It is arguably the most controversial piece of foam and mesh ever to touch a marathon course. When Tigst Assefa obliterated the women's world record in Berlin, she wasn't just fast; she was wearing a $500 shoe designed to last exactly one race. That shoe was the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1. Naturally, the gear world started spinning. Everyone wanted to know: where is the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2?
Rumors are a hell of a drug in the running community.
People see a "v2" or an "Evo 2" in every grainy leaked photo of a pro athlete at a training camp in Iten. But honestly, looking at the engineering required to make a shoe weigh 138 grams, the idea of a traditional sequel is kinda complicated. Adidas didn't just make a light shoe. They reinvented the manufacturing process for their Lightstrike Pro foam using a non-compression molding technique. It’s basically the supercar of the running world—expensive, fragile, and terrifyingly quick.
The Reality of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo Series
Most people assume that because a shoe is successful, a "version 2" is right around the corner. That’s how the iPhone works. It’s how the Pegasus works. But the Adios Pro Evo 1 isn't a consumer product in the traditional sense. It’s a lab experiment that happened to get a retail price tag.
The engineering feat here is the weight-to-energy-return ratio. To get a shoe under 140 grams while maintaining a 39mm stack height, Adidas had to strip everything. There is no traditional sockliner. The outsole is a thin liquid rubber film. The foam is shaved down to the absolute limit. When you talk about an Adios Pro Evo 2, you have to ask: what is there left to take away?
If Adidas adds durability, the weight goes up. If the weight goes up, it’s no longer an "Evo" in the way the market understands it. It just becomes a slightly lighter Adios Pro 4.
Why the Current Version Changed the Rules
Before this shoe, we thought 200 grams was light for a "super shoe." Then this thing showed up and made the Nike Alphafly look like a hiking boot. Well, not really, but you get the point. The Evo 1 uses a unique rocker geometry that starts at 60% of the shoe's length. This triggers a faster transition to the forefoot.
Think about that.
Most shoes wait until the very end of the stride to give you that "roll." This one forces it early. It’s aggressive. It’s also why casual runners who heel strike find it nearly impossible to use effectively. You have to be on your toes. You have to be fast. If you aren't running sub-5-minute miles, you’re basically just wearing very expensive, very unstable stilts.
What Actually Matters for the Next Iteration
If we do see a shift toward what enthusiasts call the Adios Pro Evo 2, the focus won't be on making it lighter. It'll be about the foam. The current Lightstrike Pro in the Evo is "supercritical," meaning it's injected with gas to create those tiny bubbles that provide the bounce.
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There's a lot of chatter among industry insiders about moving toward a more sustainable or more temperature-resilient version of this foam. Foam performance changes when it's 40 degrees Fahrenheit versus 80 degrees. If you’re running Boston, that matters.
- Weight Target: Staying under 140g is the "holy grail" for this specific line.
- Outsole Tech: The current "liquid rubber" is great for dry asphalt but can feel like ice skates if there's a light drizzle. A sequel would need to fix the grip without adding 20 grams of Continental rubber.
- Upper Durability: Right now, the mesh is so thin you can see your pulse through it. Literally.
The price is the other elephant in the room. $500 for a shoe that is marketed for "one race plus warm-up" is a tough pill to swallow for anyone who isn't sponsored. If a second version drops, the biggest "upgrade" might actually be making it last for 100 miles instead of 30.
The Competition and the "Evo" Philosophy
Nike isn't sitting still. Neither is Asics with the Metaspeed series. But Adidas did something smart: they created a tier above the super shoe.
The Adios Pro 3 (and the upcoming Pro 4) is the workhorse. It’s for the 2:45 marathoner who wants a shoe that lasts all season. The Evo line is for the podium. When we look for the Adios Pro Evo 2, we should be looking at what the pros are wearing in the major marathons this year. If the heel shape looks different, or if the foam carving is more aggressive, that's your "v2."
Labels don't matter as much as the "point of sale" date. Adidas usually drops these in extremely limited batches. They use a "drop" model similar to Supreme or high-end streetwear. This keeps the hype high and the inventory risks low.
The Misconception About Performance
A common myth is that wearing the Adios Pro Evo 1 (or its eventual successor) will automatically shave minutes off your PB.
It won't.
In fact, for a lot of runners, the lack of stability might actually make them slower or, worse, lead to a mid-race calf strain. These shoes are tuned for elite biomechanics. They assume you have the ankle strength of a mountain goat and the stride efficiency of a gazelle. Without that, the energy return is just wasted movement.
Looking Forward to the Adios Pro Evo 2
Will there be an official "v2" soon?
The technical answer is that Adidas is constantly iterating. Whether they change the name or just do a "silent" update to the foam density, the evolution is happening. The real signal will be the 2025/2026 World Marathon Majors. Keep an eye on the outsole colors. Adidas often uses "prototype" black or high-vis tints to hide new geometries during testing.
For the average runner, the "Evo" isn't a shoe you buy; it's a technology showcase. It’s a concept car. The tech inside it eventually trickles down to the shoes we actually buy, like the Adizero Boston or the standard Adios Pro.
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Actionable Steps for the Obsessed Runner
If you’re dead set on getting the absolute peak of Adidas technology, don't just wait for a sequel that might not be called the "Evo 2." Do this instead:
- Monitor the Adizero Pro 4 release. This is the "civilian" version of the Evo's tech. It will feature many of the foam advancements without the $500 price tag and the "one-race" lifespan.
- Check the "Confirmed" App. Adidas drops their highest-tier performance gear through their streetwear-focused app rather than their standard retail site.
- Evaluate your biomechanics. Before dropping half a grand on a shoe, film yourself running at marathon pace on a treadmill. If your ankles are collapsing (overpronation), the Evo line will be a nightmare for your joints.
- Look for the "Non-Compression" Label. When reading specs, look for how the foam is made. Non-compression molded foam is the secret sauce that makes the Evo series faster than the standard Adios Pro line.
The quest for the Adios Pro Evo 2 is really just a quest for the limit of what’s possible in footwear. Whether the name changes or the tech just gets better, the era of the "disposable super-super-shoe" is here to stay.
Focus on the foam, watch the elite results, and remember that no shoe can replace the miles you put in during training.