From the Berlin Marathon to the World Road Running Champs in Riga, adidas athletes aim to make their mark with super-light racing shoe

Endurance athletes sponsored by adidas could be poised for a successful autumn road running season after the sports brand unveiled a new shoe which is 40% lighter than their previous road racing models.

The ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1 is only 138g and could make an impact as soon as the BMW Berlin Marathon on September 24 or the World Road Running Championships in Latvia on October 1.

At the latter, Peres Jepchirchir will be defending her world half-marathon title and she says: The lightness of the ADIZERO Pro Evo 1 is like nothing Ive felt before and I know it will give me an edge over my competition when it comes to race day. I am confident I can win my next major marathon with these shoes.

If ordinary runners want to wear this shoe, though, they need to be prepared to pay a whopping 500 or $500.

We set ourselves the goal to create a racing shoe that is packed with the technology ambitious runners have come to love in the ADIZERO franchise, but at a weight weve never seen before at adidas, said Patrick Nava from adidas.

The ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1 features a revamped geometry with a forefoot rocker, placed at 60% of the length of the shoe which is aimed at triggering forward momentum and improving running economy.

But will athletes like Jepchirchir wear it in this autumns big road racing events? Our athletes make their own apparel and footwear choices based on their preferences, an adidas spokesman told AW.

British distance runners Emile Cairess, Samantha Harrison, Phil Sesemann and Charlotte Purdue are also among those sponsored by adidas.

Tigist Assefa, reigning Berlin Marathon womens champion, says: This is the lightest racing shoe I have ever worn and the feeling of running in them is an incredible experience like nothing Ive felt before. They enable me to put my full focus on the race, which is exactly what you want as an athlete. I feel ready to defend my title in Berlin and cant wait to lace up at the start line in these.

The shoe has been released just a few days after adidas unveiled the ADIZERO Prime X 2 Strung, which is banned by World Athletics due to its chunky 50mm stack height, which breaks the current rules of 40mm maximum.

Without the confines of the usual rules, we had space to unleash the full creative capabilities of our product design team, says Coralie Ho-Von of adidas. This meant we could create a shoe that pushes the limits of whats possible for running footwear.

The rule-breaking shoe costs a mere $300, though, in comparison to the more expensive ADIZERO Adios Pro Evo 1.