Adidas Takumi Sen 9 Review

This is a light shoe. That's the first thing I noticed, and I've continued to notice it as I put the miles in. The upper is light and extremely breathable. The chunk of foam (33mm in the heel, 27 in the forefoot, 6mm drop) is firm and, you guessed it, light. This is a shoe that you don't feel on your foot during a run. 

Typically, when a shoe is that light, I find it either has stability issues on uneven roads, or it has a very uncomfortable upper. The Takumi Sen 9 manages to have neither issue. Once you get the right lacing, the shoe locks your foot down and is stable and blister free. 

Of course, getting the perfect lacing is easier said than done with this shoe. These shoes came the morning of a workout, so I laced them up to try them out. During the warmup, I was pleasantly surprised to find that such a lightweight, race-oriented shoe was also comfortable at a slow pace... that is until I had to stop to retie the laces because my heel was a bit too loose. Then, my heel was fine but the midfoot was too tight. Then, my midfoot was too loose. Altogether, I retied the shoes four times during my first session in them. Not optimal. 

After that experience, I knew what they needed to feel like to be laced right, so it wasn't particularly difficult to repeat. Still, getting the lacing right is harder than it should be.

The Takumi Sen 9 does run narrow, similar to most spikes or other racing flats. When the lacing is correct, it does a good job of holding your foot on the foam regardless of terrain. While the foam is firm (a trait I like for shorter races), it does have good energy return and provides a significant amount of cushioning. 

On the track, it feels closer to a spike than a shoe with 33mm of stack height. It's one of the few shoes I find stable in turns at higher speeds, and because of the snug lockdown, I have no foot slide. Compared to my typical speed-day shoe, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, I have much better grip and stability at on the track.

Speaking of grip, that is one area the Takumi Sen 9 struggles with. The strip of Continental rubber is tacky on pavement, but the lack of more substantial rubber is evident on dirt roads. 

Traction may not be the best on dirt, but let's be honest, this isn't a shoe designed to log easy miles on dirt roads. It's a pavement crusher. Because of that, the durability is a mixed bag. If you're using it purely on the track and pavement, it should last you a long time. You might see some wear on the edge of the midsole material, but nothing concerning. 

On the other hand, if you log a lot of workouts on dirt roads, you may see premature wear. I've found that pebbles do eat away at the shoe (and can get lodged between the exposed ENERGYRODS). So, yeah, maybe use this pair the way Adidas intended you to use it (on pavement). 

Overall, I think this is a shoe best suited to threshold and faster paces. It's fine during warm-ups and cool-downs, which is a huge bonus if you run to your local park or track for workouts, but at those paces, I personally prefer a chunkier shoe. This isn't a shoe I would want to take past ~10 miles. If you prefer a firm ride, you might be fine with this all the way up to a marathon. If you're a runner who prefers a softer ride, be aware that while it is well cushioned, the ride is not particularly bouncy or soft. 

If you like ripping fast workouts in light shoes or want something light and snappy for your next 5k, get this shoe. I've found the Takumi Sen 9 on sale regularly for around $100, making it a great deal. Sure, it may not be as fast as that pair of Vaporflies, but it can still rip at less than half the price.