Tis the season for new running shoe news! Shortly after Asics announced the upcoming Gel-Nimbus 26 and Nike's bumper release of three new running shoes, it's now Adidas' turn to shake things up with the overhauled Supernova franchise. Built on a new last, the updated Supernova features a fully redesigned upper, the Dreamstrike+ midsole and Adidas' Support Rod System.
The new shoes come in both women's and men's versions, although, as expected from the Supernova, they are geared towards women. Adidas claims that throughout the development process, the Product and Design teams 'tapped into' research conducted by adidas with 1,300 female runners. Said research revealed comfort as one of the most important criteria for everyday runners when selecting a running shoe.
To address this, Adidas created the Dreamstrike+ foam, inspired by Lightstrike Pro, the midsole material widely used in Adizero shoes. But while the Lightstrike Pro is 100% racing-oriented and focuses on responsiveness, the updated formula used in the Dreamstrike+ is said to offer 'unparalleled' comfort and cushioning.
Of the three new Supernova shoes, the Dreamstrike+ foam forms the entirety of the midsole on Supernova Ride and Supernova Solution, whilst on the Supernova Stride model, it is positioned in the forefoot region alongside an EVA compound midsole.
In the Ride and Solution models, the Dreamstrike+ midsole is complemented by a Support Rod System (SRS). From what we can tell, the SRS aims to provide support instead of propulsion like Adidas' Energy Rod system.
The Support Rod System in Supernova Solution slightly differs from that featured in the Supernova Rise, with the two middle rods splinted together to offer additional support.
Other key product features include a Comfort Heel Fit, which uses a combination of cushioning foam and soft textiles and an engineered sandwich mesh upper.
The Adidas Supernova Rise's initial colourway features a Black and Aurora base with Semi-Green Spark detailing. It's priced at $140/ £130/ AU$220 and is available to buy from today at Adidas US, Adidas UK and Adidas AU 1 December 2023. The Supernova Solution and Supernova Stride will be introduced starting from 22 February 2024.
