ADIDAS 4DFWD (FWD is short for forward) is a very special shoe. I have certainly never tried any shoe like this. It doesn´t have any cushioning foam. Instead you will find a 3d print net below the foot. It looks smart but can it really make up for the lack of foam? Before we go into that , I will tell you a liitle more about the 3d-print net.
As already mentioned the net is 3d-printed. The sole is designed in a way in which the sole, when it needs to expand itself again after being pressed down, doesn´t expand upwards like a normal midsole but instead expands forward to create propulsion. The net collapses so to speak in a skewed way which means that when it needs to expand again, it pushes the shoe forward. This sounds quite sensible, in fact rather ingenious if its possible to create propulsion instead of buoyancy.
Allegedly ADIDAS have spent more than 17 years to develop the sole and gone through more than 5 million different variations to find the right design.
Forward - but not fast
I had really been looking forward to testing the shoe as it isn´t every day you get to try out such a vastly different shoe. Perhaps my expectations were too high. I thought it was a fast shoe suited for pacy workouts which could also help me race. A shoe which was supposed to be like the ADIDAS Boston 10 or the Adios. But it was more like the Ultraboost 21.
The midsole isn´t tuned into racing and when I tried to up the pace, the shoe felt heavy and provided me with a flat sensation. I certainly didn´t get as much propulsion as I had hoped for.
However, the shoes have gradually grown on me during an extended period of time. It has taken me a while to adjust to the fact that it isn´t a racer. But I have found out that the shoes really excel when I use them for the easy-going runs where you are just cruising. I typically land a little further back around the heel which provides greater options for the shoe to create propulsion in the midsole as you will find a greater amount of sole in the heel. In addition, I also have a slower gait when I am doing easy-going runs which also provides better options for propulsion.
Running shoe or slipper
In addition its a very comfortable shoe. It actually feels a bit like a slipper - but only in the upper. The upper is designed with ADIDAS´ knit Primeknit+ which makes it very breathable with reinforcements around the heel and the toe box.
Some might feel that the upper needs structure to keep the foot in place but I never had any problems. I actually think its nice with the very ventilated upper, especially because I think that the shoe needs to be used for easy-going runs where you don´t speed up during turns or challenges alike.
Unlike virtually all ADIDAS running shoes 4DFWD doesn´t have Continental grip on the outsole. Instead there is another rubber compound on the entire outsole. Even if its not Continental, it provides a really good grip, and at no time I felt like I was slipping.
A shoe for the future. And for the easy-going runs
As the shoes are named FWD (forward), you can easily get confused and think its a fast shoe. But its not fast at all. On the contrary, ADIDAS 4DFWD is a very comfortable shoe best suited for easy-going runs where you aren´t focused on pace but comfort. I think "forward" in this shoe points to the future instead of indicating forward motion. And this makes sense as it is a futuristisc shoe with a completely different gait than I have ever experienced before. No one knows if midsoles will be 3d-printed in the future but it is certainly possible.
This shoe is for the runner who wants to be acquainted with the latest technology which the running shoe industry can currently offer. Its a completely different experience to use ADIDAS 4DFWD compared to other shoes. If you also need a comfortable shoe for your easy-going runs, its certainly an obvious choice.
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