When we talk about the big dogs of the racing world adidas is right up there.
I wore the Pro 3 for a variety of workouts and found the firm and rigid ride good for all out 5-10km efforts but pinched my arch when I went up over the 40-minute mark at tempo effort. Partly because I think the cut out in the medial midsole made that point of the shoe compress in the stance phase meaning my foot had to fight for stability.
But you didn’t come here for a pro 3 rant.
Version 4 addresses many of the complaints I had about the 3.
Upper
This is probably one of the nicest uppers I have had in a racing shoe. It’s light, soft, breathable and the use of the lightlock tech gave me a good lockdown.
One trouble we have with the high-stacked shoes is feeling like the upper keeps you held well on the midsole at speed and turning. The way the upper is woven makes medial-to-lateral movements feel less dramatic and I had limited side-to-side movement. The laces were just long enough to use the last eyelet for extra security around the heel.
The softer heel counter did not rub my Achilles like some other models. Unlike other Adidas models (that can sometimes fit a little bigger) I found my normal US 8.5 to be a true fit in length and width. I also think Adidas nailed the volume in this model.
I didn’t have to really pull the laces to get the fit right. The tongue has enough padding that removes any discomfort that could occur if you need the laces to be a little more sung.
Midsole
The midsole update does not resemble anything like the feel of the 3rd version. It’s much softer and much bouncer (technical term). To me, it feels more like an A-TPU than a TPEE or PEBA.
Adidas won’t tell us what this version of Lightstrike Pro is made at a raw material level, but I have my suspicions. It means that statically it may feel very soft but under high force load it stiffens and firms up.
The midsole stack is 39-33, adding more under the forefoot and less pitch. The Carbon Energy rods and extenuated toe spring do a good job at making this still feel like a 9mm pitch. The first few times I struggled to find my forward lean to make the most of the toe kick, but in the end, I got my foot strike right on the up curve of the rods and felt the assistance.
The less aggressive midsole lateral cut-out meant I felt I had more control of the toe off and the greater feedback from the foam had me leaving the ground efficiently.
Outsole
Adidas moved to a self-coined “lighttraxion” outsole with continental rubber at the big toe.
I wore this on a wet day in Hagley Park and I will say that the outsole was not as grippy as version 3. Not to say it was bad, but I did feel a little vulnerable on the slick white paint, or where organic material had gathered on the path. On the dryer concrete it bit down well, and I felt like I could push real power. It was also very quiet on the road surface which makes a change from some of the other racing options.
I think this is a nice update from Adidas. If you like the plush, bouncy feel of a race shoe then you most certainly should try this.
