Adidas has just unveiled the Dropset 4, its latest functional training shoe that’s trying to solve a very real gym problem - that most of us are wearing the wrong footwear for the job.
As part of its launch campaign, Adidas is claiming 7 in 10 gym-goers train in incorrect shoes, and to be fair, I see it all the time, people squatting in soft, marshmallowy runners and wondering why they feel wobbly.
T3’s review of the shoes' predecessor, the Dropset 3, earned the trainers a Platinum Award for exactly the opposite reason. It was absurdly stable - so grippy, that Active editor Matt Kollat joked it made his garage floor feel like Super Glue, making it a brilliant option for big lifts. The trade-off, however, was versatility - it was a strength-first shoe, not something you’d pick for hybrid workouts.
That’s where the all-new Dropset 4 comes in, with a massive focus on “runnability” - a not-so-subtle nod to the Hyrox-style training hype we're seeing right now. To add to this, Adidas claims its new shoe can take you from heavy deadlifts to box jumps and even short sprints (up to 800m) without feeling like you’re clomping around in clogs.
Built for hybrids
Adidas says the Dropset 4 mixes what the range is known for - controlled stability - with a bit more pop and versatility, which is what a lot of functional training looks like these days.
Underfoot, it uses the brand's Repetitor foam along the entire length of the trainer, which is designed to keep things stable while giving you consistent energy return when you’re moving faster.
There are also Energyrods inside, which are meant to balance stiffness and flexibility, supporting the heel in heavy lifts while giving the forefoot a more propulsive feel for more high-impact moves like jumps and skipping.
On the outsole, adidas has blended Continental rubber with Adiwear in a bid to give the shoe more traction and durability during loaded moves like sled pushes and weighted lunges.
The Footadapt sockliner is there, too, to improve “foot awareness” and balance, Adidas says - and the upper has a 3D haptic print layer to help with abrasion resistance while keeping your feet breathing so they don't turn into a sweaty swamp mid-session.
For the launch, adidas has gone all-out, backing the shoes with an ‘All You Need’ campaign that features a bunch of lifestyle influencers as well as competitive athlete Laura Horvath, who apparently wore the Dropset 4 to a major victory in Aberdeen in October last year.
The Dropset 4 functional training shoe goes on sale from today and can be bagged on Adidas' official store and selected retailers.
