Test: From a stable workhorse to a lively hybrid – Adidas Supernova Rise 3

Long roads. Threatening trees behind fields. Wind broken by your neck warmer and hat. Hopefully, it's at your back. You're deep in winter training. Your training demands discipline for continuity. The discipline requires gear you can trust over many months, so you know what you're working with.

Supernova Rise has received a full update, including upper, midsole, and outsole. Last year's model was to my taste, mainly because the shoe promised the same feel from the first kilometer to the last; this year, the story is different – except I'm still crazy about it..

The shoe is for you if you want a comfortable volume training shoe that offers more than the entry model.  It no longer excels just in continuity. Instead, it promises low weight, more cushioning, and technologies we know from Adizero series .

Who should buy adidas Supernova Rise 3?

For many, Supernova Rise 3 will make sense. If you lack a volume training shoe, you MUST consider this shoe, and if you're the type who wants one shoe that can carry you through various paces and terrains, you won't find a better option for the price.

adidas Supernova explained

Supernova Rise 3 – Farewell stability, expect speed

This year, Rise steps away from stability in pursuit of a balance between the running shoe's holy trinity: Weight, comfort, and stability. Instead, it focuses on weight, and at 272 grams in size US9, it's slightly lighter than its predecessor.

This has been made possible in several ways. One way is the omission of Support Rods, which characterized the outsole of Rise 2. Instead, you find a full midsole of the foam material Dreamstrike+, where the predecessor used stabilizing EVA rods (Support Rods).

The omission is not only evident in the lower weight. I also feel it in my take-off, especially at higher paces. I've used the shoe for volume training, but as I did with its predecessor, also for training where intensity resembles marathon training (AT). Here, where the body has to push extra into the ground, the new midsole shines: It feels lively, giving you energy back.

In the two months I've tested it, the shoe has gone from a firm volume training shoe to thinking of it as the shoe where I don't need to bring a spare shoe for a session. It's hybrid enough for me to use it as both a volume trainer and an interval shoe. Very few shoes have made that journey in my mind, and that's a quality stamp.

Much of this journey is based on the new midsole. Adidas claims Supernova Rise 3 is 20% softer. For me, it's hard to feel. The Dreamstrike+ material is unique, as it's a PEBA blend; yes, the same PEBA found in elite shoes with clear characteristics: Soft yet very energy-returning.

However, I can't fully stand behind "soft" here, as the shoe primarily feels firm, which I have mixed feelings about: On one hand, the firmness is what makes the shoe a hybrid for me. On the other hand, it's the firmness that compromises the shoe's weakest link of the trinity, namely comfort.

By that, I don't mean that Supernova Rise 3 is uncomfortable. The shoe fits well due to a good upper (more on that in a moment), and Rise 3 delivers as mentioned a good take-off. But the shoes don't have the cushioning many expect from volume training shoes today. But perhaps it's rather because the standard has risen enormously among running shoes in general, regarding comfort. Adidas, despite the midsole's 20% softer update, holds its ground for shoes that feel more conservative.

Primeweave – Thin and technical upper

Where the midsole update consisted of adding more of the same foam, the upper is entirely different from last year. Gone is the classic (and heavy) sandwich mesh, making way for the Primeweave upper, a finely knitted upper that's not only much lighter but also adapts better to the foot.

At first glance, the upper seems like a downgrade, but when you hold it, it's clear that the upper is more technical than its predecessor. Much material is saved, without making the upper porous.

I'm not afraid to hit forest paths and uneven surfaces in the shoe, as the upper will keep me in place on top of the midsole.

Like the midsole's conservative firmness, Supernova Rise 3 uses a classic heel cap. You're locked in place but only where it's advantageous: The heel and below the ankle are fixed, without hindering mobility.

The new mesh upper counteracts the feeling of being locked in its elastic feel. Comfort is generally improved, which is why adidas also recommends the shoe for distances up to marathon. The seemingly downgraded upper at first glance has proven to be one of adidas' best choices for the shoe.

Adios Pro 4-worthy outsole: LightTraxion

Like the upper, the outsole is entirely different from before. Here too, you find technology previously used in more expensive and faster Adizero shoes, namely LightTraxion, which I have previously praised.

The rubber material has helped me safely through the test period. A period which has seen Denmark's coldest January in twenty years and reasonable amounts of snow: Not a runner's dream. But with the right gear, training has proceeded as planned.

Although the shoe has become lighter and has a midsole worthy of Adios Pro 4, I'm not in doubt that the shoes will deliver approximately the same number of kilometers as I ran in its predecessor. I covered 2000 kilometers in the previous model before the upper began to show signs of retirement.

I have a feeling that I'll have just as much trouble breaking this shoe.

Why should you buy adidas Supernova Rise 3?

You should buy the shoe because Supernova Rise 3 does many things well at the same time. The shoe is lightweight, responsive, and it will be tough to wear out.

If you prefer a lower, firm shoe where you don't risk twisting your ankles on uneven surfaces, then adidas Supernova Rise 3 is one of the last shoes on the market that genuinely feels that way.

The shoe is for you who wants one shoe for many purposes: The ideal Swiss army knife