Whether strolling, running, hiking or driving, you need the right rubber to move you forward. Having the right traction is the key to taking you forward, onwards and upwards. Use our handy guide to make sure you choose the right shoe or tyre for the right climate and activity.
There’s no such thing as an ordinary run. Just like the tyres of a car, your shoes need to be able to cope with high loads and perform well in a variety of climates. Most importantly, they should provide you with grip, stability and support on a variety of surfaces - whether you’re running a marathon, around the park or on a treadmill at the gym.
For long distance running, you need light and comfortable shoes that help you achieve that extra mile. Studies have shown that increased traction in your running shoes enhances performance and allows you to more confidently turn corners quickly, transfer your weight efficiently and securely run on wet surfaces. For running combined with strength training, look for a shoe with extra reinforcement to support multidirectional movement. For sprinting, look for a flexible outsole and consider an uncaged shoe that gives a feeling of free and unrestricted movement.
Running during the Winter season demands even greater traction so that you can negotiate slippery surfaces such as wet sidewalks, icy puddles and muddy park trails. Water-repellent upper materials ensure your feet stay dry and warm while running. A high collar finish can also provide your ankle with an extra layer of warmth.
Reliable grip is significant when hitting the beaten track or scaling mountains. An all-terrain rubber outsole helps you to get through the harshest conditions as you grind your way over gravel, grass, stone, snow or ice – downhill or uphill.
A higher midsole and ultralight material will ensure you meet the tough demands of your mountaineering and outdoor adventures.
No one has energy quite like kids do. Help your little ones explore the world safely and endlessly with a pair of shoes that provide extra cushioning comfort. Added traction will also give you peace of mind as they run through rain or dirt.
All of these running shoes have one thing in common – regardless of the activity, shoes need to have superior traction to move you forward. This is why adidas offers a broad selection of shoes that provide you with excellent traction and grip utilising our technology. We have over 150 years’ experience in designing and manufacturing high performance tyres. Now, we also guarantee safe contact to the ground for your feet – with 30% more traction than regular outsoles.
The reason grip is so important is because the only thing separating a shoe from the ground is the outsole. An increase in traction of up to 30% with our outsoles isn’t a magic number we have estimated. Just like our tyres, we do numerous physical tests to prove that our technology works well every time. Our experts on our YouTube series, The Garage, tested the traction of one of our outsoles to a regular outsole using a force measurement device. Using this device, a regular running shoe measured 8 newtons, while the adidas running shoe with our outsole measured 12 newtons. This shows that our rubber has been engineered to perform with higher friction than regular rubber.
Professional athletes time and again demonstrate their trust in adidas running shoes with our outsoles. In fact, three marathon world records have been set using our outsoles. To put this success in perspective, the average marathon runner pushes off the ground roughly 35,000 times between start and finish. Unlike a rolling tyre, every step taken is a completely separate acceleration process, no matter how smooth or regular the running style. Traction is what helps boost runners forward – and that goes for professionals and amateurs alike, so gear up and get ready to go.
Want to learn more about our sponsoring and partnerships? Click here to learn more.
