30 days is here and as promised, here’s my full blown review of the adidas adistar Cushion 6 (adistarC6). Just a bit of recap here. The adistarC6 is categorized as a Serious Competition and Training shoe which was launched back in February 2007. It is the most technology rich shoe by adidas incorporating some of the well known adidas system such as adiPRENE and FORMOTION. And it comes in a design simple enough for people to like it. Just plain white with some dash of yellow and silverish grey.
The adidas adistar Cushion 6...
The adistarC6 is a cushioning shoe hence it is made for those who supinate (under pronate). Me being a mild pronator should in fact be wearing the motion control version. However, I managed to “transform” the shoe slightly to being a motion control shoe by changing the insoles as the factory version offered almost no support at all, something that didn’t suit me at all.
Positive
The adistarC6 is very comfortable. The noseam technology made my feet felt like I’m slipping into a socks rather than a shoe. It was smooth sailing for my feet in it as I felt no irritation caused by stitching. And to make things better, the ventilation is excellent. The shoe’s vamp is built like a string of nets and as I ran, I can feel breeze coming through it hence cooling both my feet. This will be great for runners with sweaty feet.
Front view of the shoe...
Here’s a look on the cushioning system. As with all other adidas shoes, the cushioning system used is the adiPRENE for the heel area and the adiPRENE + for the forefoot area. The theory used here is simple. The cushioning system is to absorb every impact runners experience when the feet hit the ground. And instead of bouncing, the adiPRENE enables the feet to stay on ground thus eliminating multiple impacts. However, the main highlight for this shoe is probably the FORMOTION technology used. As compared to other adidas shoes, the adistarC6 offers 2 FORMOTION plates to act as a suspension that moves around to adapt to the ground upon impact. Both the adiPRENE and FORMOTION worked hand in hand to provide the best cushioning system I felt since I started running a year ago.
The FORMOTION logo on the shoe's tongue...
During the past, adidas shoes were pretty narrow in fit. However today, adidas seems to have realized this problem. The width of their shoes has been improved, and the adistarC6 is one of them. There were sufficient space for my toes to move around and my forefoot felt no pain at all. This is a very important aspect as with every pounding the feet takes, it actually grows larger.
Key notes:
Excellent cushioning.
Excellent comfort and ventilation.
Laces are of sufficient length and are non-slip.
Shoe’s width has been improved.
Negative
Being a cushioning shoe and with lots of technology built into it, it is sure heavy. The weight is felt straight away upon slipping both feet into it. It felt very draggy especially when I reach the point of exhaustion. The heel cushioning is very thick too so it felt like that I’m floating a bit on air as I can hardly feel the ground. I personally feel that there isn’t a need for a second FORMOTION plate. It only served to make the shoe heavier. I have an adidas Supernova Cushion 6 and I felt that even on single FORMOTION plate, the cushioning system is already superior.
The thick sole at the heel area...
As with most other adidas shoes, the adiPRENE + used at the forefoot area is for impact absorption and also to provide a more dynamic toe-off. However, as I felt the shoe to be a bit stiff, as in not flexible enough, I couldn’t take advantage of it. With the heavy weight of the shoe and couple with this problem, I felt that I’m being slowed down with every step I make.
And here’s an issue with the shoe’s tongue. It kept moving to the side as I ran. And after 30 days of usage, I still find no solutions to it even though I have tried various lacing methods. It kept moving to the side and after running for a while, I felt really irritated by it. I tried tying the shoe lace tighter and although it did helped a bit, I couldn’t withstand the tightness caused. I didn’t encounter this problem with my other adidas shoes before and am not sure what the reason behind this is.
Key notes:
Weight of shoe is heavy.
Thick heel area.
Not flexible enough.
geoFiT did not “hug” the ankle enough
Shoe’s tongue moving sideways as I run.
Not suitable for runs more than 10KM.
The bottom-line is, I can only say that this shoe is very comfortable to wear suiting only for runs not more than 10KM. I think it should be re-categories as a training shoe instead, unless one has the leg strength to run with it for a longer distance.
Comfort: 8.5/10
Cushioning: 9/10
Design: 8/10
Flexibility: 6/10
Weight: 6.5/10
Overall: 7.6
For more information and pictures, do read some of my day to day feedback I had on the adistarC6 as I train with it for the last 30 days. Day 1, Day 2, Day 8, Day 16, Day 17, Day 23 and Day 28.
And finally before ending this report, I would like thank Krishnan and adidas Malaysia for the opportunity to participate in this shoe seeding program. THANK YOU.
1 comment:
thanks for this review- it is interesting that I had to find your review to get some solid information about this shoe. Adidas should get their company website together so that potential buyers might learn the difference between all of their shoes-- they have so many different neutral, cushioned trainers it is nearly impossible to tell them apart by their descriptions. So, thanks for posting this!
Ron in the US
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