Adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9 Introduction
“Takumi Sen” is Japanese for “artisan of the very best order.” “Adizero” signifies it to be a top-tier efficiency shoe with the newest tech geared for severe coaching and competitors. Collectively these phrases place excessive expectation on this shoe. How does it measure up? Learn on!
Adizero Takumi Sen is a 5k/10K racer that together with its sister shoe, the Adizero Adios Professional, carries a full-length Lightstrike Professional midsole.
Takumi Sen has the proper midsole for short-mid distance safety and spring; Adios Professional simply extra of it and a extra aggressive minimize for toe spring for defense in half and full marathon distances (or past).
Takumi Sen combines the protecting, bouncy experience of the Adios Professional with the bottom really feel of a extra conventional racer for a combo shoe that goals to leverage the most effective of each worlds.
Checklist worth is $180 USD, which is lot to spend on a shoe to avoid wasting for brief races until you hit the native circuit fairly arduous to carry house all of the financial institution . . . or, for the remainder of us, maybe an age group award!
These prime racers have full-length Lightstrike Professional midsoles and ENERGYRODS for a springy, responsive experience with a fast transition.
What’s modified between the 8 and 9 is an higher replace which dropped the load about .4 oz. Takumi Sen is the lightest shoe I’ve ever worn with a listing weight of 6.6 oz. for the unisex M9/W10. My M8.5/W9.5 weighs in half an oz lighter at 6.1 oz.
It matches slim and true-to-size. Measurement up for a medium to extensive foot.
There’s slight risk for a med-narrow forefoot match by protecting laces unfastened on the ball, which permits the slim match to broaden a bit throughout foot plant. I do that, which works nice for races, however my toes begin to damage if I put on them for prolonged durations.
Since I’ve reviewed a number of Adizero sneakers this yr, I’ll give a quick overview of a few of the line.
- The Adizero Boston has a extra sturdy heel counter than the pure racers and might work as a stability mannequin racing shoe or a extra sturdy coach to tackle a lot of miles.
- Adizero SL is a softer model of the Boston and is particularly good for simple restoration runs and day by day coaching; it’s also $40 USD cheaper than the Boston and brings a light-weight, snug experience.
- The Adizero Adios 7 is a quick, low-profile shoe that’s nice for speedwork.
Comparable sneakers to Takumi Sen embody the Nike Vaporfly, New Stability Fuelcell Pacer, and Nike Streakfly.
Adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9 First Impressions
Pulling these out of the field I felt anticipation within the air. The (close to) paper-thin higher seems like it’s going to shed water like no person’s enterprise by means of the tug-resistant mesh that’s semi-transparent as a consequence of little areas. This higher is extraordinarily skinny, gentle, and breathable.
Mine popped out of the wrapping contained in the shoebox in photo voltaic pink, an interesting attention-getter; it additionally is available in mint, a deeper inexperienced, and black.
Strolling round in it I used to be shocked by how delicate the midsole felt. Will it’s nearly as good of a excessive efficiency 5k/10k racer as Adizero Professional?
Evidently the highest shoe firms have already deserted carbon plates. Working pace, stride, runner’s weight, and lots of different issues affect the diploma of profit from carbon fiber plated sneakers, with (debatably) the best benefit going to those that can keep a 6.5 min/mile tempo or quicker.
For the remainder of us the newest tech, ENERGYRODS, are efficient for propulsion whereas nonetheless permitting some flexibility for consolation.
On the primary run, this shoe felt buttery easy, like my foot was a knife gliding throughout a summer-sun-softened dice that but holds its type beneath the minimize.
The experience is delicate and responsive, making me need to rise up on my toes and dash though I went into this quick preliminary run with drained legs.
Adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9 Higher
The higher and tongue are manufactured from skinny, see-through mesh with thicker help strips reinforcing key areas: a major toe cap, medial and lateral patches on the ball, the brand, an additional strip operating vertically midfoot, diagonal strips alongside the heel, and a patch on the again.
The tongue could be very skinny with no padding however a help strip of neoprene operating down the size. Maybe a barely thicker arch on the prime of the lacing protects the foot from the stress from the tie. I had no points with sizzling spots from the laces, surprisingly, although I did re-tie a pair occasions to get the stress proper.
For a race in sizzling climate, I might run on this shoe barefoot. Twice I ran 3 miles barefoot with little subject. After I ran 6 miles barefoot I had two small blisters develop on one foot from rubbing: on the prime of the bottom of my proper huge toe and on the pinky toe.
The most important subject I confronted with the higher is that the tongue would fold beneath on the medial ball, and the thicker edge irritated the highest of my foot till I took the shoe off to succeed in in and attempt to put it on once more with out the tongue folded, which took some maneuvering.
There isn’t a heel counter past the strengthened lateral strips. Reasonable pads line the ankle opening beside the Achilles; there may be extra right here than I might count on, given the remainder of the higher, and I believe they made resolution to “spend some weight” at this spot. I had no issues with heel match or operate.
The pull tab above the heel truly helps when pulling on the shoe! I discovered Takumi Sen’s pull tab extra helpful than Boston’s for the reason that higher provides much less resistance to slipping the foot in.
After operating within the rain I weighed the shoe to search out it solely went up about an oz and a half because the water shed proper out of this higher!
Even with the water weight it was nonetheless solely as heavy as my earlier lightest shoe.
(Really 4 sneakers tied for my earlier lightest: adidas sl20, Adizero Adios 7, ASICS Noosa Tri, and ASICS Gel-DS Coach 26.)
Adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9 Sole Unit
The medium-thickness midsole is made up completely of Lightstrike Professional, which provides fantastic safety and a easy, snappy experience. This is without doubt one of the greatest foams I’ve felt underfoot!
Fiberglass ENERGYRODS run by means of the midsole and supply a stiff experience with sufficient flexibility to maintain it snug.
Tapping on the rods with my fingernail the place they present by means of the peek-a-boo window within the sole they really feel (and sound) like low cost plastic. Nevertheless, the engineers have a troublesome job: make it sturdy and practical—however hold it gentle, please. Certainly, make it one of many lightest trainers, when you’re at it. No downside!
With simply over 50 miles on the shoe I’ve not had any issues with the rods, although some individuals report noticing a “popping” sound.
Model 9 of Takumi Sen has the identical 6 mm. midsole as model 8, with 33 mm. within the heel right down to a 27 mm. forefoot.
The outsole has a major pad of Continental rubber with grip strips operating laterally proper the place we’d like it for propulsion in races: the medial forefoot.
Easy rubber patches supply some safety to the lateral foam and heel, however not a lot, with two cut-outs exposing the ENERGYRODS and saving weight.
Adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9 Conclusions
The Takumi Sen 9, is really an “artisan of the very best order” for racing. It’s a very good shoe for 5k/10k distances: touchdown is agency with a fast roll ahead and pop into toe-off. The see-through mesh higher is supper gentle, breathable, and sheds water in a downpour.
The down sides embody little help, low heel outsole sturdiness, and a tongue that may irritate if it folds over. It’s costly at $180 USD—however not in comparison with the highest marathon sneakers; “costly” is relative!
The pluses and minuses each point out how gentle the shoe is, which can make the low factors acceptable—for a racing shoe.
