AT THE END OF April, Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe won the London marathon in a time of 2:02:27, more than one minute ahead of his nearest competitor. He did it while wearing the newly released Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 – which is a mouthful, so from now on we’ll refer to it as the Evo 2. In second place was Ugandan runner Jacob Kiplimo, wearing a prototype of the soon-to-be-released Nike Alphafly 4.
To the untrained eye, this distinction wouldn’t reveal anything other than the athletes’ personal choice of shoes. But to someone with their head around the world of running, it marks the latest key victory in the fierce rivalry between Adidas and Nike, as the brands battle to break the next barrier in elite running.
Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to break the two-hour barrier in the marathon when he ran a time of 1:59:40 in 2019 while wearing a Nike Alphafly. However, that time is considered unofficial because it wasn’t run under typical racing conditions, as Kipchoge had the assistance of rotating pacers and a pace car. Kelvin Kiptum was widely expected to go sub-two in an official race after he set the official world record at 2:00:35, but his tragic passing in a car accident ended those hopes.
Since Kipchoge’s unofficial sub-two, Adidas and Nike have since been obsessed with doing it in an official race. Upstart brands like New Balance, Hoka, Asics and On may have levelled the playing field in terms of popularity at your local run club, but Adidas and Nike remain unchallenged in the fight to break through the next barrier in human endurance. And the rivalry between the two brands has resulted in the development of some of the most advanced running shoes the world has ever seen – shoes like Adidas’ Pro Evo line.
The Evo 1 was a revelation when it was released in 2023. It helped athletes break world records in the women’s marathon and women’s 10K and was worn by three of the top four finishers in the 2024 Paris Olympic men’s marathon. Within the timeframe of its release in late 2023 to when prototypes of the Evo 2 began to be used in early 2025, eight world major marathons were held. The Evo 1 was on the feet of six of the winners.
For the last 18 months the Evo 1 has been, quite clearly, the world’s best running shoe. But contentment is the enemy of sustained success in a competitive industry like elite running. Adidas has continued to innovate, with the promise of making the Evo 2 even better than its predecessor. Judging by early results, Adidas has delivered on that promise.
Releasing in Australia on May 1st, the Evo 2 immediately sold out. Retailing at a hefty $750, the resale market currently has the Evo 2 going for well over $2,000, making it the most expensive running shoe in the world. Adidas usually reserves the model for its athletes, with only a limited number made available to the general public. Luckily for us, we were able to pick up a pair during a visit to Adidas’ global headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
So, is the Evo 2 actually worth all this hype? Should you be paying those exorbitant resale prices? Is this the shoe that finally goes sub-two? Find out here, in our comprehensive review.
The look
While the Evo 1 went for a fairly plain base of white interrupted only by Adidas’ three stripes in black, the Evo 2 is more eye-catching. The base is a metallic silver, while the stripes are what Adidas calls ‘lucid red’. It’s a far more attractive colour scheme, in our opinion, giving the shoe the appearance of a futuristic spaceship.
The Evo 2 would draw attention regardless of its colourway, however. With a pumped-up 39mm stack height and super-sleek upper, it’s a shoe for people who don’t mind eyes on their feet.
The specs
Adidas has taken the best running shoe in history and made it even better – which means any existing world record is under threat. Stripped down to just 138 grams – lighter than most track spikes – holding the Evo 2 feels like holding a piece of paper.
The outsole has been reworked to shed the minimal excess weight that was apparently slowing down the Evo 1, while also adding more traction. The revamped Lightstrike Pro foam is softer, but feels more resilient, delivering five per cent more energy return than the Evo 1 – a fact that is hard to comprehend, given how bouncy the Evo 1 was. Carbon-infused EnergyRods run along the length of the midsole, fine-tuned to work with the foot’s natural motion and provide further propulsion.
One of the biggest differences between the Evo 1 and Evo 2 is the heel-to-toe drops. The Evo 1 had a fairly large drop, at 11mm, but the Evo 2 is much flatter. With almost no drop at all at 3mm.
The test
Stepping into the Evo 2, you immediately feel its propulsive properties at work. This means it’s not the most comfortable shoe to walk in, but that’s not what it’s designed for. The Evo 2 is made for speed. Full pelt, lung-busting, throwing caution to the wind-type speed. So that’s how I decided to use it on a pacey 5K.
Once reaching full stride, the Evo 2 made me feel almost disconnected from the ground. Every step seemed to spring me forward, reducing ground contact time and keeping momentum high as I blazed through the first few kilometres. It takes some getting used to, but once you’ve mastered the bouncing sensation and longer strides propagated by the Evo 2, it’s almost easy to run at high speeds – it’s actually quite hard to run slowly.
Even though I don’t have the endurance to maintain a blistering pace for very long, the Evo 2 made me want to. I’m not going to be the person who goes sub-two in a marathon, but I can see the potential, even in a quick 5K.
The verdict
I am no athlete, so I’m not going pretend that I had the Evo 2 reaching its full potential at a world record-worthy pace. That said, wearing it certainly made me feel like an athlete. The kind that could run a PB by virtue of simply having the best possible gear. Sure, the average runner can probably find a more suitable shoe elsewhere, but the Evo 2 isn’t made for the average runner, it’s made for the very best.
Holding the Evo 2 in my hands and feeling the impossibly light weight and the barely-there upper, I realised how much of a revelation this shoe is going to be. It’s not just an astounding technical leap forward, it is going to rewrite what we think is possible in running.
