Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 vs Nike Vaporfly 4
Two shoes people weigh up against each other constantly. Here is what actually separates them, taken from the same database that drives the Shoe Finder quiz, with nothing added by hand. The short version: the Nike Vaporfly 4 has the higher heel at 8mm against 6mm, the Nike Vaporfly 4 is 34g lighter.
Side by side
| Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 | Nike Vaporfly 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £219.99 RRP | £239.99 RRP |
| Type | Race day | Race day |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Weight | 200g | 166g |
| Heel drop | 6mm | 8mm |
| Heel stack | 39mm | 40mm |
| Widths | Standard and wide | Standard and wide |
| Plate | carbon | carbon |
What the differences mean
Weight
The Nike Vaporfly 4 is 34g lighter, at 166g against 200g. As a rough guide every 100g costs about one percent in running economy, so 34g is worth a fraction of a percent. You will feel it more than it costs you, and it counts for more on a fast 5k than on a slow long run.
Heel drop
This is the real difference. The Nike Vaporfly 4 has a 8mm drop and the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 has 6mm. A higher heel asks less of your achilles and calf and more of your knee, and a lower one does the opposite. If you get regular trouble at one of those, pick accordingly. If you get none, pick whichever is closer to what you already run in, because changing drop suddenly is the most reliable way to give yourself a new problem.
How long they last
The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is built to take more mileage. If one pair is doing all your running, that is worth more than it sounds, because cost per mile matters more than the price on the box.
Price
£219.99 against £239.99 at full price, so the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is £20 less. Both are discounted often enough that the gap on the day may look nothing like this, which is worth checking before you decide on price alone.
Which should you buy?
Neither, until you have tried both on. Fit decides more than any specification on this page, and the two shoes above are close enough that a foot shape will separate them faster than a spreadsheet will.
Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4
Adidas' top marathon racer. Very light, very fast and fits on the narrow side.
Nike Vaporfly 4
Feather light race shoe for 5k up to marathon. Save it for the big days.
Or let the quiz decide
This page compares two shoes. The shoe finder compares all 104 of them against your width, your weight, where you run, your budget and any recurring niggles, then gives you three and tells you why each one made it. It takes about a minute.