ADIDAS

THE COMPANY

THE COMPANY'S SHOES


THE COMPANY

Adidas has been around a long time, and most of us who've also been around awhile grew up with this company. It's not only the Nike of Germany, it was the Nike of the world prior to -- well -- Nike. Somehow Adidas missed taking maximum advantage of the running boom in the U.S. in the early-to-mid '70s, and it spent a lot of the last 25-years catching up. It frequently made good running footwear during that time, but two good years would be followed by three bad ones (in my opinion as a user).

Also difficult for Adidas was the business side of its U.S.-based distribution. While Nike, New Balance, and Asics were consolidating their running markets here, Adidas found it hard to get traction in its North American sales and marketing, no pun intended.

That was the state of Adidas' U.S. business perhaps a decade ago, perhaps less. But Adidas has shaken off its spotty technical and tactical execution of the '80s and early '90s and its technical running footwear is now world class.

Having said that, there are two current problems with which it struggles, issues which I discovered, which my wife JulieAnne -- one of our footwear testers -- also noticed (and with which at least certain Adidas personnel concur). You've got to be a little careful with fit. I'm a size-12 in just about every other shoe, but I'm 12.5 in Adidas. But not in all Adidas. I find that I can run in size-12 in the Equipment Ride, for example, but my toes bunch up against the end of the Gazelles in that size. So keep that in mind, and if you're not used to this brand of shoe, it might be a good idea to buy it in a specialty store, not via mail order.

MODEL WT
GAZELLE 12.2 OZ
EQUIPMENT RIDE 13.3 OZ
PIEDMONT 13.6 OZ
The other thing I've noticed is that none of the shoes sent to is especially good at motion control. Mind you, I need motion control -- I'm a pronator -- and yet I like these shoes for the most part. But I like them as performance shoes, not as high-mileage shoes. I'd not be able to run in any of the three models as my everyday runners -- I'd break them down too quickly. In Adidas defense, these shoes aren't supposed to be especially adept at motion control, and if that's what we'd specifically asked for, they'd have sent us some other shoes. But I specifically asked for the Equipment Ride, because I like this shoe a lot (as you'll see below)

EQUIPMENT RIDE

CID -- The Equipment Ride, with the new facelift, continues to be Adidas flagship cushion shoe. The rear and forefoot extensive adiprene pad ensures plenty of shock absorption for either a heavier or a high mileage runner. The midsole/outsole now includes a longer torsion bar that adds stability along the arch and into the forefoot, and an UltraStrike heel plug for greater durability. The upper has been redesigned to incorporate a more breathable mesh and reflective overlays, increasing comfort and visibility in the dark. The overall result is a lighter shoe than the previous model, with greater stability and feel for the road. However, the new Ride did lose some of its trademark softness.
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Recommended for:

  • Heavier runners who need a firm cushion shoe.
  • Runners looking for cushion, high mileage shoe.
  • "Neutral" Runners who want a good overall trainer and don’t mind a $120 price tag.

Strengths: Overall fit, breathability and comfort from mesh upper, and good shock absorption. Added stability from the torsion bar benefits those runners who pronate slightly (and still want a cushion shoe), especially in the toe-off phase of the stride.

Weaknesses: The added stability compromised the Ride’s previous extreme softness, losing some of its appeal. Also, although the torsion bar provides significant arch support, the internal fit offers virtually no arch contour, presenting a mild problem among those with high arches, who are the main wearers of cushion shoes. (If you experience this problem try an after-market insole designed to provide additional arch support/cushion).

DAN -- I've got a lot of shoes in my garage (my wife mandates that they stay there). I've got them lined up like little soldiers, and when I go out for a run I pick one pair or another, depending on my mood.

The real test of what I like is what I choose from this batch when I'm going on an "important" run -- that being the run I'm going to do with others -- a run that might get a little competitive. In other words, when I've got my honor at stake, which soldiers do I go into battle with?

Lately, I've found myself reaching for the Equipment Ride. Mind you, I don't like everything about these shoes, but there's so much I do like about them I keep reaching for them anyway.

I like the "old" Equipment Ride quite a bit, but the new ones -- only one season newer than the "old" ones -- are even better. For a "cushion" shoe it feels and runs - and is -- light. I'd race in this shoe. In fact I raced last week, and I didn't even go back to the car to swap for my racing flats after the warm-up. I just said screw it and ran in these. They're that close to being a race shoe, at least for a bigger guy like me.

It's not a motion control shoe, but it still works passably well for me, a pronator, and it upholds my orthotic just fine. It's holding up a little better than my previous Equipment Rides -- the iteration one generation older than these. The upper has very little of the hard, "authentic imitation" leather that most shoes do which just serves to give me blisters on my toes.

The one beef I have is that the forefoot area -- the toe box -- is quite wide, so the shoes pucker a little when I cinch them down on my narrowish feet. Keep in mind that this is a common problem with me. It's not just Adidas that give me this problem. Even though the shoes are a tad wide up front, it's not a big issue because, again, there is no bulky eye-stay or other funky hard leathery piece that might pucker as well, gouging the skin out of the top of my foot like a woodworker carving away with a chisel (I hate it when that happens).

I don't like spending money, but I'd spend it on this shoe.

JULIEANNE -- This is an excellent high mileage trainer with great stability for mild to moderate pronaters. Light weight, with excellent flexibility in the forefoot and midfoot. Ample lacing, which allows for a good runner's loop.

PIEDMONT (BREVARD IN WOMENS)

DAN -- This shoe runs like a boat. A battleship I should say. I'd use it as a high-mileage shoe. If I'm going out for a road run in the morning and -- as I leave the house -- I shout back for my family not to wait for your nightly return, this is the shoe I want to be wearing. I'd wear it for those long, slow outings, where breaking 8-minute miles isn't even a thought.

It took me a few runs to break this shoe in. It has none of the springy, light, get-up-and-go of both the Gazelle and the Ride. If it sounds like I'm bagging on this shoe, perhaps I am. It weighs only 4/10 of an ounce more than the Equipment Ride. In fact, it is actually a lighter shoe, by a fraction, than the old Ride, and I'd have thought it was heavier. To me, it runs like the New Balance 1000, which is almost an ounce heavier than the Piedmont. But, hey, my wife loves this shoe, and she kicks my butt, so what do I know.

JULIEANNE -- Finally a company that respects the woman's foot. This shoe is uniquely crafted for the woman's foot with slender heel counter, ample toe box, and excellent medial support. forefoot and rearfoot cushioning is excellent. Flexibility in the forefoot to midfoot is the best. This trainer is reasonably lightweight yet well cusioned and structured for support as a high-mileage trainer.

EQUIPMENT GAZELLE

CID -- The Adidas Equipment Gazelle is one of Adidas best kept secrets. It is not included in many shoe reviews and usually not stocked by many store’s, but for the biomechcanically efficient runner, it is well worth the search. It offers an unequaled ride, combining lightness with a lot of cushioning. It uses a large adiprene crash pad in both the heel and forefoot, like the previous model, providing outstanding shock absorption. Well positioned flex grooves along with a moderate torsion bar make the flexibility in the forefoot quite noticeable. The upper in this second generation model uses a non-stretch air mesh, making it more breathable, and its Teflon lining less irritating. The wide forefoot fit may appear sloppy to some, but in my case it improved significantly with wear.

Recommended for:

  • Neutral runners looking for a light, springy shoe.
  • Heavier (neutral) runners looking for a cushioned shoe that can be used for racing (instead of flats).
  • Triathletes looking for a marathon shoe that is light and still provides a lot of cushion

Strengths: Forefoot flexibility, cushioning (shock absorption and softness). Bounce delivered by the forefoot. One of my personal favorite shoes.

Weaknesses: Not very durable at $110. Shoe laces are extremely long, but the fix is an easy one…cut or replace.

DAN -- I liked the Gazelle, but it served about the same function for me as the Equipment Ride, and I liked the Ride better. Of course the Ride is $20 more. But I'd still probably buy the Ride over this shoe because the Gazelle represents a redundancy for me, and anyway for the extra twenty-bucks I get a bit more motion control. None of that in the Gazelle. One thing to watch out for, as noted above, you've got to buy this shoe in a half-size larger than you might buy another shoe -- even another Adidas shoe.

JULIEANNE -- This is an excellent shoe for you if you're a high-mileage runner with a good, straight footfall. I should say, though, that this is the case if what you want is a lightweight trainer (that's what I like). It has plenty of good flexibility in the front. It's not a good stability shoe, but with the use of a runner's loop you can get a pretty decent amount of rearfoot support. Cushioning is ample both front and rear.

(OTHER FOOTWEAR REVIEWS)