adidas Supernova Solution Review: A Modern and Light Approach to Support Road Trainers

Article by Sam Winebaum

adidas Supernova Answer ($140)

The assist targeted Answer, and its extra impartial and really related Rise sibling, are all new trainers with state-of-the-art supercritical Dreamstrike+ foam principal midsoles, a decrease Stability Assist Rods layer made from the Lightstrike EVA mix, comfy uppers and decently gentle weights.

The Answer weighs 9.81 oz / 277g in my US8.5 pattern so about 10 oz in a US9, very respectable for its 35mm heel / 25mm platform and all of the in depth rubber underfoot.

Each new Supernovas and the extra uptempo Supernova Stride substitute adidas’s heavy, dated, and cumbersome latest Adistar, Ultraboost and varied Photo voltaic Glide fashions delivering fashionable coaching rides that don’t go all the way in which to the “elite” focus of the Adizero line.

We love the numerous new Adizero racers and trainers from the extremely gentle world report setting EVO 1, the Adios Professional 3, the uptempo coach Boston 12 and the max max cushion Prime X Strung. All are gentle, radical in design, and efficient.

This stated, it was clearly time for adidas to ship fashionable, extra mainstream and sensible trainers for the on a regular basis runner, and even these elites for his or her “simpler” primary mileage days.

As a extra impartial shoe runner, I typically battle with assist footwear discovering the medial assist overdone. Right here the assist is de facto all concentrated nearer to the highway effectively under all of the energetic smooth Dreamstrike foam so I used to be intrigued. Do they ship? Let’s discover out as I overview the Answer and evaluate it to the Rise.

Professionals:

Properly and forgivingly cushioned with energetic smooth Dreamstrike supercritical foam under the foot

Decrease EVA Assist Rods and in depth outsole retains assist on the floor with out harsh agency posts, rails, or exhausting plastic items urgent the within of the foot

Snug and roomy higher, nice step in really feel

Pleasant assist shoe: very efficient extremely beveled heel touchdown transition. Loads of simple entrance flex (after break in).

Cons:

Want for a bit smoother, much less stiff midfoot transition at slower paces. Much less midfoot outsole protection? Softer rubber there?

Higher is borderline not supportive sufficient medially for extra severe pronation management given fairly smooth Dreamstrike under the foot. A gusset tongue would possibly assist.

Roomy smooth higher maintain could problem slender low quantity ft

Most comparable footwear

Supernova Rise (RTR Overview)

Supernova 2 (RTR Overview)

Puma Velocity Nitro 3 (RTR Overview)

Brooks Glycerin GTS 20 (RTR Overview)

ASICS GT 2000 12 (RTR Overview)

Stats

Approx. Weight: males’s 10 oz / 283g (US9)

Samples: males’s 9.81 oz / 277g US 8.5 , oz / g US

Midsole Stack Peak: 28.5mm heel / 18.5mm forefoot

Full Stack Peak: males’s 35 mm heel / 25 mm forefoot ( 10mm drop spec)

Platform Width: 90 mm heel / 85 mm midfoot / 105 mm forefoot

$140. Accessible now together with at our companion Working Warehouse HERE

First Impressions, Match and Higher

Clearly adidas is making an attempt for a contemporary if considerably conservative visible design with the newest Supernovas. Comparable in design to the Supernova 2 of 2023, a surprisingly nice $100 coach however with older supplies, gone are the angular (Adistar and Adizero) or bulbous (Ultraboost, Supernova and Glide) appears of latest adidas trainers. The Answer clearly says 100% run coach and likewise not life-style shoe assertion.

The higher is a really smooth pliable engineered mesh reminiscent in really feel and match of latest Brooks such because the Ghost and Glycerin. Clearly adidas was taking pictures for an important preliminary step in really feel and so they succeeded.

The toe field is generously broad with the mesh having some give for broader ft but with sufficient maintain for my narrower to medium ft.

The midfoot options an un-gusseted tongue with reasonable padding. The “3 Stripes” overlays on each side present respectable assist and are backed up on the medial aspect by a semi round overlay.

I do assume, given the smooth pliable mesh, that these with extra “severe” pronation management wants than I’ve would possibly want for extra medial higher assist because the higher assist at midfoot doesn’t fairly align with the underfoot assist. I had the identical form of points with the Brooks Glycerin 20 GTS, a transparent competitor to the Answer however with “rails” on the prime of the midsole, an method to stability I discover extra intrusive. I feel a gusseted tongue would possibly assist.

The rear of the Answer has a stout heel counter and a plushly padded achilles collar.

The rear maintain is superb.

The match is true to dimension and beneficiant for my narrower to medium quantity ft.

Compared, the Rise (proper above) has a barely decrease quantity and safer match upfront and at mid foot (not as thick a tongue) for me, even when the mesh itself may be very related.

Midsole & Platform

adidas strikes away from Enhance and its older EVA foams with an all new supercritical Dreamstrike+ foam for the principle midsole. There are for positive hints of the bounce of Enhance however right here the froth is lighter, considerably faster reacting and extra constant in really feel. In related style it rides like a “extra pulled collectively” Saucony PWRRUN+ foam midsole. Trying carefully on the midsole it seems, not like Enhance or PWRRUN+, that it’s not an expanded bead sort foam which could assist clarify that each one of piece pulled collectively smooth and bouncy really feel which additionally helps with the steadiness of the platform. Vibration discount is sweet.

Whereas not fairly as reactive, the Dreamstrike is clearly softer and extra forgiving and common coaching miles targeted than Lightstrike Professional and Lightstrike 1.0 and a pair of.0 foams seen in adizero footwear.

Under the Dreamstrike, we have now a twin density EVA Assist Rods system, the blue seen simply above the outsole. They don’t seem to be exhausting plastic or composite as within the adizero Power Rods and even the same old very agency posts of conventional assist footwear however truly aren’t overly agency EVA layer, though it clearly feels denser to urgent and on the run than the Dreamstrike above it.

The layer rises up considerably on the medial midfoot for assist and which is mildly however not overly felt, and extra so than within the Rise, proven under as compared because the yellow layer.

The Assist Rods are additionally not as thick and broad within the Rise as proven under with Answer on prime.

The platform is comparatively broad at 90 mm heel / 85 mm midfoot / 105 mm forefoot with a stack top of 35 mm heel / 25 mm forefoot ( 10mm drop). The platform doesn’t go to the extremes of stack top or platform width of the competing inherently steady greater stack ASICS GEL-Kayano (RTR Overview) or the Saucony Information 17 (RTR Overview) with its huge 105mm heel / 85 mm midfoot / 120 mm forefoot platform.

The result’s a considerably extra nimble and extra versatile shoe than these two which rely extra on rockers given their greater forefoot stack heights which make them stiffer. Whereas I didn’t personally take a look at it, a better platform comparability may be the ASICS GT-2000 12 (RTR Overview).

Given the very in depth outsole protection to the rear and midfoot which gives a lot of the stabilizing aspect right here, flexibility begins the place the black rubber begins within the curved central space. The flexibleness is crucial to shifting previous what’s a inflexible midfoot and is a typical method in additional standard assist footwear. I do assume the clear midfoot rubber may very well be trimmed down or softened as it is rather agency and in depth and makes the midfoot a contact too inflexible and flat on the bottom feeling, particularly at slower paces.

And to roll off the heel adidas features a sharply beveled lateral crash pad which I discovered very efficient at slower paces even when the midfoot at slower paces was stiffer than I preferred.

In abstract we have now a fairly smooth and energetic underfoot platform with loads of cushioning that depends on the low positioned EVA Assist Rods layer and the outsole for the assist and fewer so the principle midsole (or the higher). As such, one notices the flat on the bottom total profile of the shoe. There may be extra medial assist than within the extra impartial Rise with its thinner EVA layer and narrower Assist Rods.

As a impartial shoe runner who appreciates a contact of stability, the perfect Supernova would cut up the distinction within the dimension and thickness of the decrease layer of Assist Rods between the 2 fashions and make the very agency clear rubber at midfoot softer to make the midfoot much less inflexible and simpler to roll by way of.

Outsole

I beforehand mentioned the clear position the Adiwear outsole performs in offering the assist. The rubber is in depth and may show sturdy. The entrance flex grooves are clearly efficient in giving the shoe flexibility and lowering weight. As acknowledged above I do assume the very agency clear midfoot rubber may very well be made softer to make the midfoot much less inflexible or diminished considerably in protection.

Journey, Conclusions and Suggestions

The journey is on the smooth and pleasant aspect with clear rebound from the Dreamstrike+ foam and with the EVA Assist Rods layer and massive outsole offering the assist.

I’m recovering from a November damaged knee cap and my longest runs to this point had been each over 6 miles within the Answer at gradual paces on typically hilly bike paths in Aspen and sooner on the flatter terrain in Park Metropolis the place I averaged simply over 10:30 per mile. I might not name it a quick coach however my knee was joyful and steady and my legs contemporary sufficient for a 5 mile nordic ski instantly following the Aspen run.

Not like many assist footwear which have a agency rear touchdown and an accentuated medial assist really feel, right here the assist is down low on the highway and slower paces and heel strikes are effectively accommodated by the extremely beveled lateral heel, even when the midfoot is a bit inflexible and flat with the Answer additionally requiring some break in to get its good entrance flex. Given the smooth higher foam layer, the roomy higher which ought to favor greater quantity ft, might use extra assist at midfoot with the collars additionally firmer as they’re within the Rise which has a extra dialed in match.

Whereas not radical as the present adidas Adizero are in design, aggressive rides and supplies the Answer (and Rise) clearly put adidas again within the every day coach recreation for extra severe leisure runners.

I can actually say, till now, and for the reason that unique Power Enhance, one of many all time nice every day trainers and some editions of the Boston, it had been all downhill for adidas within the class of every single day run trainers with heavier and heavier footwear and a give attention to life-style crossover and odd designs. Now not the case that’s for positive! In case you are adidas fan who left as a result of their mainstream trainers had been heavy and uninteresting there is no such thing as a query the brand new Supernovas are value a detailed look

With the Answer adidas delivers a strong completely fashionable assist sort coach simply on the fringe of being a impartial shoe and with out going to extremes of stack top and platform width as different manufacturers have not too long ago or by counting on agency medial items to offer the assist. As such it is a wonderful alternative for the runner searching for some pronation management however not “an excessive amount of” or the impartial runner who needs a shoe with a barely extra steady journey.

Sam’s Rating: 9/10

Deductions for overly inflexible and flat on the floor midfoot assist and a borderline overly roomy and comfortable higher for a assist shoe for my narrower ft

Comparisons

Index to all RTR evaluations: HERE

Supernova Rise (RTR Overview)

The Rise is the extra “impartial” sibling however is similar to the Answer. It’s barely softer in really feel and has an extended, simpler flex each because of its toned down much less in depth assist rods decrease layer. It has a barely much less voluminous higher with a thinner tongue and firmer collar padding. I want its match to the extra relaxed Answer’s. General, regardless of having the identical outsole, because of its extra svelte Suppport Rods it has much less assist than the Answer if pronation management is your want and you’ve got the next quantity foot. My superb Supernova would have the Rise higher and a Assist Rods layer that sits between the Answer and Rise.

Puma Velocity Nitro 3 (RTR Overview)

The Velocity 3 has a really related development of prime layer supercritical foam with backside layer EVA. Whereas the highest layer foams really feel very related making me suspect the adidas Dreamstrike+ can be a supercritical EVA, the underside EVA of the Puma is significantly firmer and extends all the way in which to the toe. The adidas finally ends up with a extra cushioned, much less agency and extra versatile really feel particularly upfront. On the heel the adidas has a significantly simpler to roll at touchdown at slower paces because of its huge lateral bevel. Whereas the Puma just isn’t known as out as a assist shoe, it’s equally as steady underfoot, if narrower in platform at midfoot and is extra supportive on the higher degree as its higher is extra efficiency sort becoming, decrease quantity and has the same medial assist semi circle that’s decrease extra substantial and simpler. Each are true to dimension with the Puma a greater match for decrease quantity ft and the adidas extra relaxed in match and higher suited to greater quantity ft. The Puma is the selection if you need a coach that’s targeted on sooner paces with a extra responsive stiffer journey, the Answer if you need a barely wider extra steady platform, extra entrance flex and a easier going any tempo journey.

Brooks Glycerin GTS 20 (RTR Overview)

One other method to assist, the Brooks has molded rails on the prime of the midsole whereas the Answer’s assist is on the floor (outsole and Assist Rods). I a lot want the Answer’s method to assist though the GTS “Go to Assist” of the Brooks has improved being much less stiff and intrusive in latest fashions. Each have supercritical midsole foams with the same really feel and related stack heights with the Answer extra versatile and simpler to show over. Each I feel “endure” from an important preliminary step in really feel however lower than superb midfoot maintain (particularly for a assist sort shoe) because of their smooth mesh, lack of considerable medial overlays and particularly no gusset tongue. I didn’t take a look at the Glycerin 21 however our reviewers felt its “common” higher was now extra supportive. If I had to decide on, it could be the adidas for its higher assist integration and smoother journey move.

Tester Profiles

Sam is the Editor and Founding father of Highway Path Run. He’s 66 with a 2018 3:40 Boston qualifier. 2023 was Sam’s 51th 12 months of working. He has a a long time previous 2:28 marathon PR. Nowadays he runs halves within the simply sub 1:40 vary if he will get very very fortunate. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week largely at reasonable paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, climbing or on nordic skis. He’s 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs, if he’s not having fun with too many wonderful New England IPA’s.

The Supernova Answer and Rise can be found at our companions under

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