Adidas Adidas Supernova Rise Introduction
The last excellent Adidas daily trainer that I used was the Supernova Glide 8 back in 2016. This workhorse was tough as nails and excelled in versatility. I used this trainer for literally everything and put over 1000 kilometres on it.
Over the years that followed, the Supernova didn’t innovate and it couldn’t keep up with the competition. The Boost in its midsole was just too heavy and it didn’t provide an energetic or bouncy ride while Lightstrike was a very firm, unresponsive foam. Boost has been a staple in the Adidas performance range for years and they even used Boost in their first carbon-plated super shoe, the Adizero Pro.
Light Boost is a new foam which is now being used in the latest Ultraboost version, the Ultraboost Light and although it’s lighter than the old Boost, it’s still too firm and not very energetic. It doesn’t feel like an improvement over Boost.
This year, we finally get a Supernova which doesn’t have Boost in its midsole.
Dreamtsrike+ is a new foam which Adidas claims is PEBA-based and very few brands offer trainers which have PEBA based midsoles- PEBA is normally used in racing shoes.
The Invincible Run, Endorphin Speed and the Kiprun KD900 are examples of training shoes which have PEBA.
The Supernova Rise weighs 9.8 oz (277 g) which is acceptable for a daily trainer. It’s 1.6 oz (45 g) less than the Solarglide 6, Adidas’ other neutral, mid-range daily trainer.
It costs $140, an average price for a mid-range daily trainer these days.
Adidas Adidas Supernova Rise First Impressions
My first run was a really slow recovery run, above 6 minutes per kilometre (9:40 per mile). My first thought was that the ride was firmer than I expected but it was still softer than the Novablast 4. I really enjoyed the mild forefoot rocker which assisted transitions and the smooth ride.
It felt comfortable at slow paces but it also felt like it could increase the pace if I needed to go faster. The support rods at the bottom of the shoe were not noticeable and it felt really stable.
I wore medium thickness socks and the upper felt a bit too snug, especially in the forefoot and I regretted not going up a half size. Adidas typically runs very narrow and they don’t often offer wide versions.
The shoe that it reminded me of was the Saucony Ride 17 but the Supernova Rise felt lower to the ground with softer landings. Both trainers felt like they could cover a variety of paces.
Adidas Adidas Supernova Rise Upper
The Supernova Rise’s upper prioritises comfort over weight saving. It uses sandwich mesh which is soft to the touch but doesn’t have great breathability. It has good foot lockdown and everything is comfortable except for the narrowness in the front.
I went true to size but if I could buy it again, I would buy a half size bigger because of the narrow forefoot and toe-box. I have narrow feet so this is definitely not an option for runners with wide feet.
The tongue of the Supernova Rise is generously padded and not gusseted, however it has a loop on its tongue for the laces to go through so there is no tongue slide. The collar is also padded so comfort around the foot is excellent.
Adidas Adidas Supernova Rise Sole Unit
The Supernova Rise is another great do-it-all trainer. At slow paces, it feels average but when you pick up the speed to steady paces or faster, it begins to shine.
It makes steady-paced runs feel effortless and that’s the pace that it feels most comfortable at, 4:45-5:30 minutes per km (7:40-8:52 minutes per mile).
In terms of ride softness, it has a medium ride. It’s not as soft as the Cumulus 25 or New Balance 1080v13 but it’s softer than the Novablast 4, Ghost 15 and Ghost Max.
Dreamstrike+ provides some energy return and it’s an improvement over Boost and Ligtstrike, however I would have liked the Supernova Rise midsole to be slightly softer. Dreamstrike+ doesn’t compress that much when it’s loaded and it feels rather dense; it doesn’t really feel like the PEBA in racing shoes.
The Supernova Rise has a very unique setup. Instead of having hard carbon or fibreglass rods, it has soft, flexible foam rods to provide structure and stability. This replaces the outdated Torsion/LEP system that Adidas has always used in the trainers. The result is a much more natural, smoother ride.
What I like most about the Supernova Rise is its mild rocker which gives you a slight forward tipping sensation. The rocker is aided by the rods which stiffen up the forefoot. The rocker helps you work a little less during both easy and uptempo runs.
I did a 35 kilometre long run in the Supernova Rise and it wasn’t the most engaging long run I’ve ever done but it was comfortable throughout and my legs felt great afterwards.
Stability is really good and even though it’s a 36/26 mm stack height, it feels much lower than that. I had no issues with instability and could even increase my pace, accelerating into corners.
Underneath the insole, there are 2 large holes in the strobel lining: 1 at the heel and 1 at the forefoot. This feature is unique to Adidas and they’ve been doing it for years. It increases the softness under the heel and the ball of the foot because it gives you direct access to the Dreamstrike+ foam.
This is one of the first premium Adidas trainers to not feature Continental rubber on its outsole and I can’t say that I missed it.
Durability has been good so far and traction has been acceptable. I used it just after it had rained and I didn’t have any traction problems.
Adidas Adidas Supernova Rise Conclusions
The Supernova Rise is the best Adidas trainer in years and it could easily be the one shoe that I use for all my training.
I’m going to keep it in my rotation for zone 2 & 3 runs. For a first generation shoe, it feels really polished and its only weaknesses is its snug forefoot- I would go up a half size.
I would prefer a little bit more stack height in the heel and the forefoot with a bit more bounce but there’s a maximalist version coming out next year.
I think Adidas did a great job reimagining the Supernova and modernising it. It no longer feels like a firm brick like the Supernova trainers of recent years and I look forward to running in the Rise.
Compared to other daily trainers in the same price bracket, the Supernova Rise outperforms most of them.
The Novablast 4 is the same price but the Rise is softer, more versatile, more efficient and more fun to use. It also has a bit more range when it comes to speed compared to the Ghost 15, Cumulus 25 and Pegasus 40.
