Look, we can already tell you that this shoe will take home the award for best shoe of 2025. In the words of the Driving Crooner: it’s simply too good. Yes, we originally tested this shoe last fall. Yes, it saw a limited release in December. But it wasn’t widely available until this year, and once it was, it caught fire.Â
The full Lightstrike Pro midsole is bouncy but not soft, the mesh upper is lightweight and breathable. The Continental outsole rubber is grippy as always. It can do anything you want, from 20-mile long runs to everyday miles to uptempo days. It can even race if you need it to. Unlike other shoes, the sensation doesn’t disappear; in fact, it may even get better over time, giving you hundreds of miles of running bliss.Â
Then there’s the aesthetics. When we first saw this shoe in Berlin, we told Adidas this is an instant classic, a shoe that future shoes will draw inspiration from. We weren’t wrong. The simple design with three bold stripes has proven to be a winner and the colorways just can’t miss.Â
Lastly, there’s the price point. At $150, this shoe just can’t be beat. It’s full-on proof that sometimes simplicity wins, and in this case, it conquers. Hands down, this is the shoe of the year, maybe even the decade.
Drawbacks? We wouldn’t mind a gusseted tongue, or a bit more structure to the upper. But those are very minor complaints.
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