Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4: First Impressions of a Serious Race Day Contender

Introduction

The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is one of the more exciting racing shoes to land in recent memory, and after early runs in it, the enthusiasm is easy to understand. This is a shoe built with a clear purpose: marathon race day. Both testers have logged workouts in it ahead of the Berlin Marathon, and a full post-race review will follow once it has been put through real marathon conditions. Early impressions, however, point strongly in the right direction.

A Better-Fitting Woven Upper

The Pro 4 debuts a new woven upper that may be one of the better-fitting uppers on any race day shoe right now. Previous versions of the Adios Pro line caused heel issues for one of the testers, and those problems largely disappeared in this version thanks to extra padding along the sides and a revised lacing setup that is easier to work with.

The upper, called Lightlock, includes a band that wraps all the way around the shoe to help lock the foot in over the platform. The weave itself is unidirectional, meaning it stretches in two directions but not the other two, which keeps the foot secure without feeling restrictive. One tester noted the shoe initially ran a little short, but the natural give of the material settled that concern within the first run.

Lighter Foam and a Moved Rocker

Underfoot is where the Pro 4 makes its strongest case. Earlier versions felt denser, with rods that did not always cooperate with a runner’s stride. This version uses a new formulation of Lightstrike Pro, and the foam reads noticeably lighter and bouncier underfoot.

The rods themselves are borrowed from the Evo, with the rocker moved back: the toe spring now begins roughly 60 percent of the way from the back of the shoe to the front. That shift should translate into a better feeling coming off the toe, and the rods visibly bend at exactly that point.

Grip comes from Continental rubber, but only a small red patch at the toe. Because Continental rubber adds weight, Adidas limited it to the forefoot where testing showed it delivers the most benefit for toe-off.

Early Workouts: Paces Nailed

Two workouts in, the early signs are promising. One tester hit every target pace in both sessions, describing the shoe as a genuine race day contender. The other, coming back from some injuries, found the shoe flowed nicely through the stride and produced a feeling of extra speed without disproportionate hard effort.

Race Day Decision: Berlin Bound

For one of the testers, the decision between the Evo and the Pro 4 is already made. Despite having one more workout to go in the Evo, the Pro 4 is locked in as the marathon shoe. It may not produce the fastest marathon time given the return from injury, but confidence in the shoe itself is not in question.

For runners eyeing their own autumn marathon, the combination of a secure woven upper, bouncier Lightstrike Pro, and Evo-derived rocker geometry makes the Adizero Adios Pro 4 well worth trying on before race day.

Conclusion

The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 addresses the weak spots of its predecessors: heel fit, dense underfoot feel, and rod geometry that fought some strides. With a refined Lightlock upper, a bouncier new foam formulation, and a rocker borrowed from the Evo, it enters the race day conversation with real momentum. A full verdict will follow after Berlin, but the first impressions suggest Adidas has something special here.