The Prime X 2 Strung is a tricky shoe to classify. Despite having a 50mm stack height and two carbon plates – making it illegal for use by elites when competing, adidas has designed it to be a race shoe for recreational runners. Those carbon plates replace the previous energy rods found in the first version and sit within three layers of Lightsrike Pro foam.
The upper is made from the same Strung material seen in the first iteration but is redesigned with a new sock-like, stretchy section across the midfoot. There’s also a slightly wider base to add more stability and an updated Continental rubber outsole to improve grip and durability.
Tom and Mike have been testing the shoe out to see if it’s worth buying.
To find out more about the Adidas Adizero Prime X 2 Strung click here (we don’t make any money if you click on this link):
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00:00 – Intro
00:35 – Stats
00:49 – Design
01:28 – How’s the Fit?
04:40 – The Run Test
11:15 – Should You Buy it
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers with Another first run review in this video We are going to be looking at the Adidas Prime X2 strong now these were sent to Us from the guys over at sports shoes We're not paid to do this review we can Say whatever we want but big thank you To sports shoes for sending those over So that we can get a load of reviews Done right if you want to find out some More about this show actually you can go To the caption below and click on the Link and get loads of information about Things you might want to know about the Shoe right let's dive in and do the First run Foreign X2 strong costs 250 pounds or 300 weighs In at 298 grams or 10.5 ounces for men In a size 8 and the drop is 6.5 Millimeters Primax too strong is a trick issue to Classify despite having a 50 millimeter Stack height and two carbon plates Making it legal for use by Elites when Competing Adidas has designed it to be a Ratio for recreational Runners those Carbon plates replace the previous Energy rods found in the first version And sit within three layers of Light Strike Pro foam the upper is made from The same strong material seen in the First iteration but redesigns it with a New sock-like stretchy section across
The mid foot there's also a slightly Wider base to add more stability and an Updated Continental rubber outsole to Improve grip and durability The fit for me in the the prime X2 Strong I really struggled with the first Prime X strung I've had it to be a Really uncomfortable shoe I got a lot of Rubbing on the heel and I just I really Did I really struggled to wear that shoe I used it for a half marathon and my Heel was absolutely ripped shreds at the End and the main reason for that is that The original doesn't have hardly any Padding on the new version actually Doesn't have a lot either it's a little Bit on the inside of the ankle collar But the actual heel is such a lean Pointy bit of fabric I think it's a Little bit softer on these ones Um so it I've not had any issues at all I've done a few runs in this this shoe Now Um but what I would say about the shoe Is that it's it's designed like a race Shoe Um it's very lean at the top and there Is a new sort of design on it which is Like a sock-like design Um I found this to be a lot more Comfortable it's quite restrictive shoe If you've got narrow feet you should be Okay but if you've got a really wide Feet it might you might struggle with it
It's it's pushing the limits with me a Bit I don't have particularly wide feet But it's pushing out on the side of the Shoe for me Um and I'm not only on discomfort from It but it's noticeable so if it's a Little if I thought was a little bit Bigger I might have a major issue of This the other thing I would say is that There's not a lot of room before the toe Box for me in um these shoes it feels Fine I definitely would go to my size in This shoe which is UK size eight so this Is a UK size eight Um but I I would be wary of that it Might be that you might need to go up Half a size in these shoes Um just because there there's not a lot Of space in the forefoot the other thing I'd say as well and I find this on all Adidas shoes that I test is that the Upper section at the front seems to be Very shallow so my toes seem to push up Quite a bit on the toe box of the shoes And I've had issues with the adios Pro 3 Where the tops of my toes really rub When I'm when I'm doing a lot of runs in Them Um I've done three runs in this so far So I've done about 40K in this actually It's a most I've probably done for a First run review Um but I haven't had that problem with These so far I do feel it pressing
Against it but I've not had any rubbing On it so keep that in consideration To fit for me I've had this in the UK Size eight it's definitely on the narrow Side which for me was being absolutely Fine but I think if you've got wider Feet you might find a bit more of a Struggle to get in to this shoe um in Terms of the space up on the toes pretty Satisfying to find a little bit of Rubbing on one side of my foot my first Run but my second one I did it was Generally fine it definitely kind of has This kind of midfoot locked down and Kind of Narrows in to kind of give you That kind of racing style feel that you Kind of want if you want to run a little Bit quicker in no kind of heel slippage For me but I do think you need to work Really hard to get good lock down the Laces I'm not really a massive fan of These kind of all-in-one tongues and I Definitely found a little bit of lace Bite and I'll kind of point out where so Definitely not perfect for me but I Think yeah if you've got narrow feet you Should be fine I think you could go true To size but you definitely have to play Around the lace lock down I think to get A good strong fit and it's not Uncomfortable on the top of your foot as Well So as I mentioned I have actually done Three runs in this shoot this week
Um and the reason for that is just I'm Training for Marathon I've been doing a Lot of runs so by the time I got around To doing this video I used it a few Times the ones I've done in the shoe Include an 18K run which included 40 Minutes at my 10K Pace as well as 10 Times 1 minute intervals uh and some Slower stuff as well I also did a park Run in it today where I got my second Fastest park run or second classes 5K Time and I've done a slow 5K in it as Well which is just an easy Runner five Minute kilometer Pace now What I found about the shoe is that I Wasn't a big fan of the previous version Uh I found to be very uncomfortable I Got a lot of rubbing on it I also found It to be massively unstable it the Original one had a 50 millimeter stack Height but it has a really thin midsole And the problem I had was I raced in This I did a half marathon in the Original and I was really nervous the Whole way because I was being very Wobbly when I was turning around corners Um when I picked up the pace and I Wasn't really looking where I was going I was a bit worried about racing in this Shoe I also didn't really find it to be That fast I felt it felt a bit clunky For me I couldn't quite work out what The shoe was really designed for I know It was sort of meant to be a ratio but I
Definitely wouldn't have used it for Races it just felt too heavy for me Um and the lower section up as well has This big cut out of it so all of that Sort of plays into it being a very Unstable shoe and I didn't get on with It at all and didn't really use it a lot After the testing now the new version Changes that a little bit so it's got a Much wider base on it which is really Noticeable when you're on the run it's a Lot more stable uh it's actually adds a Bit more foam into this section here so There's not a big cutout section like There is on the original version and What I found about this is that it is Significantly more stable shoe and I'm I'm actually enjoying testing this quite A bit when I did the park run in this Morning it was great it felt fast uh it Really felt quite Lively it really Rolled me forward it felt like a race Shoe the earlier version I just didn't Feel that it just felt like an unstable Clunky shoe and I didn't really get a Lot out of it there's one major Difference between these shoes Two Shoes In that the new version has dual plates In it as well as three Um laser midsole foam lightstrike Pro Midsole foam and the original has Um NG rods in it so they're quite Different in the way that they're Actually designed and I've heard some
People say that the original version is A little bit poppy a little bit more Enjoyable a little bit bouncier Um I probably say that my be the case But because of the instability I can't I Couldn't run in that shoe and really Benefit from those things I was very Careful when I run in it Um I think the new version might have Lost a little bit of that but I don't Think that's a bad thing because it's a Lot more stable it's a lot more Enjoyable and I just feel like I can run Faster in the shoot Um I did my when I did my 40 minutes at 10K Pace it felt great it really just Smoothly like took me through that that 10K really comfortably and it felt Absolutely great um and now on the park Run today as I say it's about really Fast slow runs it's much better than Than the original it just feels a lot More stable a lot more comfortable Um and I just think it's a better All-round shoe now Um Adidas talk about it being a ratio uh Obviously if you're an elite you can't Use it but for me I actually think it is Quite a nice ratio now I actually Probably prefer to use this Um over the adios Pro 3 based on my Testing so far the only thing I would Say is that it's quite heavy it's quite A lot more
Um there's a lot more weight on it than The original I think it's like uh 50 Grams more or something and Um although you you can notice it when You carry it and you're holding it it Doesn't I didn't feel that on the run it Does feel like a quite a a fast Efficient Um shoe so yeah so I think it's a solid Um test or my test so far I've been Really really good I'm quite optimistic About the shoe and I'm enjoying ringing It quite a bit Um upper I'm not too sure about it's an Improvement on the original but I'm Still it still feels a little bit Restricted for me so I I'm a bit wary About going longer distance in this shoe Because when I've done long distance in The early one that's when I started to Get the the issues um so I will test it Out over a longer run uh maybe even use It for Berlin Marathon Um if uh if if if it keeps going well in The testing Um but yeah solid solid first running it Very impressed okay since I run test I Actually did uh two runs in this shoot First one was while I was away for President Barcelona I did kind of a 10K When I spill it up into two x I was kind Of doing some sightseeing so not my Quickest Pace a lot of traffic to kind Of navigate as well traffic light so
We'll say uh so I did kind of 5K uh to a Point and that was kind of eight minute 30 minute watt pace and then eight 15 Minute mile Pace back just because I was Dodging a lot of traffic and a lot of People uh and then I came back home uh This morning I did a 5K run kind of a Seven minute Ten kind of minute mile Pace or something a little bit quicker So I've been able to do some slightly Kind of moderate Pace stuff and also Some slightly quicker stuff as well what It says you definitely feel the Stiffness of those obviously the plates That you've got on here when you Initially start get going and I don't Think it lends itself to running a Little bit slower in but once you do Kind of pick up the pace it does feel Really nice feels exciting feels very Lively it's a heavy issue but I don't Feel like it weighs heavy and for me When I got this kind of flat stretches The road some downhill it's really kind Of an enjoyable shoe and to run in I can Also see it kind of pulls you back in Into kind of into your form and I think That's to create that kind of stable Kind of feel in the shoe which I know Previously having not run in the Previous shoe I know maybe that wasn't The case but it feels like you're Getting more of that here you kind of See it in the video that I put in so it
Kind of pulls your foot back into place I think that's good so in fact it's Stable it's a good thing so yeah it Definitely feels better at the quicker Paces I don't think it's a shoe it's Massive versatile so running slower Stuff it's not something I would Probably want to feel um feel Comfortable wearing some of those stuff Because it does feel a little bit Stiffer and you feel those plates but Outside wise pretty good I did run Through some kind of wet kind of areas It was generally fine from a crooking Point of view you've got a good outsole In here like any that's always has so Yeah all pretty positive so far so from The fit kind of thing you know I still Need to play around with that together To get that working but uh ultimately Yeah okay not too bad looking forward to Running a little bit more in it Definitely running a little bit longer In it see how it handles because I feel Like it could work for kind of marathon Training post half marathon training Pace at longer distances as well but but Yeah we'll see um in future testing So my verdict on the Adidas Prime X too Strong is that it's a vast Improvement On the original it may have lost a Little bit of bounciness from it a Little bit of liveliness but it what it Loses in those things it gains in
Stability and it gains in just overall Performance it just feels more stable it Feels like it's a nice consistent Cruiser the upper is a bit more Comfortable for me I just think it takes A lot more boxes than the original Um and it's a bit of a less of a risky Shoe for some people I I definitely Wouldn't have suggested a lot of my Friends wearing the original especially More beginner Runners those sorts of People because it was so wobbly and you Know if you go over if you go over in a 50 millimeter thin shoe you're gonna go Have some issues this just feels a Little bit more stable I think those Updates have been really good and I like The uh I like the feel of the new um the New card blade it just feels a little Bit more efficient and enjoyable for me To run in so Um very positive first run review and I'm looking forward to doing a lot more Runs in this I think it's going to be a Big feature in my rotation for the next Few months so some initial thoughts on The added asset Prime X2 strong I think I've got that correct um I'm going to Always struggle with that Um definitely he feels like me sits in That kind of category of super trainer Style shoe take pressure off your kind Of you know top tier or kind of your Your racing shoe obviously to give you
That feeling of it but also give you Something that can work for longer Distances and let you run a little bit Quicker and something that's obviously Gives you a bit more durability in life As well and I think of the kind of big Stacked super trainer shoes I've used And things like the New Balance SC Trainer B2 the sockony converter Pro This feels a lot nicer to run quicker in I don't think it's one that you want to Ease off in at all but if you are Looking for something like that I'd say Gives you a lot of protection Um so it's stable I definitely think It's one more narrow feet so definitely Think about the fit there and obviously I haven't absolutely loved that kind of All in one tongue as well in terms of That upper but I can see when I've gone And run a little bit quicker on it it Does feel pretty good it's expensive is It a shoe that necessarily feel like I Need in my rotation I'm not sure quite Yet but I have liked it doing that kind Of quicker stuff so I'm running a Previous shoot this feels pretty good I Think if you're looking for a more Stable version something that can run a Bit quicker give you that kind of Protection and comfort over longer Distances and be able to run quicker in It then I think there's a lot here to Like it's expensive and so that is
Something to keep in mind here too but Yeah all good so far as I say I want to Run quick on it it's felt a lot nicer When I've eased off it's not felt Fantastic so definitely what I feel like Is a kind of big stack super Trainer Shoe that definitely is is veering more To kind of your quicker runs but I think Of working short stuff and I think Potentially hopefully it can work on the Longer stuff as well too that's it from Us thanks a lot for watching this first Run review don't forget to like And Subscribe that's really important if you Can subscribe I really appreciate that And don't forget to check out the Monthly podcast that we've got if you go Into the caption below uh you can click On and listen to the most recent one of Those and as I said if you want to find Out more about this shoot you can click On the link to sports shoes in the Caption below and see what they've got To say about it thanks a lot for Watching catch you next time
