Adidas Takumi 10 Review: Adidas' Lightest Road Racing Shoe, Refined

Introduction

The Adidas Takumi 10 is the tenth version of Adidas’ lightest road racing shoe, and it has been a favorite for a couple of years for one simple reason: it turns over quickly. This generation keeps that snappy character while making one significant change under the foot, a reworked energy rod system.

The Takumi 10 still carries a decent amount of foam for a shoe this light, with a 33 mm heel and a 27 mm forefoot. It weighs 6.9 oz for a men’s size 9 and 5.9 oz for a women’s size 8. It is a teeny bit heavier than the previous version, though nothing that feels significant when running.

Who This Shoe Is For

This is a shoe for runners who want to turn their legs over quickly without giving up all of the foam under their feet. It rewards fast running and rewards runners who are comfortable in less shoe.

Main Strengths

The biggest change from the previous version is the redone energy rod system. It still delivers that same smooth landing when you strike far back at the rearfoot. The difference is that the rods now extend out into the lateral side, and you can really feel it: land there and it feels like the rod jams up into your foot and then pushes you medially very quickly. If you need a shoe with a bit of lateral guidance, this works really well.

Up front, the rods are now impossible to feel. Previous versions felt like the sole was bottoming out a little, with the rods noticeable underfoot. Here they feel fully integrated. The shoe is still snappy, and it actually feels a touch stiffer than before, but once you pick up the pace it feels absolutely fine.

Things to Consider Before Buying

This shoe feels best running intervals, and it has handled plenty of fartlek and hill repeats. On tempo runs it can feel like there is not enough shoe there, though that reaction comes from being used to running in more shoe.

If you are a high school runner or someone used to racing flats, it may do totally fine, because it is plenty durable. Twenty miles in produced no major wear. The fit is slightly different from prior versions: it runs about a quarter size short and feels more like a racing flat, where the last versions were a little more comfortable.

Buying Advice

If the new lateral rod guidance and the racing-flat fit do not interest you, the previous Takumi versions on sale are the smarter buy. If those changes do appeal, the Takumi 10 is a worthwhile upgrade for fast days.

Conclusion

The Adidas Takumi 10 stays true to its identity as a lightweight, quick-turning racer with real foam under it. The reworked energy rods add genuine lateral guidance, the forefoot feels better integrated than ever, and the slight stiffness and weight bump only matter at slower paces. For interval work and fast racing, it remains one of the more focused options in its class.