Introduction: 2023 is about to pass, the new year is coming, we can't assert the future of Adidas running shoes, but at least in terms of technical strength, community ecology or brand concept, it shows people the confidence to "run".
Author: Chen Wenjian.
After the end of the epidemic, people have picked up the running sport of going out and walking, and all marathon events have returned, and consumers and major sports brands have once again focused on the "meat grinder" battlefield of running shoes.
In October, Kelvin Kiptum set a new men's marathon record at the Chicago Marathon wearing the Nike Alphafly3In August, the domestic sports brand Xtep launched its latest flagship running shoe, the 160X 50, and then Xtep helped athlete He Jie win the championship in the men's marathon of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Adidas, of course, will not be absent from this war.
In September, adidas launched its most advanced running shoe, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, and then at the Berlin Marathon, Tigist Azefa ran a time of 2:11:53 in this running shoe, breaking the world record and leading the women's marathon to the "211" era.
After the race, the running shoes were autographed by Tigist Acefa and sent to Adidas headquarters.
On December 16, this pair of running shoes appeared at the Adidas 2023 Zhuhai Running Summit, and in addition to the athlete's signature shoes that also have special significance, there are also a number of upcoming ** running shoes. At the meeting, Adidas shouted the slogan of the summit: "A group of people who are obsessed with running and want to make running more fascinating." ”
Technology is the core competitiveness
In the running area, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 was placed on the most prominent stand, and there was an electronic scale that showed the weight of the running shoe - 138 grams, which is the lightest running shoe ever made by Adidas running shoes, while most of the running shoes of other brands with the same performance are around 200 grams.
The weight loss of the Adizero Adios Pro EVO 1 is mainly due to the LightStrike Pro process, which reduces the weight of the shoe and provides energy rebound for the runnerThe lightweight upper gives the shoe a sense of translucencyStructural optimization, including the removal of the insole, also reduces weight.
In this regard, Patrick Nava, VP of Adidas' Running and Innovation Department, said bluntly: "It's our own No Impossible , we've never seen a running shoe of this weight. ”
According to data such as runrepeat, it is estimated that for every 100 grams of shoe weight, the pace will increase by 1%. The lightweight of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 was one of the key elements in Tigist-Acefa's world record-breaking. This pair of running shoes, priced at $500, can reach 30,000 yuan in the domestic secondary market.
In addition to these top-of-the-line running shoes, there are many other collections on display in the exhibition area, from entry-level to high-end, from mid-sprint to long-distance running, from everyday running to racing running.
As early as 2002, Robin, vice president of Adidas Greater China Running and Professional Sports Series Business, has worn the Supernova model, and now relying on the technical support of the Adizero series, Supernova will return with a new attitude that takes into account comfort and support.
Johnny also revealed that Supernova not only has a race series, but also a lower-priced Eternal entry-level series under 700 yuan. A similar product positioning is also reflected in Adidas' multiple product lines.
The diversified product layout helps adidas cover as many kinds of running enthusiasts as possible, which relies on Adidas' diversified innovation platform. In 2019, Adi only had the most well-known Boost technology platform, and now there are innovative technology platforms such as Lightstrike, Switch, DreamStrike, Boost, and Repetitor.
EventsCommunityThe running ecology of the product
Excellent products need a stage for display, and running events and athletes are undoubtedly the best communication medium for product power. Abroad, the six major marathons are the focus of the wrestling of various sports brands. Among the top three men's and women's running shoes in the six major events in 2023, Adidas' running shoes have been on the list 13 times, second only to Nike's 16 times.
Domestically, Adidas also sponsored the Shanghai International Half Marathon, Beijing Marathon, Guangzhou Marathon and other events, among which the number of applicants for the Shanghai International Half Marathon exceeded the sum of the previous two sessions, reaching 78,922.
Björn Gulden, the global CEO of Adidas, who took office this year, publicly emphasized during his first visit to China that the Chinese market is an important strategic market for Adidas, and it will continue to do a good job in brand localization. In these domestic marathons sponsored by Adidas, the localization of the brand has been concretely reflected.
For example, in the Shanghai International Half Marathon, the Adizero Boston 11 launched a customized Shanghai city color scheme derived from the "spring shoots".
In addition to improving the brand, Johnny also said that it is more important to cultivate more consumers and convey healthy, correct running concepts and lifestyle Xi to the public.
This year, adidas joined hands with the China Athletics Street Tour to hold street competitions including events and performances in major city business districts. Compared with traditional sports events, this zero-distance street tour incorporates a lot of DJ performances and other trendy elements, and the audience is more involved, and the format of the event is more enjoyable.
In addition, adidas has public welfare run bases in major cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chengdu, where running enthusiasts can exercise and rest. The cura adidas China University Road Running League is a road running event for college students, which also includes training courses.
Whether it is a large-scale marathon with tens of thousands of people, or a meeting of two or three friends to run the base, these measures have not only helped adidas cultivate batches of young users, but also helped it expand the running market in China little by little, enriching the entire running sports ecology.
What is ingenuity?
At the Running Summit, the phrase "just a group of people who are obsessed with running and want to make running more fascinating" was repeatedly mentioned, and behind it is Adidas's ingenuity for products.
The entrance of the product exhibition area is not a product of Adidas, but the story of the founder of the brand: Adolf Adi Dasler is known as a "sports maniac", and he has been exercising all year round, and he has found that why different sports have different clothes, equipment, and venues, but the shoes on his feet are the sameBased on this, Adidas began to design running shoes in a targeted manner. In order to make good running shoes, Adolf Adi Dassler also came to the stadium to communicate with the athletes, and even directly participated in the track and field competition himself in order to make the most suitable products.
This paranoia about products and respect for consumers has become one of the genes of the Adidas brand. Mr. Renji Mimura, the founder of the Adizero Takumi series, once said that the last 10% of a pair of running shoes is polished in the first two years before they are released, and this 10% must be adjusted 14-15 times before it can be safely handed over to runners. Nowadays, with the advancement of 3D technology, the improvement of efficiency allows products to undergo more polishing and iterations, and the lightest running shoe in the history of Adidas is a concrete embodiment of this process.
The flip side of ingenuity is not being satisfied with the present.
Johnny specifically mentioned in the interview that although consumers may not have paid enough attention to Adi track and field shoes before, track and field will be an important part of Adi's running field in the past two years. Like the two athletes who shared at the summit, Wu Yanni and Shi Yuhao, both track and field athletes, the Adizero Takumi series, which focuses on medium and short running, will also usher in new products next year.
In the face of the sudden emergence of niche outdoor running shoes such as Ang Run and Salomon, Johnny believes that Adidas will always anchor professional running, and based on this, if consumers have enough demand for such products, Adidas will also launch products in these more subdivided vertical running fields.
2023 is coming to an end, the new year is approaching, we can't say the future of adidas running shoes, but at least in terms of technical strength, community ecology or brand concept, it shows people the belief of "running".