Adidas Supernova Prima Introduction
For a really, very very long time, Adidas has not had an honest max-cushioned coach. The Ultraboost is a heavy, agency and clunky Adidas maximalist coach. It doesn’t really feel energetic and it’s not enjoyable to run in. Its downfall is its Enhance midsole which was once good (8 years in the past) however feels antiquated at present.
After I reviewed the Ultraboost Mild final 12 months, it was one of many lowest scoring footwear of the whole 12 months. It was the firmest Ultraboost I had examined and it felt like bricks on my ft. I couldn’t wait to get my 80 kilometres in it and end the assessment.
Adidas has some nice midsole foams of their arsenal. Lightstrike Professional is arguably probably the most explosive available on the market by way of power return whereas Dreamstrike+ is a new-age foam which strikes an important stability of sturdiness and luxury.
The Supernova Prima is the brand new maximalist coach throughout the Supernova vary. Different trainers within the vary embrace the Supernova Rise, the Supernova Resolution and the Stride. All of them function Adidas’ new Dreamstrike+, PEBA-based midsole foam.
Adidas states that the Supernova Prima is their most snug operating shoe so far and advertises that it has 13% extra Dreamstrike+ tremendous foam than the Supernova Rise. It’s constructed for max consolation.
I used to be pleasantly shocked by the Supernova Rise once I reviewed it final 12 months. I discovered it to be actually versatile and I stated that it was one of the best Adidas coach to return out in years. It may well compete with the opposite prime, mid-range, impartial every day trainers in its class.
The Supernova Prima weighs 10.2 oz (290 g) with stack heights of 38 mm and 30 mm. To place that into perspective, the Ultraboost Mild weighs 10.5 oz (299 g) with a lot decrease stack heights of 30mm and 20 mm. The Prima prices $160, a aggressive worth for a max-cushioned coach.
Adidas Supernova Prima First Impressions
My first run within the Prima was a really sluggish, 9 kilometre restoration run. I used to be impressed with how versatile it felt. Although it was a restoration run, I felt prefer it may shift up gears fairly simply.
I loved how easy the journey felt and the way padded the landings felt, the same feeling to the Hoka Mach 4 & 5. That is as a result of comfortable outsole and the absence of thick, exhausting rubber on it.
The shoe that it unsurprisingly jogged my memory of was the Supernova Rise. The Prima simply felt softer, extra comfortable with much less floor really feel.
Adidas Supernova Prima Higher
The Supernova Prima has a really comparable higher to the Rise with the principle distinction being the tongue. The Rise has a thicker, extra padded tongue whereas the Prima has a flat tongue with no padding to cut back weight.
It’s a really snug higher with nice foot lockdown and I’ve by no means needed to cease mid-run to regulate the lacing. An inner heel counter offers good help whereas the heel tab makes it really feel extra luxurious. The big 3 stripes on each the medial and lateral sides are reflective for low-light visibility.
The one space which may very well be improved is breathability. The engineered mesh shouldn’t be very porous so it’s not perfect for tropical climates. It’s a real to measurement match which is finest suited to slender, high-volume ft.
Adidas Supernova Prima Sole Unit
It’s not a prerequisite for a max-cushioned coach to be versatile however a excessive diploma of versatility is a bonus. The Supernova Prima is surprisingly versatile contemplating its weight and its stack top. It feels nice once I’m doing tremendous sluggish runs above 6 minutes per kilometre in addition to quicker paces beneath 5 minutes per kilometre. This wide selection is because of its vigorous journey character.
Dreamstrike+ isn’t the softest midsole foam available on the market however the PEBA in it actually dials up the power return. As a max-cushioned coach, I discover the Supernova Prima extra energetic than opponents just like the Triumph 22, Nimbus 26, and Glycerin 21. The Triumph 22 additionally has PEBA in it however it delivers a plusher, extra relaxed journey than the Prima.
My favorite factor concerning the Prima is how dynamic the journey feels. It looks like a shoe that may do every part. The midsole isn’t mushy so that you don’t really feel like you might be shedding power throughout transitions which is the case with some max-cushioned trainers.
There are 2 giant cutouts within the strobel lining of the Prima, beneath the insole: 1 within the heel and 1 within the forefoot the place the ball of your foot lands. It is a design cue which we’ve seen in plenty of Adidas trainers. The aim of those cutouts is to provide your ft direct entry to the froth to make the journey softer.
The underside-loaded Help Rods are barely firmer than those within the Supernova Rise. This makes the forefoot stiffer which in flip makes the forefoot rocker extra distinguished. The rocker helps with effectivity, particularly throughout lengthy runs. The Help Rods additionally assist in stability.
The Prima is extremely steady for such a tall shoe. This is because of its base being large and the density of its midsole which doesn’t trigger it to break down inwards or outwards through the loading course of.
The Help Rods additionally kind a part of the outsole. This delivers comfortable, padded landings with extra floor really feel than trainers with thick, exhausting rubber outsoles. Sturdiness is slightly bit decrease on these areas of the outsole.
Traction is okay on dry surfaces however when it rains, the outsole feels slippery as a result of it’s flat and easy.
Adidas Supernova Prima Conclusions
Following within the footsteps of the Supernova Rise, the Prima is one other wonderful coach from Adidas and one which I all the time sit up for operating in. Adidas lastly has an honest max-cushioned coach which is a significantly better various to the Ultraboost.
I’d nonetheless actually wish to see an Adidas max-cushioned coach with a pure Lightstrike Professional midsole. The upcoming Adidas Adistar BYD is a maximalist coach with a prime layer of Lightstrike Professional. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how energetic its journey is.
Within the Supernova household, I want the Prima to the Rise as a result of I get pleasure from that further cushioning and softness which offers extra consolation. The Prima solely weighs 0.4 oz (11 g) greater than the Rise however it has 2 mm further foam within the heel and 4 mm further within the forefoot.
The Saucony Triumph was once an important all-rounder however with the brand new Triumph 22 being solely good for straightforward runs, the Supernova Prima is now the King of Versatility within the max-cushioned coach class.
The forefoot rocker and the firmer journey of the Prima make it a lot simpler to choose up the tempo than the Triumph.