Article by Matt Kolat
adidas Adistar BYD (£164.99, 204,59 €, $226.04)
Introduction
I don’t get to test Adidas shoes very often so when our friends at Sportsshoes.com offered a chance to test a brand new Adidas model the Adistar BYD I got pretty excited. Most plated shoes these days cost an arm and a leg. It's good to see that big brands like Adidas are introducing models which are slightly more budget (and legs) friendly. Does that mean that with the lower price we are to expect an inferior product? Or maybe simply something less aggressive with slightly less quality materials? Let’s dive into the review to see what we are dealing with!
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Very stable
Fun and bouncy
Introductory shoe if you never tried plated shoes before
Should last above average
Feel faster than the weight would suggest
Cons:
Tongue too short and too thin
Lacing system needs re-design (too many holes)
Heavy for a racing shoe (not too heavy for a daily trainer)
Midfoot upper a little too constrictive (can be a pro if you have low volume feet, I don’t)
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 9 US 8.5 UK 10.2oz / 290 g
Sample Weight: men’s 11.5 US 11 UK 11.3 oz / 322 g
Stack Height: men’s 40mm heel / 34mm forefoot (6mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 90mm heel / 79mm midfoot / 118mm forefoot (men’s 11.5 US)
Available now at our partner SportShoes.com HERE
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
When I first got the shoes out of the box, apart from the number of colours on display what got my attention was the exposed plate. Not the way we are used to it, where you can see a tiny bit of it through the bottom (that’s visible too - see the Outsole section) but nearly all round the shoe minus the toe bumper. That’s the black line running through the midsole in the picture above. If you’re worried that this might ‘catch’ your ankles on the run or cut your socks - worry not it does not happen as the plate does not ‘stick out’ sideways.
The fit is true to size, however the midfoot does not lend itself to those of us with wide feet. My feet are slightly above average and just about got away with it, but if you normally run in extra wide footwear you might want to consider other models.
The upper is made of soft engineered mesh which comes across very high end. Soft to touch yet providing secure hold via the massive adidas stripes on both sides of the shoe. The toe bumper is reinforced as per the picture below.
The heel counter is very sturdy, almost worthy of a stability shoe and provides excellent hold - as soon as you get the fit dialed in.
That's one of the problems with BYD - it’s very hard to get the lacing in the right spot - at least for me it was a few attempts before I got it where I needed it. The shoe laces, despite being on the longer side, are too short for the number of eyelets in the shoe.
When I first ran in BYDs the foothold was poor because I could not synch the shoe down on my wider than average foot due to the laces being too short (again they are actually long, just felt short). Once I re-laced the shoe, skipping a few holes/eyelets I’ve managed to get the fit I needed and the hold was actually excellent. That said, if there is an Adidas BYD 2 perhaps this issue could be addressed.
The heel collar is very soft and provides ample comfort, making the BYD feel almost luxurious.
However the tongue is too short and needs pulling up before you commence your run, it is not gusseted but somehow manages to stay in place on the run - no issues to report.
Midsole & Platform
When it comes to the midsole, we are dealing with a three piece, sandwich like design (spoiler alert it works really well).
The top layer is the beloved, premium Lightstrike Pro which is a TPE foam (thermoplastic polyester elastomers) offering huge energy return and a nice and bouncy ride.
Below that we have the visible carbon infused plate which I would describe as semi-rigid compared to more aggressive race focused plated shoes. Below that sits a generous layer of Repetitor 2.0 EVA foam which I would describe as a happy medium between soft and firm. How all that works together I will try to describe in the Ride section, please bear with me.
I have one more note about the midsole and it relates directly to the photo below. Please have a look how much medial bias is created because of the extra amount of Repetitor 2.0 in the medial side of the heel (midfoot and forefoot have no such bias). What this does is it creates a huge amount of stability for heel strikers (such as yours truly).
The stack is 40mm in the heel and 34mm in the forefoot, which makes this shoe sit somewhere in the middle ground between daily trainers and max stack trainers.
Outsole
Adidas uses Continental rubber in their outsoles which is, in my experience, one of the market leaders. The grip is great, nothing to complain about and the wear is below average, even for me at 82 kg / 180 lbs / 12.9 stone. The midsole is pretty much fully covered at areas which come into contact with the ground which promises good longevity.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
How does this complicated shoe ride then?
Well first of all it rides lighter than the weight would suggest. There is a decent amount of bounce from Lightstrike Pro and an excellent amount of stability.
There are many factors to why this shoe is so stable.
First all the heel counter is very firm and extends into mini-guide rails as far as the neon green colouring (see picture below). Second of all the plate (which is plastic but carbon infused) is not very aggressive (as in flat and not curved) but quite rigid and covers the entirety of the space between the Lightstrike Pro and Repetitor foams rather than being narrower in the heel. Finally the massive medial bias which I’ve described in more detail in the Midsole section.
All of the above make the ride a fully stable - neutral or inherently stable shoe. I know it’s only January but this is my official candidate for shoe of the year in the stable neutral category. The reason why I say that is because I can get away with just about any shoe up to 5-7 km that’s when typically my overpronation worsens but in the BYD I felt so safe yet never in a way where the shoe felt like it was controlling me - only helping me as per my needs.
As usual I’ve done a range of workouts in the BYDs ranging from a recovery 5k / 10k to faster focused sessions. I really enjoyed these shoes on all of the distances I’ve covered but due to their weight their downside is - they don’t lend themselves all that well to speedy sessions. Don’t get me wrong I did not have any issues, it just felt like slightly extra effort than I would have to put in a lighter shoe.That’s the price you have to pay when you want that stability in a plated shoe - can’t have it all I’m afraid.
With regards to application, I would reckon it would be befitting runners who need extra stability when they get tired onat longer distances.
As far as design goes of the shoe I would not recommend too many changes but perhaps if the tongue was a bit more plush, gusseted and laces a little longer that would slightly improve the comfort. I hope Adidas continues this line as we need plated shoes for the masses not just for the elites.
Matt’s Score: 9/10
(-1 deduction for the lacing system and tongue)
Comparisons
TYR Valkyrie Speedworks (RTR Review)
If you are worried that Adidas BYD is a bit too built up and heavy for you, Valkyrie Speedworks could be a good alternative. What we get here is a much lighter package and a more aggressive plate. The offset of that is the fact that we concede some stability as Adidas BYD is a fully inherently stable shoe despite being theoretically neutral. If I had both of these shoes in hand I would prefer the TYR for a workout and the BYD for a longer session.
Adidas Supernova Prima (RTR Review)
Supernova Prima is not a plated daily trainer because it does not have a plate per se but rather has hardened foam rods. This said, I would classify it in the same category as BYD. If you worry that BYD might be a bit too rigid and overtly stable for you the Prima could be a good alternative. The ride of the Prima is noticeably softer and more plush so will work much better for daily miles and long runs if your biomechanics like that plush, marshmallowy feeling. However that comes at a price as Prima is not a top choice when it comes to faster training runs.
Tester Profile
Maciej 'Matt' Kolat- 38 years old, hailing from Poland but pounding Scottish pavements and trails since 2007. Mainly runs shorter distances on pavement 5-10 km and reserves longer runs for beautiful Scottish Glens. Matt’s opinion sometimes may differ from other RTR testers as he is the slowest of the bunch (5k at 25:38). Matt also uses running as a way to stay healthy having shed 100 lbs so far (and counting).
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