Adidas introduces the Adizero Dropset Elite, a new performance shoe created specifically for hybrid fitness racing. The design brings together technologies from the Adizero running line and the Dropset training range, creating a single model built to support both running speed and functional training stability. This release reflects adidas’ continued focus on performance footwear designed for evolving athletic disciplines.
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Hybrid fitness racing has grown rapidly, combining running with strength-based stations such as sled pushes, wall balls, and sandbag lunges. Athletes often rely on separate footwear for running and training, which creates challenges during competition. adidas developed the Adizero Dropset Elite to address these demands by integrating cushioning, grip, and structural support within one design. Aimee Arana, Global SVP and GM adidas Sportswear and Training, explains that the brand combined the speed-focused Adizero platform with Dropset training technology to create a shoe capable of delivering pace and stability during hybrid performance.
adidas engineers created the Adizero Dropset Elite at the company’s Innovation Lab in Herzogenaurach, Germany. The development process included collaboration with hybrid fitness athletes, including two-time HYROX champion Tim Wenisch, Graham Halliday, Ella Wilkinson, Fabian Eisenlauer, Jana Lebenstedt, and Jennifer Muir. Athlete testing informed details such as grip performance on carpeted surfaces and structural stability during strength exercises.
The shoe incorporates Lightstrike Pro foam, a material already used in the Adizero running series. This foam provides a lightweight structure and supports energy return during running segments. An Energy Rim surrounds the perimeter of the shoe, helping guide foot motion and increasing stability under the heel and rear foot. This structure supports exercises that require balance and force transfer, including wall ball repetitions.
The outsole uses Continental rubber arranged in a diamond pattern. This configuration improves traction on a variety of surfaces commonly encountered in hybrid competitions, including carpeted race floors. adidas placed the rubber strategically to support traction during sled pushes, pulls, and directional changes.
The geometry of the Adizero Dropset Elite includes a 12-millimeter heel drop designed to support efficient body alignment during competition. This configuration helps athletes maintain stability and propulsion during transitions between running and functional stations. A Footadapt sockliner, first introduced in the Dropset 4, enhances foot awareness and supports control during both running and strength-based movements.
Tim Wenisch wore the Adizero Dropset Elite during his victory in the HYROX Elite 15 Male Singles race in Melbourne in December 2025. He describes the shoe as fast and stable, noting that the grip and support help maintain control during competition. adidas plans to equip additional hybrid athletes with the model throughout the season.
The Adizero Dropset Elite forms part of adidas’ broader investment in hybrid fitness competition, including its partnership with ATHX. The shoe will become available beginning March 18 through adidas and selected retail channels, offering hybrid athletes access to footwear designed for the demands of combined running and strength events.
