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Did Adidas Just Rewrite the Rules of Super Shoes, Again?

The brand calls the Adizero Prime X Evo the “fastest long distance shoe” in history. But speed isn’t the only boundary it’s pushing.

White Adidas running shoe with black dotted stripes and orange heel detail on a wooden surface.Adidas
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By Jack Seemer

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If the design of the Adizero Prime X Evo didn’t floor you, try the price.

After debuting at an Adidas-sponsored time trial called Chasing 100, the only shoe to ever run under six hours across 100 kilometers will set yet another record when it releases to the public later this month.

White Adidas running shoe with black stripes and thick sole on a concrete ledge.
The Adizero Prime X Evo, unveiled in August, will cost close to $600 when it releases to the public.
Adidas

The Adizero Prime X Evo, available for purchase on November 27, will cost 500 euros (approximately $576).

Even more wild is the fact that it’s all but guaranteed to sell out.

Similar to many high-profile releases from Adidas, the shoe will release via lottery on the brand’s app, meaning supply is expected to undercut demand. And no matter how you may feel that price tag, it’s hard to deny the shoe’s intrigue.

White athletic shoe with black stripes on the side and a distinctive angular red heel featuring a black Adidas logo, set against a dark background.
According to Adidas, the stack height of the shoe measures 50mm.
Adidas

Raising the bar

As noted by Adidas on social media, the massive 50mm stack height “sits outside of World Athletics regulations.”

That means the concept shoe can’t be used for official races under running’s main governing body. However, that hasn’t stopped Adidas from declaring it the “fastest long distance shoe” in history.

It might be right.

Runner wearing a black and red Adidas athletic outfit and white running shoes on a road at night.
South African ultrarunner Sibusiso Khubeka wore the shoes to become the first person in history to run 100 kilometers in under six hours.
Adidas

Earlier this year, South African ultrarunner Sibusiso Khubeka became the first person ever to run 100 kilometers in under six hours, a feat powered by elite pacers, an optimal course and, of course, the Adizero Prime X Evo.

While shoe boasts a superabundant amount of best-in-class Lightstrike Pro Evo, the same supercritical TPEE-based foam found in the Adizero Adios Pro Evo, it’s true calling card goes unseen.

White Adidas running shoe with black three stripes and thick sole resting on a speckled concrete surface.
The shoe features ample amounts of Lightstrike Pro Evo foam underfoot. It also uses a new technology called the Internal Energy Rim, which replaces Adidas’s time-tested EnergyRod system.
Adidas

The Adizero Prime X Evo debuts a new technology the brand calls an Internal Energy Rim, a ring that cradles to foot and replaced the EnergyRods found in Adidas’s plated racers.

The shoe also features a paper-thin mesh upper and innovative dual-compound outsole that, quite literally, disappears underfoot.

Person holding a white and black running shoe, showing the sole with grip patterns.
The dual-compound outsole disappears underfoot … literally.
Adidas

How these various components trickle into future shoe design remains to be seen. But one thing will become abundantly clear when the Adizero Prime X Evo goes on sale November 27.

Super shoes that cost close to $600 are no longer just concepts. They’re here.

About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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