Adidas ignites controversy: New Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 shoe’s 'one race' claim
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The sportswear giant Adidas has had to back-pedal after releasing a new shoe with a hefty price tag of AUD $777 (USD $500)—and an eye-raising condition.
The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, weighing 138 grams, has been described as 'a new era of racing shoe—designed to revolutionise running economy and set new marathon records'.
Adidas athletes are expected to use them during the upcoming marathon season, being 40 per cent lighter than an earlier version.
However, there’s a major catch—Charlotte Heidmann, Senior Global Product Manager at Adidas, told Runners World that due to its delicate materials, the shoe 'is only made for one race—so one marathon—plus familiarisation time'.
That means that the set will only last approximately 42 kilometres.
Those claims haven’t gone down well with some online commentators, who accused the company of 'greenwashing'—claiming to produce environmentally-friendly products as a marketing ploy—and forsaking sustainability values.
Their social media post promoting the shoes received much criticism, most centred around their seemingly latest product not aligning with their environmental commitments.
One commenter wrote, ‘Don’t champion as a sustainable shoe innovator ending plastic waste and make a 500 “designed for one race” shoe.’
‘How does this meet your sustainability values if the shoe is essentially “single-use”?’ another asked.
‘I am an Adidas fan and have been running on it for 10 years. But 500 pounds for a shoe that will last you 2 races at most is sort of ridiculous,’ a third person pointed out.
‘Extortionate prices, zero sustainability! Gotta love the hypocrisy!’ another said.
Some also pointed out how Adidas allegedly wasn’t responding to issues raised on the sustainability of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, instead favouring comments on speed issues—until one exchange.
‘It’s incredible to see how Adidas responded to speed and personal best (PB) but simply ignored the sustainability comments,’ one social media user criticised.
To which the brand replied, ‘The shoe's upper is made from recycled nylon, and the midsole foam consists of 40% bio-based castor oil. This is the lightest performance running shoe we've ever created and is a specialist innovation product designed for experienced and advanced runners and optimised for one race.’
The company also highlighted previous efforts for sustainability, such as their ‘Run for the Oceans’ event from June 2022, where they reported 6,760,161 people completed ‘plogging’ (a combination of running and jogging) whilst picking up litter—to clean up 250,000 kg of plastic waste.
They have also committed to using 96 per cent recycled polyester in their products, as well as the ‘Made to be Remade’ initiative, where old, returned products are ground down and melted to be used in new products.
As of writing, Adidas has not released a statement about the criticism.
Meanwhile, a runner shared his review of the new shoes, which you can watch here:
What do you think of this story, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, weighing 138 grams, has been described as 'a new era of racing shoe—designed to revolutionise running economy and set new marathon records'.
Adidas athletes are expected to use them during the upcoming marathon season, being 40 per cent lighter than an earlier version.
Adidas launched their new racing shoe, Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, which costs $777. Credit: Adidas
However, there’s a major catch—Charlotte Heidmann, Senior Global Product Manager at Adidas, told Runners World that due to its delicate materials, the shoe 'is only made for one race—so one marathon—plus familiarisation time'.
That means that the set will only last approximately 42 kilometres.
Those claims haven’t gone down well with some online commentators, who accused the company of 'greenwashing'—claiming to produce environmentally-friendly products as a marketing ploy—and forsaking sustainability values.
Their social media post promoting the shoes received much criticism, most centred around their seemingly latest product not aligning with their environmental commitments.
One commenter wrote, ‘Don’t champion as a sustainable shoe innovator ending plastic waste and make a 500 “designed for one race” shoe.’
‘How does this meet your sustainability values if the shoe is essentially “single-use”?’ another asked.
‘I am an Adidas fan and have been running on it for 10 years. But 500 pounds for a shoe that will last you 2 races at most is sort of ridiculous,’ a third person pointed out.
‘Extortionate prices, zero sustainability! Gotta love the hypocrisy!’ another said.
Some also pointed out how Adidas allegedly wasn’t responding to issues raised on the sustainability of Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, instead favouring comments on speed issues—until one exchange.
‘It’s incredible to see how Adidas responded to speed and personal best (PB) but simply ignored the sustainability comments,’ one social media user criticised.
To which the brand replied, ‘The shoe's upper is made from recycled nylon, and the midsole foam consists of 40% bio-based castor oil. This is the lightest performance running shoe we've ever created and is a specialist innovation product designed for experienced and advanced runners and optimised for one race.’
The company also highlighted previous efforts for sustainability, such as their ‘Run for the Oceans’ event from June 2022, where they reported 6,760,161 people completed ‘plogging’ (a combination of running and jogging) whilst picking up litter—to clean up 250,000 kg of plastic waste.
They have also committed to using 96 per cent recycled polyester in their products, as well as the ‘Made to be Remade’ initiative, where old, returned products are ground down and melted to be used in new products.
As of writing, Adidas has not released a statement about the criticism.
Meanwhile, a runner shared his review of the new shoes, which you can watch here:
What do you think of this story, members? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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