Adidas Swift Run

Editor rating: 9.5 / 10

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By NicoleK

Adidas Swift Run Review Facts

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Fashion is cyclical, meaning that all treads eventually repeat themselves. In running shoes, they started narrow and bare-bones essentially (without all the support, cushioning and stability that they offer today. They were quite narrow in design. They were closer in appearance to tennis shoes offering very little structure or support and being quite thin with no overlays or shock absorption. As they evolved, they started to become more specific to the sport being played. Rather than a general shoe, there became lines of shoes with specific features to enhance the sport being played. This required more features and therefore parts of the shoes which made the shoes a little bigger, bulkier and wider. As with all technology, producers have started to try to make athletic shoes smaller, sleeker and more compact. New materials are being created in order to provide a lighter feel with better support without adding too much bulk to the shoe. Today's running shoe is thinner, lighter, more supportive and offers higher impact reduction. More fashionable lines, that offer a more minimalist shoe, like Adidas and Nike, have taken all the features of the modern day runner and attempted to put them into the earlier design of the running shoe. This is creating a more fashion-forward design without compromising on the athletic assistance that the bulkier, more decked-out model offers.

This article specifically focuses on the very attractive in design shoe, the Adidas Swift Run. Adidas is a company that has been around for almost 70 years. They are a household name, offering a more fashionable alternative to athletic attire. One would be hard pressed to go into a household and not find at least one piece of Adidas gear. They are the second largest retailer of running shoes in the world (second to Nike) and employ over 56 K employees. Adidas has become a fashion icon, offering a clothing range that ranges for quite inexpensive to very expensive and can be seen on anyone from the everyday walkers to models and celebrities. The Adidas symbol is the classic three stripes escalating in length with the 'adidas' with a lower case 'a' beneath it. We are looking specifically at the Adidas Swift Run, which is a more retro looking shoe, with the thicker heel and more narrow toe. They are quite attractive in design and are supposed to also double as an athletic runner. We looked at reviews made by people who bought the shoe to see what they had to say about the shoe as well as looked at the materials used to make the shoe, the shoe construction, and durability in order to create a comprehensive review on this product. Here is our review of the Adidas Swift Run. We hope that it helps you with your next running shoe purchase.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Attractive design
Inexpensive
Made well (good quality materials)
Comfortable
Breathable

Cons

Narrow design (may require sizing up)
Weak eyelets

BREATHABILITY

The upper on this product is made of a woven material which would offer more breathability due to the spaces in between the 'stitches'. The women material completely covers the foot from upper to heel to toe which would offer better ventilation throughout the entire foot. The insole of this product is the classic (to Adidas) OrthoLite insole which is commonly found in Addidas products. The liner offers a high level of breathability as well because it is made of open-cell PU foam which makes it between 95-100% breathable according to the ortholite website. This would help keep the air flowing throughout the shoe in order to offer a cooler environment for the foot with each step. Between the ventilation of the woven upper and the ortholite liner, this shoe keeps feet feeling cool and dry. Those who wore this shoe confirmed that their feet felt cool without excess moisture build up. The sock liner is also washable in order to provide an even cleaner insole. Overall, this shoe is breathable and lightweight. Though it may not be a shoe that should be used for more intensive training (like marathons, this is discussed later in the article), the shoe has a high level of breathability and may be ideal for those with existing foot odor issues.

COMFORT

This product is more unique in that it has a woven top. The woven top would give the product a more sock-like feel while hugging tighter to the foot. The shoe lacks the supports typically provided by the overlays but there doesn't seem to be too many complaints about this. Though, the shoe is labeled as being a 'light runner' meaning it shouldn't really be used for more intensive training like marathon training, but rather as a light running shoe or workout alternative. The shoe has a molded EVA midsole which would offer the traditional support offered by comparative products and is incredibly lightweight in appearance. One complaint, which is common with this more retro/now modern (due to cyclical fashion trends) is that the shoe does fit quite narrow, especially at the toes. This would mean that the individual wearing the shoe would need to size up by half a size in order to find a proper fit. Despite fitting quite narrow those who wore and reviewed this shoe said that the shoe was very comfortable, supportive and lightweight which is exactly what you want to hear when purchasing a running shoe, so that's a plus.

DURABILITY

These shoes look quite high quality. They seem to be constructed fairly well, despite the upper being woven (which seems like they should fall apart easier). Some reviewers said that they threw these shoes in the washing machine as well as the drying machine (the latter is not recommended due to warping that can occur) and the shoes came out like brand new making them quite easy to wash. One issue is the loops/eyelets that hold the laces break easily. This, of course, is a huge issue as this would prevent the runner from being able to properly tie the shoe and therefore hurt the overall integrity of the product. This is a fairly common complaint about the shoe however with some of this type of product there are complaints that the glue that holds together the upper and the outsole breaks down relatively easy and luckily, that was not the case with this shoe. Those who wore this shoe found that outside of the eyelets breaking down, the shoe is made of high-quality materials and is constructed well. One thing to consider, when buying this shoe, is to be careful with the laces. As the upper on this shoe is not made of rubber or plastics, tieing the shoe up too aggressively may result in broken eyelets. This is something that should be considered before buying this shoe.

UPPER

The upper on this product is made of a knit material with embroidery on the camp and heel which gives it a cozier and stylish appearance. The tongue is a woven trefoil logo tongue and gives the shoe a more sock-like feel and construction. Those who wore this shoe said that the shoe looks extremely high quality, especially at this price. The woven material on the top of the shoe is well-constructed and looks quite attractive. It also helps keep the material closer to the foot which gives the shoe a more natural feel. One disadvantage of the woven top is that the top is quite flimsy, making the shoe hard to slip on or off (requires more manual maneuvering of the hands rather than the toe to heel slip off technique). The shoe also lacks the side support that traditional runners have with more secure overlays. Overall, though, those who wore this shoe praised the sock-like construction and feel of the woven upper and found the shoe to still be quite breathable considering. It is also a more fashionable option with cleaner edges in order to give the shoe a more clean but cozy appearance.

INSOLE

The insole of this product is part of the textile lining that comes with Adidas runners. The OrthoLight sockliner is common in Adidas runners and offers long-term cushioning and is supposed to offer a better level of breathability to the shoe. It also offers moisture management which would help provide a cooler and drier alternative to non-ortho liners. Keeping feet cool and dry is beneficial (as mentioned above) because this not only is more comfortable for the runner but also helps prevent skin injuries to the foot. The sock liner is also lightweight meaning that it provides good cushioning to the foot without weighing the shoe down. Finally, the sock liner is washable which helps with hygiene and is particularly helpful for those with existing foot odor issues. Those who wore this shoe loved the sock-line feel to the shoe. They also liked the level of support that the hell, arch, and ball of the foot had despite the narrow toe to the shoe. They felt cushioned and supported during their runs and felt that the shoe lasted longer than other runners they've purchased in a similar price point in the past which is really positive.

MIDSOLE

The midsole of this product is made of an injection-molded EVA which is very common in running shoes due to EVA's lightweight and supportive qualities. Injection molded EVA surrounds the foot better and offers more control over the foot when stepping down. This would also make each step feel more natural. EVA is also quite lightweight which s beneficial as the majority of the weight with shoes come from the midsole and outsole of the product. This shoe offers the same support that a traditional runner offers while also being lightweight. Those who wore this shoe said that they felt both supported and cushioned during their runs. However, because the shoe doesn't offer the same support that a traditional runner with overlays does, this shoe isn't as good for more serious training like marathons. The shoes also run a little more narrow which would require the individual wearing them to size up (potentially). Otherwise, there were very little issues with the heel, arch or ball support that they got from these shoes which is positive.

OUTSOLE

The outsole of this product is made of rubber which would add a level of impact reduction and durability to the shoe. The rubber outsole is wider in design and offers more surface area and therefore better traction. Those who wore this shoe praised the shoe's stability despite the lack of overlays. They liked the wider outsole for this. Those who wore this shoe said that the outsole stayed intact with the upper despite the upper being made of a woven material and said that the shoe lasted longer than their expiry date (500 miles typically) which is positive. The outsole is also lightweight which, again, is beneficial because the outsole and midsole tend to be the areas that weight the shoe down. A lighter shoe causes less stress and energy requirement on the legs and would delay foot and leg fatigue. This is ideal for those who are looking for a shoe that aids in an athletes level of endurance. Overall, the outsole on this shoe does the job well considering the lack of support from overlays.

TRACTION

The traction on these runners is enhanced by the width of the outsole, described above. There isn't much information on the Adidas website about the traction of the shoe outside of the wider outsole. Those who wore this shoe, however, did find that the shoe's traction was very good until on slippery surfaces where they found that they did not grip very well. As mentioned previously, these are everyday runners. They are meant for short runs and working out, less so for training. And if used in areas where ice might be present (or any slippery surface) the fact that they don't hold up well on those surfaces should be considered before purchasing.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line is that this is an incredibly stylish shoe that offers a woven top to give the shoe a polished but comfortable appearance. They are also narrow and sleek which adds to the stylish design, however, does make the shoe feel more narrow and may require the buyer to size up. The shoes are very supportive, despite the lack of overlays. The primary complaint about this product is that the eyelets of the shoes do break fairly easily and should be taken care of when lacing up the shoe. The top is also flimsy (but durable) so putting the shoe on and taking it off isn't as easy as the heel-to-toe method (and may require a shoe horn). The ortholite liner offers better cushioning and breathability than standard insoles and the sock-like feel of the shoe is both comfortable and gives the foot a more natural and controlled step. On top of all this, the shoe is pretty inexpensively priced which makes this purchase much easier. Overall, this is a good shoe with positive reviews and is great for those on a budget.