Huh, illegal? Absolutely. With the Prime X 2 Strung, adidas colors far outside the lines. The brand even mocks the official competition rules.
The Adizero range gained a unique specimen: the adidas Adizero Prime X 2.0 Strung. Against the rules, this is a worthwhile attempt to come out as the fastest shoe. “Because if one carbon plate already makes a shoe faster, then we’ll just put two in it, right?” thought the well-known brand. No sooner said than done. Although it is one too many according to the guidelines. These plates are incorporated into the midsole, which at 50mm exceeds the officially permitted height of 40mm.
Breaking the rules twice? adidas dares. Will you venture out too?
Double carbon plate, say what?
You read it correctly. This shoe has not one, but two carbon plates. So is he really twice as fast? Maybe. And we make it even more impressive: between these plates is an unseen three-layer Lightstrike Pro – three layers of foam that offer more resilience and cushioning to your feet. Now you probably also understand why the midsole has a thickness of 50mm. Where else should this multitude of innovative technologies be located?
‘Strung’ upper
The strung in the name most likely points to the upper. This is made to provide stability and firmness to the midfoot while providing flexibility to the forefoot. The remarkable thing about the upper is the 360° fit: the shoe is finished like a sock. The tongue is attached to the upper for an extra secure feel, especially at the heel.
But has the shoe succeeded in its goal of being illegally fast?
If we can believe our Runners’ lab advisors, it does come pretty close:
In short: with this new speed demon from adidas, you can get a taste of the currently craziest technology on the running market.
The shoe for every runner?
With this statement – as with any shoe, by the way – we prefer to be cautious. For whom is it definitely not suitable ? That’s obvious: elite runners looking to score top times in official races. In fact, because of its high midsole and dual carbon plate, the shoe is not IAAF-compliant.
Are you keen to attack your PR? Then you’ve found your weapon with this Adizero Prime X 2 Strung. Combining a smooth roll-off with adequate stability, the shoe propels you forward as you push the pace.
