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This winter, my colleague Tine and I reviewed the adidas Adistar. We were really quite excited about the shoe, but were also slightly unsure as to what we would think of the addition of the very firm Repetitor+ foam in the heel. Now only half a year later, a new version of Adistar has been released, namely the Adistar CS, and it features a number of smaller modifications compared to the original Adistar - including how the Repetitor+ foam has been distributed.
In the new Adistar CS, adidas has chosen to place the Repetitor+ foam as a frame around the heel area instead of as a lump in the heel. This actually works even better than I had first anticipated. The Adistar CS seems a lot softer than the Adistar, and I think the softness is a great plus in the shoe! In addition, it also provides a more natural flow in your step movement, because you are not able to feel an obvious transition between the two types of foam.
adidas Adistar CS – heavier but by no means noticeable
However, the weight has been increased, so the new Adistar CS is 12g heavier than the regular Adistar. This is not something you immediately notice when you put the shoe on, because they are both at the heavy end of the scale (Adistar CS 348g, Adistar 336g). However, I do not think that the shoes feel too heavy because the weight is quite nicely distributed throughout the shoe. Sometimes a shoe may well feel very heavy at the bottom, but that's not the case with either of the two Adistars.
The upper in the Adistar CS has changed a bit compared to the Adistar. The first Adistar features a more classic mesh design, while the new model has a stronger mesh that is more resistant. In addition, adidas has decided to stick to using felt embellishments around the holes for the shoelaces. It looks like suede and gives the shoes a pretty cool look, if you ask me.
Under the foot on both shoe models you get a layer of Continental rubber. What can I say about this? Well, it works very well. It provides a superb grip and it is very durable. I know we have said it and written it several times, but the grip really is great.
adidas Adistar CS – who are they for?
Who are the shoes for? Well, they are kind of for anyone who wants a shoe they can use for their long and leisurely runs. Both shoes feature a degree of stability control, so they can both be used by runners who prefer pronation shoes. I usually prefer to run in neutral shoes, and I actually also think that both the two Adistar models can be used by neutral runners. In addition, both shoes are an obvious choice for heavier runners, because the foam is not quite as resilient as on many other models, and as a result the foam isn't compacted as easily.
So why buy the Adistar CS instead of the Adistar? You definitely should if you want a shoe that is comfortable and supports a natural feeling when running, and if you don't mind paying a little more than the original Adistar.
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