One of the good things about running is that you can do it almost anywhere. But city-dwellers looking to run daily may not have access to an outdoor trail, which limits their options to either running on the road or on a treadmill at home or in the gym. While treadmill offers a slightly padded surface that can help people run a few extra kilometres, city roads make it hard to increase mileage. A good pair of running shoes could make a lot of difference for this group to run longer on city roads.
Adidas’ Switch Fwd seems to have what it takes to make people hit the road more often and stay a bit longer. The German shoemaker’s new line of running shoes mends its EVA foam past with Boost’s design. The soft EVA foam with the harder TPU plate gives a comfortably cushioned midsole for running on city roads. And the heel support, inspired by the Boost’s energy return technology, offers the much-needed push forward. To make the new combination work well, Adidas has intricately designed void in the soles that act like springs to push the runner forward.
With these running shoes, Adidas has unlocked a new product line that caters to runners and athletes across levels. The shoes provides support to the runner’s feet and helps them find the right running posture. While the pair I received looked big and tall, they were quite light and easy to wear, walk and run around.
Adidas Switch Fwd review
When I used these shoes for road running, the midsole cushioning worked perfectly well for me. But at times when I had to step aside on grass or sand, the pair was a bit bouncy. For those who may be getting started with running, and are heel strikers, the Adidas Switch Fwd could be a very good running posture corrector. (But mind you, it is upto the runner to be conscious of the posture as the shoe can only point you in the right direction.) The shoe’s overall design will assist runners into switching to a forefoot running position by making them strike the surface on the ball of their feet.
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While where the foot strikes the ground could vary for different people, running experts commonly agree that forefoot running reduces injuries. In fact, one Harvard study of cross-country runners concluded that runners who habitually rearfoot strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike.
Adidas Switch Fwd helps beginner runners find the right posture by designing these shoes in a way that provides a stable and cushioned transition through the forefoot and midfoot during the forward motion process. Keeping the road runner in mind, Adidas has completed these shoes with a lightweight Continental outsole. This gives more grip for even when training on wet roads. When I used these shoes for a run just after a heavy rain, I found it to be quite solid in terms of the feel on the road.
With this new cushion technology, Adidas has once again embraced the EVA technology, which it side-lined a decade ago when it launched the boost series. Developed by the German chemical maker Badische Anilin & Soda-Fabrik (BASF), the boost soles were superior to the EVA foam, and offered a bouncy and durable alternative.
Verdict
With the Switch Fwd series, Adidas has perfectly blended a cushiony midsole with a study rear support. The neatly-designed lightweight mesh upper provides good breathability from vents placed on the forefoot and midfoot area. To complement this overall design, the German shoemaker has carefully picked a primary white colour and added lemon-green accents to make the shoes look fresh and urban.
Adidas Switch FWD is priced at ₹13,999, and is available to purchase on adidas app, and in retail stores.
