The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a premium marathon super shoe designed for competitive runners looking for lightweight responsiveness on race day. It features adidas' updated Lightstrike Pro midsole, delivering a softer, more energetic ride than its predecessor, the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, while retaining the signature carbon rods for added stiffness. The redesigned upper shaves off significant weight, creating a more efficient experience and a noticeably snugger fit compared to the previous version. These updates make it an excellent choice for runners aiming for peak racing performance, particularly those who prefer a very bouncy experience.
Our Verdict
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a great marathon racing shoe thanks to its amazing energy return and cushioning. It makes it feel ideally suited for long-distance races and helps keep legs fresh deeper into the run. Its embedded carbon ENERGYRODS help hold the foam together and add stiffness to the midsole. Although its lateral stability is sub-par, even for a super shoe, experienced marathoners prioritizing performance won't find this a significant issue.
-
Updated Lightstrike Pro offers amazing bounce and cushioning.
-
Carbon ENERGYRODS add stiffness.
-
Very lightweight super shoe.
-
Large cutout in the outsole makes it quite unstable.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a very good option for shorter races, providing a dynamic and responsive ride with its premium midsole, carbon rods, and lightweight construction. The midsole is somewhat firm but not overly so. This makes it slightly less explosive than specialized shorter-distance racing shoes, but it remains a very competitive choice for these distances.
-
Carbon ENERGYRODS add stiffness.
-
Very lightweight super shoe.
-
Updated Lightstrike Pro offers amazing bounce.
-
Forefoot is less firm than previous iteration.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 has excellent energy return, efficiently converting each stride into forward momentum. The updated Lightstrike Pro midsole is very responsive both at the forefoot and heel, offering consistent bounce. This makes it an amazing super shoe for maintaining pace over longer distances and maximizing efficiency during races.
-
Updated Lightstrike Pro offers amazing bounce.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 delivers excellent cushioning. Particularly remarkable at the heel but still great at the forefoot, this protection makes it suitable for longer runs, effectively minimizing fatigue and maximizing comfort throughout extended distances. This new, more compressive version of Lightstrike Pro midsole stands out among competitors by providing ample protection without sacrificing its energetic feel.
-
Premium midsole makes for a super cushioned ride.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 offers sub-par lateral stability. With a very narrow outsole arch due to a large cutout in this zone, soft and wobbly foam in the heel, and a high stack height, the shoe feels pretty unstable, even by super shoe standards. This limitation is less evident for runners able to maintain great form, but it's less suitable for folks needing additional stability. Also., the secure lockdown somewhat compensates for the shoe's inherent instability.
-
Carbon ENERGYRODS add stiffness.
-
Large cutout in the outsole makes it quite unstable.
-
Foam is softer than previous iteration.
-
High stack height.
- 8.5 Marathon Racing
- 8.2 5K/10K Racing
Performance Usages
- 8.8 Energy Return
- 8.8 Cushioning
- 5.6 Lateral Stability
Changelog
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 in men's US size 9, as indicated on the label. The shoe pictured here is in the Silver Metallic/Lucid Red/Grey colorway. This model is available in several colors, including Lucid Blue/Dash Grey/Onix, Lucid Red/Core Black/Lucid Red, Lucid Lemon/Core Black/Halo Silver, and Warm Vanilla/Cloud White/Onix. Special Y-3 editions are also available in unique colorways like Alumina/Cinder/Cinder. Wide versions aren't available for this model. The design section applies only to the exact model we tested, but we expect other size and gender variants to perform similarly.
Compared To Other Running Shoes
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 competes directly with other top-tier carbon-plated racers optimized for longer distances, like the Nike Alphafly 3 and the New Balance SuperComp Elite v4. Compared to most super shoes, it delivers a noticeably softer and more cushioned ride, making it a compelling option for runners prioritizing comfort while still providing amazing responsiveness. For example, the Alphafly 3 offers a stiffer, more mechanical feel, especially in the forefoot. Both are highly efficient, but the Adios Pro 4 feels smoother and more natural through transitions, especially on longer efforts.
Within adidas' premium Adizero lineup, the Adios Pro 4 is the brand's flagship long-distance racer, slotting just below the ultralight adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1. While the Evo 1 is more aggressive and lighter on foot, it sacrifices some cushioning and bounce for weight savings. This model is also a significant evolution over the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, with a lighter build, improved responsiveness, and more cushioning underfoot. However, the new upper has a snugger fit that may require adjustment. For runners seeking a plated super trainer, the adidas Adizero Boston 12 is a good choice, offering more stability and durability. Meanwhile, those not interested in carbon plates might consider the adidas Adizero Evo SL, an uptempo trainer that can also handle some racing.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes to find the perfect pair.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and Nike Alphafly 3 are both elite-level racing shoes built for long-distance performance, but they deliver distinctly different experiences. The Adios Pro 4 offers slightly better energy return and more cushioning, making it especially well-suited for marathon racing. The Alphafly 3, while also a strong long-distance option, has a firmer forefoot—thanks to its Zoom Air pods—which gives it the edge for shorter events like 5Ks or 10Ks . It’s also more stable laterally, offering a bit more confidence.
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 are both long-distance super shoes, but the Pro 4 brings some key updates. It's lighter, more responsive, and more cushioned thanks to a fully redesigned midsole. The upper was also reworked, resulting in a noticeably tighter fit in the forefoot. While both shoes are inherently unstable due to their tall stack and narrow platform, the Pro 3 was slightly more stable overall. The third version also has a firmer forefoot, which gives it an edge for shorter distances or runners who prefer a snappier toe-off.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 and New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Elite v4 are both high-performance super shoes, but they cater to slightly different needs. The Adios Pro 4 is the better pure racing option—it’s lighter, more energetic, and more efficient overall, making it ideal for runners chasing peak performance. The SuperComp Elite v4, while still race-ready, offers more stability and a wider, more accommodating fit, making it a strong choice for runners who want solid race-day performance without compromising on comfort or support.
Test Results
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is notably lighter than its predecessor, the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, offering improved efficiency for racing. However, it remains noticeably heavier than the extremely lightweight adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.
The internal shape of this shoe is similar to the previous model in terms of length and platform width, but the redesigned upper creates a significantly more tapered fit. In our testing, we confirmed the widespread feedback among users and other reviewers that this narrow fit can lead to discomfort, including pressure points or numbness around the forefoot area, especially near the big toe. We suggest considering this when picking your size.
This model features a tongue that's gusseted directly to the upper rather than to the midsole. This helps keep the tongue securely in place while still reducing overall weight. This design choice has minimal impact on the shoe's overall lateral stability, which remains limited.
The heel energy return in this shoe is excellent. It efficiently rebounds energy during landings, allowing for smoother transitions, which is particularly valuable for runners who strike more toward the heel. During testing, the shoe bounced so much upon compression that it caused slight forward movement under the testing piston. Despite this, repeated tests confirmed that this motion didn't influence the overall results.
The forefoot energy return is also excellent, providing energetic feedback and responsiveness upon toe-off. This ensures the shoe remains lively, making it suitable for longer efforts and sustained high-speed racing.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4's heel cushioning is outstanding. The Lightstrike Pro midsole provides great shock absorption across varying impact intensities, meaning runners can comfortably handle longer distances without excessive fatigue or discomfort.
The forefoot cushioning is impressive, delivering reliable comfort and excellent protection. The midsole effectively compresses under each strike, which helps maintain freshness and comfort, especially during faster-paced or longer runs.
The adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4's heel is soft, significantly more so than that of the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3. This contributes considerably to comfort during extended runs, although runners preferring a firmer, more stable platform might find it excessively soft.
The forefoot feels moderately firm, offering a well-balanced sensation between comfort and responsiveness. This updated version of Lightstrike Pro is softer than the previous iteration, meaning it refines its suitability for longer distances where maximum comfort is key and ground feedback becomes secondary.
Recommended Articles
Comments
adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4: Main Discussion
Let us know why you want us to review the product here, or encourage others to vote for this product.
- 21010
Do you have the port for the soundbar changed from hdmi standard to enhanced? If not, that’s the problem, Those HDMI 3 and 4 ports need to be changed out of the box, just like the tv power settings that are turned down. Go to the input with it on, then hit the button above the netflix button, and it will bring up a menu. It should be in menu that the settings button brings up, but for some reason, this other button left of the play/pause button is the one that does it to get the most out of the tv.
- 21010
Sounds like you haven’t enabled the HDMI port from standard to Enhanced. When you have the xbox on, and are in that input, push the button above the netflix button, and enable that, that will fix ya up. Its kinda bs that us consumers have to do that, and change the power mode because of regulations, to get the most out of the tv that we bought for a reason.