Every once in a while a running shoe comes along that really raises the tech quotient. Somehow throw out the kitchen sink in an attempt to reset the benchmark. That’s not to say that many don’t try, but it still is, many are selected but few are chosen. The new Adidas 4DFWD is part of the elite company of the chosen few, with this running shoe adding the kind of technology to make a running shoe better than few did last year and a few more. The focus is still on improving the midsole, as it is the beating heart of a running shoe, but the evolution of the Adidas 4DFWD is not limited to that. There is a very good one that it is more expensive than you expected, with a price of Rs 19,999.

Let’s go straight to the biggest leap forward. As the name suggests, the Adidas 4DFWD is all about the new Adidas 4DFWD midsole technology. Adidas partnered up with the American 3D printing technology company Carbon and took all the data they had gathered from runners over the years and years with other running shoes during that time, to develop a 3D printed midsole using Carbon’s Digital Light Synthesis technology. This, Adidas says, allows them to fine-tune the 4D lattice pattern and the final 3D printing. It turns out that more than 5 million possible truss structures were identified before this one was destroyed. This trellis construction uses up to 39% bio-based materials, which reinforces the company’s focus on the environment.

This is, by far, the most versatile Adidas midsole I have ever tested in a running shoe. It’s a bit like the steering systems of good cars, which are light at low speeds and weigh comfortably at high speeds. The Adidas 4DFWD is the softest and most comfortable midsole in an Adidas shoe because you can walk around, wear it daily or for the weekend in the malls. Start running and speed up, and responsiveness effectively increases to give you the kind of energy return that helps propel forward. At first glance, you might think the Adidas 4DFWD will be quite dynamic, but that’s not the case, which is reassuring. It’s definitely a bit more springy than my last date with the Boost midsole, but it’s just the evolution you’d want rather than a revolution. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t notice the spongy noise I get on a bunch of surfaces, especially hard surfaces.

There’s more to it than the midsole. The FWD cell is the building block that compresses and decompresses, while you run, and then to expend the energy of each kick. The way it was designed is that instead of decompression spending energy vertically, it does so towards the front of the shoe, in the direction of your foot as it takes off after each kick to the ground. . The stack height under your feet is 32.5mm below the heel and 21.2mm in the forefoot, giving you just over 10mm of heel-to-toe offset. All that said and done, there is no denying that the trellis structure and what the Adidas 4DFWD midsole ultimately looks like from the outside, it will catch a lot of dirt in its structure – this shoe will require more attention and regular cleaning than it does. all Adidas Boost shoes so far. Unless you don’t mind all of that.

The upper is a knitted implementation, called Primeknit +. This itself uses up to 50% recycled materials. Quite stretchy, comfortable and good levels of ventilation keep the foot comfortable throughout. The toe box has generous space inside, including vertical space, and you might want to take a half size down from your regular running shoe size if you want a more shoe-like fit. sock – I can’t stress this enough, if you are picky about fit and comfort. If you get the wrong size, you will end up with an upper that is unable to keep up with the potential of the midsole. Even then this mesh did a really good job with support on the sides as well, and I didn’t feel my foot slip. The lacing and eyelets have a conventional placement, and some experimentation with these could have given wearers another tool to further fine tune the fit if they wanted to. There are three colors you can buy it in: Core Black / Core Black / Carbon, Signal Green / Signal Green / Core Black and something called Ftwwht / Cblack / Solred.

The outsole, when you look under the shoe, will surprise you in a good way. Unlike many running shoes that experiment with all kinds of extended tread patterns and trench-like implementations, Adidas has kept it very simple with the Adidas 4DFWD. Much like their partnership with automotive tire maker Goodyear led to outsoles many years ago. This one isn’t from the Goodyear brand, and I’m not sure there’s any teamwork in that regard, but the model and implementation reminded me of the past. It is a very flexible outsole and there is enough flexibility, when combined with the cushioning of the midsole, to completely cushion any hint of rough running surfaces or loose pebbles or stones that might otherwise. filter and make their presence known as you run.

The last word: the Adidas 4DFWD brings serious evolution, with data and technology

There’s no doubt that Adidas has really taken more than one step forward with the Adidas 4DFWD midsole, and another step forward with the overall rollout to match the outsole and upper. There may still be doubts about the weight of around 327 grams (this is for US size 9) which is not the lightest on the market, and this may put the brakes on runners who may need something for long, regular runs. But this comfort is subjective. Overall, the Adidas 4DFWD is a testament to all the hard work Adidas has put into research and development over the years and years. The proverbial icing on the cake is that this seriously elaborate tech infused running shoe looks really good the rest of the time as well. You wouldn’t mind being seen in these. Only adds value to the money you will spend on it.

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