Adidas Supernova 2 Introduction
The Supernova 2 adidas markets as a daily running shoe that helps you run comfortably at easier less intense paces.
The Supernova gravitates away from the more elite competition oriented shoe that Adidas seems to have poured a bulk of its time and energy into and focuses more on the 80% of running that is done, or should be, at easier paces.
This updated version streamlines and cleans up the upper particularly the heel of the shoe helping to drop its weight a full ounce down to 9.8 oz.
The sole unit still features a blending of Boost and Bounce foams but has added more height to the forefoot bringing it up to 23mm with a overall drop of 9mm lower than 10mm in the first version.
Another added bonus is that this version is made with a lower carbon footprint of 10% meeting the ISO 1467 standard.
Adidas Supernova 2 First Impressions
Unboxing the shoe for the first time I found the blue color of the shoe striking and unlike anything currently on the market.
The upper of the shoe was very sleek, simple with clean lines. Placing the shoes on the first time I sadly found them 1/2 size small with my toes pressed against the end of the shoe. However, after sizing up the shoe fit nice and snug and locked in well.
There was not any real wow factor in my initial run in the shoe but the ride was consistent and the shoe felt nice and light on my feet which was a welcomed change from more recent offerings like the Solarglide which tend to be heavy and clunky.
Adidas Supernova 2 Upper
The eco-friendly upper is constructed with a recycled engineered mesh that is dense but breathes well thanks to generous ventilation slots.
Aside from the “3 Stripes” on both sides, there are no other overlays keeping the shoe very slender and suave.
The heel collar is low and semi-rigid with a molded bulge to bolster support. Heel lockdown is solid and the abundant padding kept things soft and comfortable on all of my outings.
The tongue is moderately padded, too narrow with no gusset which caused it to migrate laterally on both feet which was more of an annoyance versus a discomfort.
As I mentioned earlier the shoe fit a 1/2 size small and required sizing up, so most definitely try before you buy if possible.
Overall the upper is secure and comfortable with a generous toe box that can accommodate a variety of feet.
Adidas Supernova 2 Sole Unit
The midsole has a few updates but still continues to be a blend of Boost and Bounce foams. The rear landing of the shoe still contains a nice amount of Boost and has been extended to add stability. This continues to give the shoe lots of cushion where it needs to be with an energetic return making it well-suited for heel strikers.
Bounce foam rounds out the front of the shoe with 1mm added to hopefully soften the ride and improve energy return. Despite its name, I didn’t find the energy return I had hoped for but it was soft without being mushy.
I found the forefoot to perform its best at slower paces offering a softer ride. Despite the added height the forefoot to me feels too thin and bottomed out at the ball right at toe off making anything uptempo almost out of the question and has the potential to limit longer runs for some runners.
The outsole is a direct injected TPU surrounded by a narrow ring of rubber. This shift from the full resistant rubber of the first version still provides excellent grip and traction . The TPU is thin which keeps things flexible but is firmer than rubber but did not give the shoe a rigid or sharp ride. So far its not showing any substantial wear but durability has still yet to be determined.
Overall the ride is mellow and the blending of the foams is done well with a nice transition that allows both to compliment one another. If you hadn’t picked up on it yet the ride is not fast and lacks pop and energy but nicely cushioned making slower longer runs pleasurable a plus for newcomers still trying to find their stride.
Adidas Supernova 2 Conclusions
It’s great to see that Adidas has put together a trainer that isn’t elite and fast or heavy and clunky.
The Supernova falls squarely in the middle as a practical daily trainer that will meet the needs of many.
I think that moving forward it would be nice to see a bit more responsiveness up front to liven up the ride but not steer it so far that it becomes performance oriented and pricier.
Speaking about price at $100 the Supernova is an incredible value for what it has to offer, and one of the better $100 shoes I have run in a while.
As stated earlier the Supernova is a good choice for the newer or established runner with no goals in mind except logging long easy miles.
