If Nike dominates the marathon with its Vaporfly (and the Alphafly), Adidas is not falling behind and can claim some credit for the success of its athletes in the half-marathon. Case in point: two Nike athletes hold the world records in the men’s and women’s marathon and two Adidas athletes those of the half marathon. Not bad!

These two max-cushioned carbon-fiber plate shoes have almost the same stack height: 39 mm under the heel and 31 mm under the forefoot for the Adidas and 40/32 for the Vaporfly.

In both cases, the cushioning is soft with an explosive energy return thanks to their carbon plate and “rocker” design that propels the body forward to go faster.

Let’s note that the Adios Pro 2 has not one but six carbon plates: five under the forefoot and one under the rest of the platform, including the heel.

Adios Pro or Vaporfly: which one to choose?

The Adios Pro 2 is a little heavier than the Vaporfly (30 g/1.1 oz more). It’s actually its only disadvantage! For the rest, testers unanimously preferred the even more breathtaking cushioning it offers.

Also, the foot lockdown is also better on the Adios Pro while runners complain about the sloppy fit of the Vaporfly 2.

We don’t want to settle the question because the answer may vary from one person to another. Rest assured: these are two exceptional shoes. So trust your experience to make your choice.

Side-by-side comparison