Adidas Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 Introduction
I acquired plenty of offended feedback after my evaluate of the Takumi Sen 8 the place runners disagreed with me on my score of the shoe. I simply didn’t get together with it. It gave me blisters on my first 2 runs in it and I felt that it wasn’t as quick as different racers. I didn’t check the ninth model but it surely was simply an higher change.
As of late, I don’t see many runners standing on the beginning line of 5K and 10K native street races carrying the Takumi Sen or different brief distance racers such because the Streakfly, Cielo or SC Pacer, despite the fact that they’re much cheaper than long-distance tremendous footwear.
That’s as a result of lengthy distance racers supply extra velocity help as a result of their thicker midsoles and stiffer plates. Most runners (myself included) would reasonably race a 5 or 10K in a marathon tremendous shoe reasonably than a contemporary racing flat just like the Takumi.
So then why does the Takumi Sen exist? Adidas says in its product description that it’s a 10K racer constructed for velocity. It bears a hanging resemblance to the Adios Professional 3 but it surely has a thinner midsole. It measures 33 mm within the heel, 27 mm within the forefoot.
Some, extra environment friendly runners (who don’t need as a lot velocity help) want a lighter racer with extra floor really feel. That’s who the Takumi Sen is for. Over the previous 2 years, I didn’t use it for racing however I usually used it as a exercise shoe for intervals and hill sprints. I loved the truth that it was extra steady and extra versatile than a marathon tremendous shoe. It made me work tougher in my exercises which made me fitter for my races.
The Sen 10 has acquired some vital updates but it surely nonetheless rides much like the final 2 variations. It’s picked up a bit of little bit of weight but it surely has the identical stack heights and the identical value. It now weighs 200 g (7.1 oz), a rise of 19 g (0.7 oz) for a males’s UK 8.5.
Adidas Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 First Impressions
The Takumi Sen 8 was too slim for me so I opted for a half dimension larger within the Sen 10 and it felt way more snug however nonetheless very slim within the midfoot. I feel I might go up one other half dimension as a result of I’ve a flat arch and I can nonetheless really feel the medial aspect press into my arch.
My first run was a gradual paced 20 kilometre run with 4 x 1 km marathon tempo intervals on the finish of it. Through the regular paced part, the shoe felt common however in the course of the sooner intervals on the finish, that was when it got here alive. It was simple to extend my tempo and it felt much more enjoyable.
The primary distinction that I picked up was that the forefoot felt stiffer and extra snappy than the Sen 8. This resulted in a sooner journey on that first run. The higher additionally felt extra snug and I didn’t get any blisters.
The Takumi Sen 10 felt like a leaner, firmer model of the Boston 12. It didn’t remind me of the Adios Professional 3 as a result of the Adios Professional has a extra aggressive forefoot rocker with extra vitality return.
I used to be glad with the efficiency of the Sen 10 on that first run and it undoubtedly felt like a race day shoe.
Adidas Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 Higher
The Takumi Sen 10’s racing higher is light-weight, skinny and intensely breathable. Foot lockdown is nice however I expertise a outstanding arch sensation as a result of its slim midfoot so I’ve to put on thick socks in it for additional safety in opposition to blisters.
It has a skinny, non gusseted tongue which slides down throughout runs and pokes into the highest of my foot. This is identical challenge I had with the Adidas Boston 12 and each time I cease, I’ve to drag the tongue again up once more to eliminate the stress.
The match is true to dimension however you probably have flat toes, you would possibly contemplate going up a half dimension for the additional midfoot width. It has a standard forefoot with a really slim midfoot and heel. This racer is one which’s not appropriate for vast toes or delicate arches.
Adidas Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 Sole Unit
The most important and most necessary change is that the Takumi Sen 10 feels sooner than earlier variations. That is all all the way down to the up to date EnergyRods that are stiffer. Stiffer rods end in a snappier forefoot which returns again to its authentic place faster after it flexes.
I take pleasure in it way more than the Sen 8 for sooner efforts akin to intervals and brief tempo runs as a result of it’s snappier. It performs greatest at uptempo paces beneath 4:40 minutes per kilometre (7:30 per mile) though I nonetheless wouldn’t race in it since you don’t get the identical degree of velocity help as a marathon racer and it gained’t enable you to to maintain a quick turnover for lengthy durations.
There isn’t a extra plate within the heel of the midsole like within the final 2 variations which made the heel firmer than the forefoot. Now, the EnergyRods lengthen to the again of the shoe in a “pretzel” form which ends up in a extra constant, smoother journey.
There may be nonetheless a midfoot medial cutout within the midsole to avoid wasting weight and to show the fibreglass rods. This makes it a bit of bit unstable for runners who overpronate, though I don’t discover it too unstable after operating in tall footwear just like the Wave Revolt Professional.
The Takumi Sen 10 isn’t a very good future shoe as a result of how agency its midsole is and its lack of a forefoot rocker. The longest run I did in it was 22 kilometres and it did have sufficient cushioning but it surely didn’t really feel snug as a result of narrowness. Environment friendly runners used to a agency journey might simply race a half marathon in it however most runners will discover the agency journey too harsh for distances longer than 15 km.
You must also be warned that despite the fact that it makes use of Lightstrike Professional, Adidas’ premier racing foam, the journey nonetheless feels flat, therefore the identify racing flat. There isn’t as a lot bounce or vitality return as thicker stacked racers just like the Adios Professional and Prime X and it doesn’t have a rocker to hurry up transitions both.
On the outsole, there’s now extra rubber protection on the lateral aspect of the heel. On earlier variations, there was a spot between the rubber items on the outer lateral heel and this hole is the place I seen plenty of put on. On the Sen 10, there may be 1 lengthy strip of rubber on the lateral aspect which provides extra safety for heel strikers.
Thick Continental rubber protects the forefoot space whereas there may be skinny rubber on the midfoot and rearfoot. This tells us that this shoe is designed for forefoot strikers. The rubber on the heel and midfoot is kind of skinny so this shoe doesn’t have essentially the most sturdy outsole and needs to be saved for races or key exercises.
Adidas Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 Conclusions
The Takumi Sen 10 is a specialist instrument for superior runners. It’s for these environment friendly runners who desire a racer or exercise shoe with a extra pure journey than your common marathon tremendous shoe. It has a excessive degree of floor really feel and it makes you’re feeling like you’re accountable for the shoe however I really feel that these runners who put on the Sen 10 for races are at a drawback in opposition to the runners who select to put on marathon tremendous footwear.
Model 10 is an enchancment over its predecessor as a result of it feels sooner. Though it has picked up weight, the stiffer rods present extra velocity help and a extra aggressive journey. It additionally has a extra sturdy outsole with additional rubber on the heel. I’ll proceed utilizing the Takumi Sen for exercises, particularly hill sprints as a result of it really works rather well for brief, quick bursts.
In comparison with the opposite brief distance racers, the Takumi Sen 10 feels sooner than the Nike Streakfly and New Stability SuperComp Pacer however the Pacer has a extra snug higher and is appropriate for extra foot sorts.
Though it prices $70 lower than your common marathon tremendous shoe, I in all probability wouldn’t purchase it once more. I might reasonably pay extra to get a softer, extra cushioned racer which supplies extra velocity help that I can use for brief and lengthy distance races.
The Sen 10 solely works in a 3 shoe (or extra) rotation the place you have already got a day by day coach and a sturdy velocity coach, then you need to use the Sen 10 for races or key exercises. The very skinny outsole rubber on the heel part implies that it’s not very sturdy so you must put it aside for particular events.
