Adidas Rocket Review

(Originally published January 21, 2011 goruniowa.com)

The Adidas Rocket doesn’t get much attention.   I haven’t seen many reviews of it.  I’ve never seen anyone running in it.  I haven’t seen it sold in running stores.  I haven’t seen much chatter in blog comments or no message boards about it.  So why did I end up with it?  It fit my criteria: it’s light, low, inexpensive, looks cool, and has real traction (and no drainage holes in the sole.)

The Rocket looks fast and it has a classic, simple look to it that is appealing.  To me it looks like an old school racing flat from long ago and the red laces are a nice touch that set it apart from others (a new colorway replaces the red with green and black).  It’s also low to the ground.  There’s not much cushioning there and according to the Running Warehouse folks, it’s only got a 6mm drop from heel to toe.  For someone who is still transitioning to minimalist shoes that’s about right… not too much and not too little.  I really do notice that traditional running shoes inhibit the mid- to fore-foot strike that has become my “natural” gait now, and these do not interfere with that (much).

My scale says that my size 12s weigh 8.3 oz.  That’s pretty good.  A high end cushioned trainer like the Brooks Glycerin can weigh over 14 oz in my size.  Having gotten used to the lightness of flats for everyday use I probably would have a hard time buying a shoe that weighed too much over 9 oz.

While I’d rather buy from a local store I bought these from Running Warehouse because they were on close out and I had an additional coupon.  With free shipping that meant I spent less than a c-note.  For someone who got a lot of shoes for free when working at a running store that price took the sting out of buying another pair.  Even without a coupon the folks at RW are selling the Rockets for $63.

Thankfully, I may not have to buy another pair for a while.  I’ve got almost 200 miles on mine and the tread is showing no visible signs of wear.  Since there isn’t really any cushioning to wear out, I’m hoping that there will be hundreds of miles of training left in them.  A college buddy has a pair and said that their durability was what made these standout in his mind.  I’ve been running in a lot of ice and snow this winter and my hunch that the traction would be decent has proven correct.  Relative to many other flats the traction has been superb.  The fact that there are no drainage holes through the sole has been very nice.  After a very cold turkey trot 5k in the Twin Cities in November I realized that the drainage holes in my old pair of Saucony A3s were a huge liability in the winter as it turns out slush travels upwards through them and cold, wet socks can put a damper on any run.  (Note to self: always wear wool socks in the winter if there's a chance of getting wet!)

The fit of these shoes is funny.  The fit seems much more minimalist than some other minimalist shoes in that there just isn’t much upper to fit my feet into; the volume of the midfoot is very small.  For someone with a wide foot or a very high instep these might not fit very well.  I find them to be moderately comfortable.  They don’t have that initial level of comfort that many shoes offer, but at the same they are still equally comfortable 15 miles into a run.

So what’s wrong with these?  My only real complaint is that they are stiff.  Compared to a flat like the Asics Piranha or the Saucony A4s they feel much less flexible.  As I become more and more accustomed to minimal footwear, that may become a bigger issue over time. For now though, the fact that I would strongly consider buying a second pair of these should demonstrate that they’re a decent shoe.