Road Trail Run: adidas Adistar BYD Review

Adidas Adister BYD (£164.99, 204.59 euros, $226.04)

introduction

I don’t often get the chance to test Adidas shoes, so I was very excited when my friends at Sportsshoes.com offered me the opportunity to test out Adidas’ new model, the Adistar BYD. Most of the modern plated shoes put strain on your arms and legs. It’s good to see big brands like Adidas coming out with models that are a little more budget (and leg) friendly. Does that mean we should expect a poor quality product if the price is low? Or is it just something less aggressive with lower quality materials? Dive into our review to see what we’re dealing with!

Advantages and disadvantages

Strong Points:

very stable

fun and bouncy

Introductory shoes for those wearing plated shoes for the first time

Should last above average

Feels faster than its weight indicates

Cons:

Tongue too short and thin

Lacing system needs redesign (too many holes)

Heavy for a racing shoe (not too heavy for a daily trainer)

The upper in the midfoot is a little too tight (pro is fine if you have low volume feet, but not me)

statistics

Specification Weight: Men’s 9 US 8.5 UK 10.2oz / 290g

Sample Weight: Men’s 11.5 US 11 UK 11.3 oz / 322 g

Stack height: Men’s heel 40mm / forefoot 34mm (6mm drop)

Platform width: Heel 90mm / Midfoot 79mm / Forefoot 118mm (Men’s 11.5 US)

Available now at our partner SportShoes.com here

First impressions, fit, upper

When I first took the shoes out of the box, apart from the number of colors on display, what caught my attention was the exposed plate. Instead of just a little bit of it showing from the bottom, which we’re used to (it’s also visible – see the outsole section), it’s almost the entire length of the shoe, excluding the toe bumper. That’s the black line running through the midsole in the photo above. If you’re worried that you’ll “catch” your ankle or cut your sock while running, rest assured, the plates don’t “stick out” to the sides, so that won’t happen.

Fits true to size, but the midfoot is not suitable for people with wide feet. My feet are slightly taller than average, which is fine, but if you usually run in wider shoes, you may want to consider other models.

The upper is made from a very high-end soft engineered mesh. It’s soft to the touch, yet provides a secure hold thanks to large Adidas stripes on both sides of the shoe. The toe bumper is reinforced as shown in the photo below.

The heel counter is very sturdy, comparable to stability shoes, and provides excellent hold once you get the fit.

This is one of BYD’s problems. It is very difficult to attach the shoelaces in the correct position. At least for me, it took a few tries to get the laces where I wanted them. The laces are long, but too short for the number of eyelets on the shoe.

The first time I ran in BYD, I had bad footing because the laces were too short to fit my wider-than-average feet (again, they were actually long, but they just felt shorter). is). After skipping a few holes and eyelets and retying the laces, I managed to get the fit I needed and the hold was actually excellent. However, with the Adidas BYD 2, this problem may be solved.

The heel collar is very soft and provides plenty of comfort, giving the BYD an almost premium feel.

However, the tongue is too short and must be pulled up before you start running. It doesn’t have a gusset, but somehow manages to stay in place while running. There are no issues to report.

midsole and platform

As for the midsole, it uses a three-piece sandwich-like design (spoiler alert, it works really well).

The top layer is our popular premium Lightstrike Pro, a TPE foam (thermoplastic polyester elastomer) that provides great energy return and a wonderfully bouncy ride.

Below that is a visible carbon-injected plate that could be described as semi-rigid when compared to more aggressive race-focused plated shoes. Underneath is a generous layer of Repetitor 2.0 EVA foam, which is a happy medium between soft and firm. We’ll explain how this all works together in the Ride section, so stay tuned.

One more thing to note about the midsole. It is directly related to the photo below. See how much medial bias is created by adding Repetitor 2.0 to the medial heel (there is no such bias in the midfoot and forefoot). This provides great stability for heel strikers (like you, really).

With a stack of 40 mm in the heel and 34 mm in the forefoot, this shoe sits somewhere between a daily trainer and a Max Stack trainer.

outsole

In my experience, Adidas uses Continental rubber in their outsoles and is one of the market leaders. The grip is great, nothing to complain about. Even at 82 kg / 180 lbs / 12.9 stone, the wear is below average. The part of the midsole that makes contact with the ground is almost completely covered, so you can expect durability.

Ride, conclusion and recommendations

So how do you wear this complicated shoe?

First of all, it rides lighter than its weight suggests. The Lightstrike Pro has a decent amount of bounce and great stability.

There are many factors why this shoe is so stable.

First, the heel counter is very solid, extending all the way to the neon green coloring to the mini guide rail (see photo below). Next, the plate (which is plastic but injected with carbon) is not very aggressive (flat, not curved, etc.) but is very stiff and narrow in the heel area, rather than Lightstrike Pro foam. and the Repetitor form. Finally, there’s the massive medial bias detailed in the midsole section.

All of the above makes the ride completely stable, making it a neutral or inherently stable shoe. I know it’s only January, but these are my official picks for shoe of the year in the solid neutral department. The reason I say this is that any shoe is fine from 5 to 7km, and overpronation often worsens at this distance, but with the BYD, I feel very safe, but the shoes control it. Because I’ve never felt like that before. Me – just help me according to my needs.

As always, I’ve been doing a variety of workouts with BYD, from 5k/10k recovery to faster, more focused sessions. I’ve really enjoyed this shoe for all the distances I’ve covered so far, but the downside to its weight is that it doesn’t lend itself very well to speedy sessions. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t have any problems. It felt like a little extra effort than wearing lighter shoes. If you want stability from plated shoes, that’s the price you have to pay. You can’t do that. “Unfortunately, we don’t have everything.

I think it’s suitable for runners who want more stability when they get tired from long distances.

I don’t recommend too many changes when it comes to the design of the shoe, but the comfort could be slightly better if the tongue was a little more plush, there was more gusset, and the laces were a little longer. I hope Adidas continues on this path because plated shoes are needed not only by the elite but also by the masses.

Matt’s score: 9/10

(-1 point deduction for lace system and tongue)

comparison

TYR Valkyrie Speedworks (RTR review)

If you’re worried that the Adidas BYD is a little overbuilt and heavy, the Valkyrie Speedworks could be a good alternative. What you get here is a much lighter package and a more aggressive plate. Offsetting that is the fact that the Adidas BYD, despite being theoretically neutral, allows for some degree of stability as it is essentially a completely stable shoe. If I had both of these shoes, I would choose the TYR for workouts and the BYD for longer sessions.

Adidas Supernova Prima (RTR review)

The Supernova Prima is not a plated daily trainer as it has hardened foam rods rather than plates per se. In other words, it falls into the same category as BYD. If you’re worried that BYD is a bit too stiff and obviously stable, Prima could be a good alternative. The Prima’s ride is noticeably softer and plusher, making it much better suited for daily miles or long distance runs if your biomechanics favor that plush, marshmallow-like feel. However, if you want to speed up training runs, Prima is not the best choice and comes at a price.

tester profile

Maciej “Matt” Collat– 38 years old. Originally from Poland, he has been riding on the roads and trails of Scotland since 2007. We mainly ride short distances of 5-10km on paved roads, then longer distances into the beautiful Scottish gorges. Matt’s opinion may differ from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of them (5k at 25:38). Matt also uses running as a way to stay fit and has lost 100 pounds (and is gaining more).