Adidas Supernova Stride Review: Basics on a Budget

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Adidas Supernova Stride

RYAN: I like Adidas running shoes. In fact, the Takumi Sen 8 carried me through my first crack at Baltimore’s Charles Street 12-Miler. The Adios Pro 3 was my weapon of choice for my first marathon in Richmond a few years back, too. However, I’ve never really given the brand with the three stripes its fair shake when it comes to daily training. We were quick to point out the issues with the last few Boston models before Adidas righted the ship with the Boston 12, and I just never felt like Boost was my foam of choice for anything beyond casual wear at the grocery store. Then, the Supernova Stride showed up at my door.

This is also where I should mention that I do, in fact, like surprises. Not jump scare surprises, but fun surprises — like a pair of running shoes showing up unexpectedly. That’s exactly what happened with the Supernova Stride to the point where I reached out to Robbe to ask if we knew anything about the shoe. As it turns out, there wasn’t a big secret surrounding its launch, my review pair arrived after the budget-friendly trainer had already gone on sale.

The good news, however, is that made it much, much easier to find technical specs for the shoe. As Robbe’s assistant editor, I often spend a good chunk of time digging around for things like heel-toe drop, midsole foam, and upper material, but I didn’t have to do that this time. Instead, I headed right to Adidas for a full rundown.

Essentially, the Stride is the new gateway drug for Adidas’ Supernova family. It’s the simplest, most affordable option for jumping into the three stripes. That means the Supernova Stride skips the premium fare like Continental outsoles and Lightstrike Pro midsoles, and don’t even think about a strung upper. Instead, it rides on a bed of EVA foam with a small pad of Dreamstrike Plus (which is really just a modified version of Lightstrike, anyway) in the forefoot. In-house Adiwear rubber takes care of the traction, too. But the other side to that simplicity is that the Supernova Stride only costs a Benjamin and a Hamilton, so what do you say? Shall we take a look at life from the cheap seats?

What we like about the Adidas Supernova Stride

RYAN: Let’s start with the looks because that’s usually an easy way for Adidas to win some points. I like the overall look of the Supernova Stride. The mix of blue hues is easy to wear both casually and on the run, even if it’s not a stand-out, exciting colorway. The only real pop of color comes in the form of a yellow Adidas logo on the heel and tongue, and that’s just fine by me. I’ll admit I probably wouldn’t reach for this one if I wanted to impress someone at a local running club, but I don’t think I’d be trying to hide it from the world, either. And honestly, that’s probably what you want from a beginner running shoe — something that neither blends in nor stands out.

The other thing you probably want as you set off on your running journey is padding and lots of it. Well, guess what the Supernova Stride has a metric butt-ton of? Yep, padding. The heel could probably stop a bullet, and the big, old, engineered mesh pillow wraps all the way around to the tongue. It’s more padding than I personally need, but it’s definitely the type of cush that could help while you get used to a comfortable running stride. The rest of the Stride’s mesh upper is pretty nondescript, with an even weave right down to the toe. I’d hazard a guess that it might be on the warm side if you wear it during the summer, but I didn’t really have an issue with it in the mid-40s here in Baltimore.

Moving down, the main thing you’ll notice underfoot is the beefy bed of EVA foam. It’s large, in charge, and here to stay. I wouldn’t call it fancy — it’s just there to protect the pad of Dreamstrike Plus — but it offers a pretty reliable ride with a beginner-friendly 10 mm drop (or 9 mm in the women’s version, don’t ask me why there’s a difference). I would expect the basic, dense cushion to keep up with you long after you’ve graduated to another more expensive pair of running shoes, which is great news for when the Stride takes over on lawn-mowing duty.

Also, while the lack of Continental rubber is disappointing but not surprising, Adiwear seems to be doing the job just fine. It offers almost full coverage, with careful cutouts under your arch and between your toes where you’re less desperate for traction. I’ve yet to test the compound on the slippery boards of the promenade in the rain, but it’s handling dry corners and unexpected children running across my path just fine.

Oh, and don’t forget that this shoe costs just $110. I don’t care who you are; that’s a running shoe bargain at full price. We’re used to seeing daily trainers demand $150 or more, so it’s good to see Adidas at least attempt a budget offering, even if it has to skip on some of the brand’s mainstay technologies.

What we don’t like about the Adidas Supernova Stride

RYAN: While the basics of the Supernova Stride seem good enough — especially for the money — it’s still got a few quirks worth pointing out. The first is that there’s something absolutely wonky going on in the heel. I’ve heard of a heel-toe drop, sure, but this shoe feels like it has a medial-lateral drop, too. It’s an altogether weird sensation, and the upward slant on the back of the heel certainly doesn’t help. If the Supernova Stride were a stability shoe I might be able to understand it a bit better, but that’s the Supernova Solution’s job instead. Ultimately, the shape of the midsole makes it feel like you’re landing on your medial heel before being forced outward, which is a very, very weird experience.

While we’re on the topic of midsoles, I can’t say I understand the decision to put just a little bit of Dreamstrike Plus in the forefoot. It’s supposedly there for a supportive push-off and maximum comfort, but I didn’t really notice it among the mountain of EVA. The EVA itself is fine — most formulas usually are — but it certainly muffles the enjoyment of the updated PEBA insert.

Also, it’s a good thing that Adidas went overboard on the padding for this one cause you’re gonna need the extra lace holes. That’s not a problem in itself, but the positioning of the top two eyelets makes life a bit trickier. They’re pretty far back on the top of your foot, to the point where I didn’t notice them at first. However, I quickly found that I needed them because the weight of the shoe sits just far enough back that I didn’t feel super confident in lacing the shoe up as normal. The laces are plenty long enough that I wasn’t grasping at threads, but man, I don’t know if I like laces this far up my foot.

Finally, the Supernova Stride runs a half-size long. It’s an Adidas shoe, so this is no surprise, but it bears repeating time and time again. There’s enough padding everywhere else that you should be able to achieve a decent lockdown, but you’re gonna have extra room in your toes unless you size down.

Final thoughts on the Adidas Supernova Stride

RYAN: At the end of the day, I can admit that the Supernova Stride surprised me. I was ready to dismiss the budget shoe as pretty much a waste of money, but it has at least a bit more to offer than that. If you’re a seasoned runner, it’s still probably one to skip, but it’s definitely an option for the newer runner. The reason I say that is beginners tend to prefer a slightly steeper drop and a bit more padding in the upper, both of which the Supernova Stride has. At the same time, it’s a little light on excitement, and the unusual heel structure might throw off runners who are already set in their ways.

Of course, this isn’t your only option if you want a running shoe on a budget. You might also want to take a look at Reebok’s Floatride Energy 5, which comes in at the same price with a leaner upper, full bed of Floatride Energy foam, and a more flexible 8 mm drop. Brooks’ Launch 10 could work, too, with a similar drop, a more breathable upper, and a sale price that comes in just below $100. But hey, all that really matters is you’re getting out there to give running a shot.

You can pick up the Adidas Supernova Stride for $110 at Adidas using the buttons below.