The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5 and the Nike Vaporfly 4 are two carbon racing shoes. They don’t go after the same races, though: the Adidas covers every distance up to the marathon, the Nike focuses on shorter distances.
Both weigh the same. The Vaporfly 4 sits lower under the heel, with a slightly higher drop than the Adios Pro 5, which puts more foam under the forefoot.
The Vaporfly 4 moves to a slightly denser ZoomX foam and a Flyplate with a steeper angle, for a much stronger lever effect on accelerations. Adidas keeps Lightstrike Pro and replaces the EnergyRods 2.0 rods with the U-shaped EnergyRim carbon structure, which leaves more foam in the flex zone without losing stiffness.
The difference is in the ride feel. The Vaporfly 4 gives a flatter stride, closer to the ground, with a less pronounced rocker: you have to push to feel the propulsion, and the emphasis is on speed rather than energy savings. The Adios Pro 5 is plusher on impact, and the bounce is always there, a well-judged rocker, a pronounced forward roll and a smooth, fast transition.
Both uppers are very thin, very breathable and comfortable. The Nike’s woven mesh is so thin you can see your socks through it. On the Adidas side, the Lightlock 2.0 upper holds the foot very well laterally. The forefoot is tighter than on the Pro 4, and going up half a size may be necessary if you can’t try it on.
Grip is very good on both.
Durability is the shared weakness: ZoomX foam remains Nike’s usual weak spot, and some runners have called out the Adios Pro 5’s outsole (though we saw no wear in our field test).
Adios Pro 5 vs Vaporfly 4: Which Should You Choose?
For the vast majority of runners, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5: it is more versatile and does the job at every distance, from the 5K to the marathon. It may be the most complete carbon shoe to date.
The Nike Vaporfly 4 is built for short races: 5K, 10K, half marathon. Pick it if your stride is sharp enough to take advantage of it and you accept a shoe that asks more of your legs. For the marathon, Nike itself points you to the Alphafly 3.
