Adidas Adizero Tempo 9 Review

INTRODUCTION Adidas Adizero Tempo 9 Review

The adizero Tempo 9 is Adidas’s fast training running shoe with a mild support element.

One way to look at it would be to do so as a lighter and slimmer version of the Supernova ST.

The latter is a cushioned trainer suitable for longer distances, while the Tempo 9 is a much lighter shoe for races and training runs of similar paces.

The Boston 6 has to be mentioned in the same breath as the Tempo, for the two shoes are (now) remarkably similar. Considering that the Tempo 9 does not use a firmer medial post, it won’t be wrong to treat the shoe as a slightly more supportive version of the Boston.

This year’s Tempo 9 features a brand-new midsole and outsole. The end product is a marginally softer ride experience resulting from more EVA on the midsole and an outsole design with more enormous windows.

And mind you, the Tempo 9 no longer uses the word ‘Stableframe.’ Adidas’s new ‘Energized stability’ film is taking place over the inner midsole.

The Tempo also receives a new set of clothes; the upper switches to a subdued aesthetic scheme and some elements that influence the fit quality.

DESIGN AND MATERIALS

Nothing is groundbreaking about the Tempo 9’s upper; it is just a tried-and-tested combination of materials and placement. Synthetic suede is used liberally over the upper, lends a subtle look, and supple the shoe.

The toe bumper is a large piece of suede, and the lacing panel and the three-stripes logo are made of the same material.

Something about suede gives any shoe an understated look, and Adidas has put it to good use here.

The laces are flat and have a cottony texture, which keeps them tied together.

The inner sleeve, which formed a part of the Tempo 7 and 8’s interiors, is gone. A thin and softer tongue replaces it with a traditional lace loop.

And while we have always appreciated an inner sleeve, the Tempo is better off without it. The past two adizero Tempos had sleeves, but the assembly standard was sub-par.

By switching to a more straightforward construction minus an inner sleeve, the Tempo 9 is a much better-finished model. There’s also a visual clean-up in the form of the redesigned heel; gone are the glossy layers of synthetic seen on the V8.

Instead, a thin transparent laminate is applied over the external heel. Inside, there’s a stiff counter like before. The collar lining and foam fill levels stay unchanged from the V8. The heel upper gets a nylon pull tab, a new design addition.

The forefoot and the midfoot mesh are now single spacer mesh, a cleaner approach than the multiple mesh types used on the V8. All said and done, the most significant update on the Tempo 9’s upper is the split eyestay.

Instead of having a single midfoot suede panel – as it was on Tempo 7 and 8, the Tempo 9’s first two lacing rows are mounted on a separate strip of synthetic.

This new arrangement allows those rows to operate independently; this can affect the fit quality, depending on how you lace the Tempo 9.

Like for like, though, the Tempo 9 has less layering on the forefoot side. A couple of thin straps in a criss-cross formation open up the forefoot more than the Tempo 9’s synthetic-covered design. Adidas calls this design ‘Japanese Origami’ inspired, presumably based on the art of Japanese paper folding.

On a side note, 2016 was the year of mid-season model refreshes. The Supernova Glide changed its outsole halfway through the year, and the Tempo refreshed its upper mesh.

As a result, a couple of Tempo variants were available to buy, depending on which retailer’s website you were on. If that wasn’t confusing enough, there was even a separate women’s version.

It seems that Tempo 9 will be consistent for 2024.

If you’re familiar with the Adidas Supernova, Boston, and Tempo series of running shoes, you’ll feel right at home with the Tempo 9’s midsole.

A familiar combination of the firmer EVA rim on top and a full-length Boost midsole is deployed on the Tempo. While this design is similar to the Adios three and the Boston, the Tempo 9 does a few things differently.

Compared to the Boston, the EVA component is slightly larger, while the Boost foam is in a larger volume than the race-day adios 3. So, regarding cushioning, it won’t be wrong to say that the Tempo 9 sits midway between the adios and the Boston. The Tempo also has some other features befitting its ‘support’ categorization.

The last two Tempo versions had a ‘Stableframe’ midsole with slightly more support and material on the inner side and around the heel.

The EVA portion extended to the midfoot on the inner midsole as additional support. The EVA near Tempo 7 and 8’s heel was raised higher and served as a cupping base.

This year, the Tempo 9 gets a midsole with the EVA portion trimmed down near the forefoot and the heel. In their place are a couple of new features.

The inner midsole has a thin film over the Boost, which Adidas calls ‘Energized Stability.’ This is keeping in line with the Supernova ST changes (previously called the Sequence), which also switched from a more oversized Stableframe midsole to a combination of a slimmer midsole and a thin laminate.

Adidas no longer mentions ‘Stableframe’ in Tempo 9’s description. Adidas claims that the Boost midsole is dual-density but is technically not. The thin film over the midsole adds some firmness, but that’s a separate component over what is unarguably a single-density Boost midsole.

Also, there’s a more significant ‘Torsion’ plastic component between the midsole and the outsole, extending to the inner sidewall like the adizero adios.

Parts of the plastic also extend under the forefoot for added stiffness.

The outsole combines Continental rubber and adiwear used liberally over the forefoot and rearfoot.

There are minor changes like larger rubber lugs and increased windows exposing the Boost foam beneath.

The higher number of windows makes the ride slightly softer, as was the Boston 6. A few things were carried over from the previous design, such as the beveled/angled heel for gradual heel strikes and transitions.

Inside, a chunky EVA foam insole adds extra cushioning over the midsole.

With all the changes, the Tempo 9 gains 11 grams/0.4 ounces over the outgoing model.

Since the Boost foam and Continental rubber outsole pairing began, the general trend has been that the sole unit outlives the upper.

The Boost foam and Adidas rubber compound are highly resistant to wear and tear, so it is unlikely that parts of the upper will fail first.

For example, the shallow toe-box mesh or the heel lining areas will undergo expected wear and tear. This is a natural occurrence once the shoe crosses a mileage threshold of a few hundred miles.

UPPER FIT AND FEEL

 

The Tempo’s upper fit is closely modeled on race-day shoes, which means that an overall snug fit, including a relatively shallow toe box, is part of the territory. While the toe-box doesn’t pin down the big toe, there’s no margin left over either.

The midfoot gets a conventional fit and feel thanks to the thin, sleeve-free tongue. Unlike Tempo 7 and 8, there’s no inner sleeve, so the fit goes slightly relaxed. The downside is that you experience tongue slides associated with a sleeve-free design.

In the back, the narrow molding of the internal counter keeps the foot locked in despite the minimal foam padding.

Tempo 9 gets more forefoot room than Tempo 7 and 8. There’s more open mesh area than the previous year’s models, which had synthetic over both sides. When combined with the lack of an inner sleeve, this change makes the Tempo 9 more breathable.

But there’s a catch. As the first two lacing rows are mounted on a separate panel, cinching them tight will lead to a noticeable increase in narrowness. This isn’t bad, considering a snug forefoot fit works excellent for fast-track runs.

If you’re using the Tempo 9 for longer runs, like a half marathon, you should be mindful not to over-tighten the lacing in the front. Also, we recommend buying a half-size larger  – unless you limit the Tempo’s use only to track runs.

The first two rows also add some extra synthetic over the toe box, which was previously missing. This means you’ll sense the additional material over your foot when flexing. You’ll need to account for a break-in period of a week or so for this sensation to disappear completely.

RIDE QUALITY AND BEHAVIOR

The Tempo 9 has a firm ride. The only layer of softness you get is from the molded insole sitting atop the midsole; the rest is strong cushioning. Unlike the more cushioned Boost models like the Supernova and Energy, the Boost amount available on the Tempo is just enough to cushion the ride but not soft.

The Tempo 9’s EVA midsole covers the Boost completely over the heel instead of just a rim on the Boston, contributing to the strong ride character.

There’s enough cushioning to run half marathons, though if you’re running anything longer, we recommend a second shoe – see our rotation section later in this review.

Soft the Tempo 9 may not be, but responsive it certainly is. The Boost has an excellent springback quality; you feel it with each footstrike.

The transitions are also efficient due to uniformity in the material used – the Boost or outsole rubber; everything is used in a full-length format.

For all practical purposes, the Tempo 9 is a neutral running shoe. This statement has greater relevance for Tempo 9 than for Tempo 7 and 8, which had a larger stable frame.

With most EVA replaced with Boost foam, the midsole exhibits a ride quality that feels uncannily similar to the Boston and Adios.

As mentioned, the oversized windows on the outsole make the Tempo 9 a bit softer than the 7 and 8. This update is similar to what we experienced on the Boston 6 versus the 5.

PROS AND CONS

 

The Tempo 9 doesn’t have many faults. The ride is cushioned and responsive, the transitions feel quick, and the model is lightweight. The midsole and outsole are durable, and the upper is reasonably breathable. The split eyestay allows a custom level of fit to be achieved through the front rows.

If we had to nitpick, we’d point out the Tempo 9’s unavailability of optional sizing widths. This isn’t specific to Tempo but most of Adidas’s product line. The tongue also tends to slide slightly, so one must know it.

SUMMARY AND CHANGES BETWEEN THE TEMPO 9 AND TEMPO 8

An excellent way to summarize the changes would be that the Tempo 9 is an easier-going Tempo. The ride is slightly softer due to the reduced volume of the firmer midsole EVA foam and the redesigned outsole, and the upper feels breezier because of lower synthetic usage and no sleeve.

The upper fit is more relaxed around the midfoot, and the forefoot can be flexible or narrow, depending on how you treat the first two lacing rows.

A $120 MSRP remains constant across both versions, and the Tempo 9 is heavier by nearly half an ounce. This is likely due to a larger plastic Torsion shank extending to the forefoot’s heel and parts on the midsole.

RECOMMENDED ROTATION

In last year’s Tempo 8 rotation, we recommended the Ultra Boost ST and the Sequence. We’ll adopt a different rotation approach this year because the Sequence has morphed into the much softer Supernova ST.

There’s significantly more Boost packed into the Supernova ST’s midsole than the Tempo and slightly less so than the Ultra Boost. This makes the latter redundant, and you can go with the Supernova ST instead. As such, the Supernova ST is an ideal companion to the Tempo for a cushioned shoe capable of long-distance runs.

If you’re using the Tempo 9 as the shoe for runs of 10k to a half marathon, it makes sense to get something lighter. Like the Takumi-sen 3, for instance. It’s a perfect shoe for quick 10k runs or shorter, and this quality adds to the shoe’s rotational value.

If you want to substitute the Supernova ST with a shoe from another brand, then the Saucony Hurricane ISO 3 is a good stand-in. After all, the Everun foam is another name for a material similar to the Boost, and the Hurricane has a thick midsole with plenty of cushioning.

The ultra-lightweight New Balance Hanzo S or the Mizuno Wave Ekiden is a good substitute for the Takumi-Sen if you’re not up for the latter’s high sticker price.

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SIMILAR LIGHTWEIGHT TRAINERS

The Tempo 9 is a lightweight and supportive trainer, putting it in the same category as the New Balance 1500V3 and the Asics DS Trainer 22. 1500 has slightly less cushioning and responsiveness than the Tempo but excels as a lightweight trainer until a half marathon. It also performs superbly on synthetic tracks.

The Asics DS Trainer 22 has a lot in common with the Tempo. It’s got a medial post that is barely noticeable, and the Flytefoam offers a cushioned yet relatively flatter ride quality. The Brooks Asteria is comparable, considering its mini medial-post mated to a lightweight midsole. The Saucony Fastwitch 8 is a firm yet padded lightweight trainer with non-intrusive support.

As expected of any Mizuno shoe, the ride is firmer due to the plastic Wave plate inserts between the midsole foam. On the bright side, you get plenty of support with a ride character that feels quick and efficient. Mizuno has the Catalyst 2, representing its lightweight support category.

Lastly, another Adidas shoe compares with the Tempo.

That would be the Boston 6, with its slightly softer ride but a similar weight class and ride quality.

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SHOE REVIEW: Adidas Adizero Tempo 9

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