Exclusive Alert: Adidas’s Latest Emerging Sneaker Phenomenon

The old Adidas adizero – a sneaker that made history back in 2008. Specifically, this shoe was worn by Haile Gebrselassie, the Ethiopian distance runner, to become the first man to break the 2:04 marathon barrier at the Berlin Marathon. You know, before it became, well, routine. Now, British designer Grace Wales Bonner is set to reissue these iconic kicks.

For the uninitiated, Gebrselassie’s feat was a big deal. I mean, shaving almost 30 seconds off his own record? Huge. And to think he only tested these shoes once – by running up and down his hotel corridor the night before the race! That’s confidence. He laced up a yellow-and-black prototype version called the Adios Neftegna and took to the course the next morning. Boom.

Of course, this milestone came at a time when Gebrselassie’s record was actually considered record-breaking. Fast-forward 16 years, and sub-2:04 marathons have become rather ordinary, thanks to an increasing number of elite athletes dominating the distance. Today’s world record holder has run faster by multiple minutes, which puts things into perspective. Still, this Adidas Adizero represents an impressive achievement, especially considering Gebrselassie only tested the shoe once.

According to Adidas lore, Gebrselassie’s hotel room trial was the only test the Adizero Adios Neftegna received before the Berlin Marathon. Guess it worked out okay in the end! The shoe went on to claim over 150 running victories, starting with Gebrselassie’s own impressive win. Not bad for a pair that basically wrote their own script.

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