Your race day best friend: the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4

The first race of the season always hits different. For three Toronto runners—Don Rey Juan, Adam Lu and Chris Blanco—the ICEE Half Relay at Cherry Beach marked not only the start of spring racing, but their first time testing adidas’ latest racing innovation: the Adizero Adios Pro 4.

Now in its fourth year, the ICEE Half has become a staple in Toronto’s spring racing calendar. Launched by Don’t Trip and Culture Athletics in 2022, when established races faced COVID restrictions, it quickly became a beloved race for its grassroots vibe and off-the-books energy. The course snakes through Toronto’s industrial east end, with fast pavement, wind-tunnel straights, and just enough unpredictability to keep things interesting.

This year’s race was no exception to that unpredictability, with biting wind, rain and light snow making an appearance: a true test for both runners and their gear.

The trio arrived in matching kits, with their Adizero Adios Pro 4’s laced up. Their backgrounds in movement and performance brought another layer of insight to the real-world test: Juan is a chiropractor and founder of ÜNDA Movement, where Lu is a physiotherapist. ÜNDA is a Leslieville-based physical therapy and movement studio where treatment and training are practiced side-by-side, not siloed from one another. Blanco, a close friend of both, is training for his first triathlon this summer. Despite their diverse backgrounds and running experience, they all had one thing in common: trust in the shoe.

The Adizero Adios Pro 4 is the latest evolution from a line of race-day shoes that has already seen podiums and reached world records. This version introduces Energy Rods 2.0, a refinement of the carbon plate approach, five rods embedded in the midsole, shaped to mimic the bones of the foot. The benefit? High-speed propulsion that feels natural, not jarring. Beneath the rods sits a full stack of dual-layer Lightstrike Pro foam, adidas’ most responsive cushioning material, giving runners explosive toe-offs without sacrificing comfort or stability.

“You could feel the cushioning, but it didn’t get in the way,” says Lu. “It actually helped power me forward, especially when the wind picked up.” Even in poor weather conditions, Lu notes that the Continental™ rubber outsole proved itself, gripping reliably on wet pavement and sharp turns without compromising speed. The new upper—breathable, with minimal overlays, stayed secure even as conditions became more challenging.

For Blanco, ICEE was less about time and more about rhythm: “I wanted to dial in my form and pacing ahead of longer races this summer. The shoe just felt predictable in a good way—stable, smooth and responsive.”

“It was incredibly light,” Juan says. “You put it on and instantly feel like you’re in racing mode.” Juan walked away with a course personal best, shaving over three minutes off his previous time. Blanco declared the Adios Pro 4 his new race-day pick and is looking forward to using them again soon. All three runners agreed that in addition to the innovative features, the shoe gave them confidence, especially considering the difficult conditions. It helped them lean in, stay aggressive and feel protected in sections when races typically take a toll on the legs.

The Adios Pro 4 doesn’t just promise performance—it delivers it. Whether you’re chasing your first 10K or eyeing a new marathon personal best, it’s a shoe built for runners pushing their own definition of fast.