With its announcement today of a new lightweight marathon racing shoe, Adidas has stated its intention to join Nike in the race to become the first to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon.
Named the Adidas Adizero Sub2, the shoe will make its first appearance in competition at Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon. Wilson Kipsang, former world record holder when he ran 2:03:23 to win the 2013 Berlin Marathon (in an early version of the Adizero Adios that didn’t have a Boost midsole), will be wearing “the only pair of Adidas Adizero Sub2 shoes in existence, in an exclusive Energy Blue colorway,” Adidas said in a press release.
Kipsang doesn’t appear to be targeting the two-hour mark just yet, but has his eyes on reclaiming the world record. A photo posted to Twitter shows Kipsang holding up a sign showing his target of 2:02:50, seven seconds faster than Dennis Kimetto’s mark that has stood for more than two years.
Given that there’s only one pair of Adizero Sub2, Runner’s World has not yet seen the shoe in person, but here’s what Adidas reports:
To shed weight, the company is using a new midsole compound called Boost Light. It’s the brand’s “lightest-ever foam and retains the industry-leading energy return that has powered Adidas athletes to world records.” Further details about this new midsole have not been released, but Adidas says us it's a slightly different material, that the energy capsules are much lighter.
The gram-shaving continues on the upper and midsole. Photos of the shoe show a single layer of breezy mesh, free of any overlays—even the brand’s signature three stripes are painted on. The outsole is a grid of thin rubber lines, built in cooperation with Continental, the car tire maker, to deliver grip at 4:40 per mile pace. The shoe's final weight has not yet been released, but Adidas tells us "currently the overall weight reduction from past silhouettes is 100 grams (3.5 ounces)."
RELATED: The latest in Nike’s attempt to break the 2-hour barrier
Given these sub-two hour marathon attempts are being backed by major shoe and apparel makers, footwear is expected to play a big role in approaching the mark. Tokyo will be the first public proof of concept by Adidas. For Nike’s own attempt, equipment plans are very much in the works but nothing has been made publicly available yet.
Adidas said the Adizero Sub2 will be available later this year. The Tokyo Marathon can be seen on NBC Sports Network starting at 7 p.m. Eastern on Saturday.
Jeff is Runner-in-Chief for Runner's World, guiding the brand's shoes and gear coverage. A true shoe dog, he's spent more than a decade testing and reviewing shoes. In 2017, he ran in 285 different pairs of shoes, including a streak of 257 days wearing a different model.
