STATISTICS
Shoe- Adidas AdiZero XT
Weight- 295g
Heel Height- 33mm
Toe Height- 22mm
Stability- 7/10
Cushioning- 8/10
Durability- 7/10
Comfort- 4/10
Miles Run- 74
Longest Run- 30miles
Terrains- Road, Hard-Pack Trail, Soft Mud, Canal Path, Grass, Forrests
Style and Type:
A ligtweight trail shoe that provides tons of cushioning. Wide spaced outsole lugs ae designed to shed mud easily as well as dig into any sort of terrain whilst keeping you stable. Adidas generally fits a bit narrow although this comes up as a D width.
Fit and Feel:
Fits true to size. My big toe felt a little cramped in the toe-box and was the source of some irritation. This was down to the narrow toe-box as opposed to the length. Midsole height is also quite shallow so perhaps not ideal for runners with a high-arch. Gusseted tongue does provide a snug fit and the heel is very comfortable.
Outsole:
Outsole is brilliantly durable, especially at the heel for those heavy heel strikers. The sticky rubber in the forefoot I was particularly impressed by as it was great for grip on wet surfaces. The mud releasing properties (which is a key feature of the shoe) was pretty good but to be honest their is much better. I found that going through very sticky and muddy areas really clogged up the bottom of the shoe, however once I hit some harder surfaces I was impressed by how quickly the mud fell off. Outsole really suits runs that will vary in terrains greatly as opposed to runs that are purely through bogs and messy fells.
Behold the worlds first camouflaged shoe!
Midsole:
Industry standard EVA midsole (CMEVA), works well to provide durable cushioning (as always). I found the midsole to be pretty stable even towards the end of long runs when my technique was deteriorating. The thermoplastic unit through the midsole is designed to allow the forefoot and heel to move independently which must contribute to the good stability.
Upper:
Traditional last ,which I like and would be a great fit if a little deeper and wider. The gusseted tongue keeps a lot of dbris out while the open mesh throughout keeps it very breathable. The adidas logo is also strategically placed to provide better wrap around the foot. Again, just a little shallow for me but I can see how it would be very comfortable for a lot of people.
Grip:
Their is a lot of attention at the moment on the Salomon Crossmax and its ability as the perfect "door to trail" shoe. I believe that Adidas (knowingly or not) have provided a serious competitor. In the little tarmac I was on I had absolutely no issues. The response through tricky trails and forestry was good and the downhill response was particularly impressive even when wet. The grip was good to great and pretty much every surface.
Conclusion:
Well done adidas! Something has always been missing when it comes to their trail shoes, I wasnt a huge fan of the Kanadia, Response Trail or Raven. The key thing here is the lugs and traction. The traction is very responsive and grippy on most surfaces. Having extremely high cushioning whilst keeping the shoe under 300g is a real coup and will be extremely popular. I think a lot of people will struggle with the fit, its just to shallow through the midfoot and the toe-box is too narrow. Those two things aside, the XT is a good shoe and has definitely won a place in my current trail shoe rotation. When I need a mix terrain shoe with high cushioning (the days those legs are just darn tired)I will pull these out. Fit issues will just keep it as a below 30km choice.
Nice legs
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