expect from an Adizero shoe. It's practically see-through to reduce weight, reinforced in critical areas and features minimal padding around the ankles. The tongue has a soft-to-touch feel and is slightly padded, too, to relieve the pressure on the top of the foot.

Performance and comfort

Running in the Takumi Sen 10 reminded me of the Adidas Adizero Adios 8 (which uses a different Lighstrike foam setup, Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro) but with added propulsion, thanks to the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system.

It's a peppy shoe that allows you to control your stride while giving you a push at every step. Corners are tight, and changing speeds is easy in the shoes, too.

I love the lightness of the Takumi Sen 10. Since it's designed for shorter distances, the shoes shed a ton of unnecessary weight. They are also less bulky, which is refreshing to see and feel in a world of bulky, max-cushioned shoes. These days, the more foam you have underfoot, the better, it seems.

Although the Takumi Sen 10 is for racing and fast running to distances up to 10k, that. doesn't mean you can't wear it for anything else. I haven't tried running mega-long distances in them, but that's only because I found the upper extremely tight.

Not sure what went wrong there. The Adios 8 has a similar construction, and that felt fine. Yet in the Takumi Sen 10, after a few consecutive 10k runs, the top part of my metatarsal bone on the medial side of my foot was hurting pretty bad.

I have wide feet, which doesn't help, but as I said above, the Adios 8 felt fine, so the upper on the Takumi Sen 10 must be less flexible – and, therefore, less accommodating – than the other one.

I wish it were, though, as I really enjoyed running in the Takumi Sen 10. I was invited by Apple to a track session at Battersea Park Millennium Arena and decided to wear the Takumi Sen 10, and it was a ton of fun. We did intervals, and I was flying in the shoes. So nimble and agile. And, most importantly, really, really fun.

Verdict

The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a tremendously fun shoe. Its lightweight, stripped-back construction lets you leave it all on the field, so to speak, if that's what you want to do.

The double layer of Lighstrike Pro foam improves energy return, and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system gives that little extra kick at each step to ensure you can jolt forward from every position. The Takumi Sen 10's cornering ability is exceptional, and you also get more stability thanks to reduced stack height compared to high-stack marathon racers.

The only grief is the tightness of the upper. The Takumi Sen 10 would be the ultimate mid-distance racer if the toe box were more accommodating. This shouldn't be an issue if your feet are narrow, but people with wide feet might want to think twice before buying the shoes.

Also consider

The Nike Streakfly came out a couple of years ago, and has been a bit of sleeper hit in a world focused on marathon-ready shoes. Similarly to the Takumi Sen 10, the Streakfly is designed for 5-10k races and has a 32mm maximum stack height and a 6 mm drop. These days, it's around half the price of the Adidas, too. Read my full Nike Streakfly review.