Adidas Prime X Strung vs Prime X2 Strung: Which Max-Stack Racer Deserves Your $300?

Introduction

Few running shoes have a sequel quite like this. The Adidas Prime X2 Strung is technically an update to the Prime X Strung, but Adidas essentially threw out the rulebook and rebuilt the shoe from scratch. The result is a very different running experience, and not everyone thinks the changes made it better.

After putting serious mileage into both, the verdict is surprisingly clear: the original Prime X Strung remains the more enjoyable shoe, and it comes down to one thing above all else.

The Original: Adidas Prime X Strung

The Prime X Strung was one of those shoes that simply felt great underfoot. You get 50 mm of foam in the heel with an 8.5 mm drop, built around Lightstrike Pro cushioning and the same Energy Rods found in the Adidas Adizero Pro 3. That combination delivers a lively, bouncy ride that made it a favourite for easy days and uptempo runs alike.

It also carried a genuine race credential. It was raced in once with good results, though most runners would hesitate before using it over the marathon distance. At $300 it was always a bold price, but the foam held up well over time and did not feel like it was dying under repeated use.

The Strung upper deserves real credit here. Early versions of this shoe with a different upper simply failed to hold the foot in place over the enormous midsole, and it felt unstable enough to cause near-rolls of the ankle on every run. The woven Strung construction changed everything, locking the foot over the top of all that foam and turning the shoe into something actually wearable.

The Update: Adidas Prime X2 Strung

With the Prime X2 Strung, Adidas reworked nearly everything under the foot. The heel keeps 50 mm of foam, but the forefoot drops to 43.5 mm, changing the geometry to a 6.5 mm drop. There are now three layers of Lightstrike Pro, two carbon fibre plates, and no Energy Rods at all.

The idea behind the dual-plate setup is a spring-like mechanism: two plates provide rigidity and stability, with foam sandwiched between them. As the plates compress the foam on landing, it pushes back out on toe-off, theoretically adding bounce through the front of the shoe.

In practice, that mechanism only partially delivers. There is genuine bounce and pop off the toe, and running in it can be fun, but it does not create the same trampoline effect as the original.

The Weight Problem

Here is where the update stumbles. A size 10 in the original Prime X Strung weighed 9.8 oz, already on the heavier side for a race-day shoe. The Prime X2 Strung gained an additional 2 oz, landing at 11.8 oz, nearly 12 oz for a shoe positioned as a racer.

The raw number is only part of the story. The real issue is weight distribution. The Strung upper is excellent, arguably better than the first version, with a stretchy tongue and a comfortable, clean fit. But nearly all of the added mass sits underneath the foot in the midsole and plate assembly, making the shoe feel bottom-heavy.

When you try to pick up the pace, you can feel it. Bringing the knee forward takes noticeably more effort, and ramping up to faster speeds turns the ride into a bit of a slogger. If the dual-plate spring mechanism were working at full potential, the toe-off bounce might offset that sensation, but in the current version it simply is not enough.

The Upper: Strung, Improved in Both Versions

Credit where it is due: the Strung upper on the Prime X2 is genuinely good. It is more comfortable, fits well, and the stretchy tongue makes it easy to wear. If you loved the fit of the original, the update improves on it.

The problem is that the upper was never the shoe’s weakness in the sequel. The added foam, plates, and weight under the foot are what changed the character of the ride, and that is where the Prime X2 loses ground.

Buying Advice: Which One Should You Pick?

Both shoes keep the same $300 price tag, so this is purely a performance decision. The Prime X2 Strung has real potential, and there is a plausible argument that a future iteration could fix the weight distribution problem and become something special. If you are curious about the dual-plate bounce and do not mind a heavier package, it is still an enjoyable shoe to run in.

But for most runners, the extra 2 oz makes a huge difference. The original Prime X Strung delivers a lighter, more fun, bouncier ride, and that lighter package simply feels better out on the roads, even if you never plan to race in it. It is the shoe worth grabbing.

Conclusion

The Prime X2 Strung is a bold experiment: more foam, two carbon plates, no Energy Rods, and a spring mechanism that only partly works. The original Prime X Strung keeps the trampoline-like bounce, the lower weight, and the fun factor that made it a standout in the first place. Until Adidas trims the weight from the sequel, the original is the one to buy.