ActiveRunningAdidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 review: nimble as a swiftAdidas' short-distance racer is lightweight, fast, and whole lot of funWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feelReasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveRunningAdidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 review: nimble as a swiftAdidas' short-distance racer is lightweight, fast, and whole lot of funWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feelReasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoeWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Adidas' short-distance racer is lightweight, fast, and whole lot of fun
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feelReasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoe
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feelReasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoe
T3 VerdictThe Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.
T3 Verdict
The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a superb racer for shorter distances. Featuring a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system, the only downside of the shoes is the tight upper which might deter runners with wide feet.
Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feelReasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoe
Reasons to buy+Super lightweight construction+Propulsive, energetic ride+Excellent ground feel
Super lightweight construction
Propulsive, energetic ride
Excellent ground feel
Reasons to avoid-Tight upper-Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoe
Tight upper
Not quite the do-it-all kind of shoe
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsComparisonDesign and materialsPerformance and comfortVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsComparisonDesign and materialsPerformance and comfortVerdictAlso consider
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 deals
$195$127View$178.65View$179.95View
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$195$127View
$195$127View
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$127
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$178.65View
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Adidas' Adizero franchise has been going from strength to strength these past years, winning races left, right and centre. The company’s race-ready lineup includes the Takumi Sen franchise, now in its tenth iteration, explicitly designed for 5-10k races.
Admittedly, it’s a niche market compared to marathon runners, but considering the growing running population, it makes sense for Adidas to have a shoe like the Adizero Takumi Sen 10 in its roster.
As a speciality shoe, the Takumi Sen 10 really only makes sense if you have a running shoe rotation and need a fast pair for short distances or if you’re a runner who often participates in 5-10k races. It certainly isn’t a general-purpose running trainer.
Is it worth buying? Should we add the Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 to T3’sbest running shoesguide? Most importantly, is it good enough to add to your rotation? Let’s find out.
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 review
Price and availability
The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 was announced on 1 January 2024 and is available to buy now atAdidas US,Adidas UKandAdidas AUfor a recommended retail price of $180/ £170/ AU$ 270.
I find Adidas shoes slightly tighter than others (more on this below), so I went half a size up, which, in my case, is UK 10.5. Currently, the shoes are only available in a couple of colourways, including the tested Ivory / Core Black / Off-White and Green Spark / Aurora Met. / Lucid Lemon.
Specifications
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Comparison
Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell - Column 0Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10Nike ZoomX StreakflyHoka Cielo RoadWeight6.98oz/ 198 grams (M UK 8.5)6.52oz/ 185g (M UK 9)7.5oz/ 212.6g (M UK 9)Drop6 mm6 mm3mmStack height33 mm/ 27 mm32mm/ 26mm33mm/ 30mmPrice$180/ £170$160/ £145$160/ £150
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10Nike ZoomX StreakflyHoka Cielo RoadWeight6.98oz/ 198 grams (M UK 8.5)6.52oz/ 185g (M UK 9)7.5oz/ 212.6g (M UK 9)Drop6 mm6 mm3mmStack height33 mm/ 27 mm32mm/ 26mm33mm/ 30mmPrice$180/ £170$160/ £145$160/ £150
Design and materials
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a lightweight shoe that feels nimble on foot. It has a double layer of Lightstrike Pro foam for impact force reduction and energy return.
Adidas seems to be on a mission to confuse people about its foam technologies (not to mention carbon plates; more on this below). There are at least three distinct versions of Lighstrike currently in circulation (Lightstrike, Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro), and Adizero shoes use different combinations of these.
The Lightstrike Pro used here is the same foam as the one in theAdidas Adizero Adios Pro 3, and you also get a double serving of it here. However, the Adios Pro 3 is taller, and the construction isn’t the same, either. As a result, the Takumi Sen 10 is lighter than the Adios Pro 3, weighing in at 219g (7.7oz, men’s UK 10.5).
A new addition to the Takumi Sen franchise is the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system. Adidas' take on the propulsion plate concept has a long, strange history. Previous Takumi Sen models used a combination of a carbon plate in the heel and individual, separated carbon-infused rods in the forefoot, which was said to mirror the shape of the metatarsal bones in the feet.
The new setup is one continuous heel-toe lattice that looks less anatomical than the original. One feels like Adidas is taking the scenic route towards traditional carbon plates, joining the different rods more and more at each iteration. The system works, but the rods are certainly thicker than most carbon plates.
One thing to mention is that Adidas' ENERGYRODS 2.0 is made from partly recycled glass rather than carbon fibre. The brand says glass fibre is more flexible than carbon, which is crucial for “navigating tight corners of 5-10K road races” and “enduring the high impact” experienced from running fast on hard ground.
The synthetic mesh upper is made from 100% recycled polyester and looks exactly what you’d expect from an Adizero shoe. It’s practically see-through to reduce weight, reinforced in critical areas and features minimal padding around the ankles. The tongue has a soft-to-touch feel and is slightly padded, too, to relieve the pressure on the top of the foot.
Performance and comfort
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Running in the Takumi Sen 10 reminded me of theAdidas Adizero Adios 8(which uses a different Lighstrike foam setup, Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro) but with added propulsion, thanks to the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system.
It’s a peppy shoe that allows you to control your stride while giving you a push at every step. Corners are tight, and changing speeds is easy in the shoes, too.
I love the lightness of the Takumi Sen 10. Since it’s designed for shorter distances, the shoes shed a ton of unnecessary weight. They are also less bulky, which is refreshing to see and feel in a world of bulky, max-cushioned shoes. These days, the more foam you have underfoot, the better, it seems.
Although the Takumi Sen 10 is for racing and fast running to distances up to 10k, that. doesn’t mean you can’t wear it for anything else. I haven’t tried running mega-long distances in them, but that’s only because I found the upper extremely tight.
Not sure what went wrong there. The Adios 8 has a similar construction, and that felt fine. Yet in the Takumi Sen 10, after a few consecutive 10k runs, the top part of my metatarsal bone on the medial side of my foot was hurting pretty bad.
I have wide feet, which doesn’t help, but as I said above, the Adios 8 felt fine, so the upper on the Takumi Sen 10 must be less flexible – and, therefore, less accommodating – than the other one.
Verdict
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 is a tremendously fun shoe. Its lightweight, stripped-back construction lets you leave it all on the field, so to speak, if that’s what you want to do.
The double layer of Lighstrike Pro foam improves energy return, and the ENERGYRODS 2.0 system gives that little extra kick at each step to ensure you can jolt forward from every position. The Takumi Sen 10’s cornering ability is exceptional, and you also get more stability thanks to reduced stack height compared to high-stack marathon racers.
The only grief is the tightness of the upper. The Takumi Sen 10 would be the ultimate mid-distance racer if the toe box were more accommodating. This shouldn’t be an issue if your feet are narrow, but people with wide feet might want to think twice before buying the shoes.
Also consider
The Nike Streakfly came out a couple of years ago, and has been a bit of sleeper hit in a world focused on marathon-ready shoes. Similarly to the Takumi Sen 10, the Streakfly is designed for 5-10k races and has a 32mm maximum stack height and a 6 mm drop. These days, it’s around half the price of the Adidas, too. Read my fullNike Streakfly review.
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10: Price Comparison
$195$127View$195$127View$195$127View$178.65View$179.95View
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127
$127
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127
$127
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127View
$195$127
$127
$178.65View
$178.65View
$178.65View
$178.65
$178.65
$179.95View
$179.95View
$179.95View
$179.95
$179.95
Show More Deals
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