The first thing you notice is how light and comfortable it is. For a carbon race shoe, it fits well and immediately feels like it belongs on your foot. The midsole is markedly softer than the Pro Evo 2 with a fun, springy, bouncy energy to it. The curved rocker is the same as the last-gen Pro Evo 2. It rolls you quickly onto your forefoot, driving a fast foot turnover and a lively toe off. It’s all very smooth, light, and propulsive.

The higher levels of softness really come through. Fans of a stiffer, snappier ride (like you’d get from an Asics Metaspeed Edge or Sky Tokyo) might not love that sensation. But there’s a really good balance of cushioning and protection under the forefoot, with all the fun and punchy response you expect from a top-tier carbon race shoe.

I found it worked best, as Heidmann describes, when I was moving at faster paces with locked-in form, landing mid-to-forefoot with real intent. But I was surprised by how accommodating it felt at slower paces, too. The energy rim lets you have some control over that high-compression midsole foam. It’s hard to say after I ran for just 40 minutes on a treadmill, but for such a lightweight shoe, my instinct says the Pro Evo 3 should be surprisingly protective even if the wheels were to come off at mile 20 of a marathon.

Up top, the Pro Evo 3 has a highly minimal, stripped-back engineered mesh upper, with the thinnest tongue I’ve ever seen and scarcely-padded heel collar and minimal heel counter. Those uppers take some inspiration from kite-surfing materials and are noticeably more pliable than the uppers of the Pro Evo 2. That creates a feeling that’s roomy, airy, and flexible, with good freedom for your toes to flex. These shoes disappear on your foot for a really great barely-there feel. I only got to run in straight lines, but I’m not convinced they’ll offer enough support around tight turns.

Should You Start Saving?

When Adidas first launched the Pro Evo race shoes, I was one of the first to do a double take at the price tag. It’s a lot of money for any shoe. Unlike previous versions of the Pro Evo that didn’t wow me, the Pro Evo 3 feels genuinely pace-setting. However, I’m still not convinced that 99 percent of runners really need a $500 shoe.

Take it from this 66-time marathon finisher: PRs can tumble just as easily in much more affordable shoes. They don’t even have to be carbon-plate shoes. It’s not just the size of the investment that should give most of us pause. The Adidas Pro Evo 3 is built with a specific runner in mind: fast forefoot strikers who can run light and hold their form. That’s definitely not everyone.

If you fit that profile and you’ve got the pace and disposable dollars, go for it. The Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 feels like the real deal. That’s if you can get ahold of a pair. Only a few are going on sale in a very limited first run, with more landing in the fall.