Adidas Rapidmove Pro Review | Good Trainer for HYROX Style Workouts?

I’ve seen a lot of comments recently asking me to review these shoes. Considering how pleasantly surprised I was with the Rapidmove ADV 2, I have to admit I was pretty excited to try them myself.

The biggest question I had once I ordered them was…Are they really worth the $155 price tag?

Granted, I was able to find a coupon code that knocked a few bucks off. But still, even paying $150 after discounts and taxes (which is sadly becoming an industry standard price point), it still can be a lot to ask for, especially for a shoe that is as niche as these turned out to be.

My first impression was that there seems to be a lot of tech that went into building the Rapidmove Pro. I guess that explains the price. In my opinion, this shoe can be worth it, for a specific HIIT-focused kind of athlete.

Who Should Buy the Rapidmove Pro?

• HIIT-focused individuals. If you’re training skews more class-based or HIIT-focused with some light strength training, these are going to fill that niche perfectly.
• You want to add to your Adidas roster. If you’re a fan of the Rapidmove line and want something a bit more lightweight, you’ll love these.
• You want a trainer who can work for HYROX-style training. If you’re looking for a shoe that is a bit more dialed for HYROX, these are worth trying on.

Who Shouldn’t Buy the Rapidmove Pro?

• You need a shoe with more stability. If you’re more strength training focused, these are not built for heavy strength work. If you need stability, go with the Dropset 4 or the Dropset Control.
• You need that “one” shoe. If you’re looking for a shoe that can be a do-it-all shoe, from errands to the gym and everything in between, keep looking. You’ll probably want something that will be a bit more daily wear-friendly and not have TPU rods and plates.

Sizing and Fit Suggestions

About My Feet: I have a normal arch/instep and my feet come in at an E/EE width. The length of my left and right foot are consistent with one another, and I size as a true US 10 for most companies’ sizing charts. 

Fit Breakdown:

• Narrow (<D) feet: True to size. 
• Medium (D) width: True to size.
• E and EE: True to size. 
• 3E+: Skip these.

Length-wise, these fit fine. They do run a bit narrow, but with the lightweight upper, it’s less noticeable. Most athletes should be fine going true to size in these. I’d suggest sizing these how you do other shoes from ADIDAS, Nike, or Reebok.

If you have a narrower heel, beware. The boot has very little structure to it and is only padded in spots. I had issues with my heel slipping during rows and some treadmill work. Thankfully ADIDAS is set up to fulfill through Amazon now so you can order these, try them out at home, and return them pretty easily if you have the same issues.

These do have a removable insole, and the lightweight upper has plenty of room if you wear a custom insert.

Performance Breakdown

Lifting: 7/10

These are not my favorite lifting shoes. They fit and feel too much like running shoes for me to feel comfortable lifting moderaly heavy. Squats, split squats, leg press, none of them felt very stable. The heel bevel is too rounded and doesn’t provide a solid enough platform.

They’re fine for lighter weight work. Think dumbbell or kettlebell accessory work. And the Continental rubber outsole will grip anything, so light machine work is a full-go. Again though, don’t push the weight and you’ll be fine.

Cross-Training: 8/10

This is really where these shoes shine. They are purpose built for this niche. Jumping. Short runs. Athletic drills. All of them feel light and easy in these. The only knock I have is the lack of heel structure. The light, spotted padding in the boot doesn’t provide enough security for the heel. You might be able to make up for a bit with thicker socks, but that’d negate the very breathable upper.

The 7-8 mm heel-to-toe drop combined with the Lightstrike foam midsole make these a great shoe for things like wall balls. They feel like a hybrid between a cross-training shoe and a running shoe. In fact, they might make for a great HYROX shoe. 

The only thing giving me pause is the energy rods. They can limit the natural movement of the foot. And if you’re not used to them, they can cause some discomfort if you ramp up intensity and volume too quickly.

Short Runs: 8.5/10

They performed pretty well for short runs. Interval runs, light tempo work, even a mile cool down or warm up on a treadmill. The dual density foam midsole and the energy rods give them really good responsiveness and bounce.

The Climacool upper is very breathable so if you train in a hot environment or get hot easily, that’s not as much of an issue with these.

Again, be careful especially if you’ve never ran in a pair of shoes with a carbon plate or energy rods. Take your time and slowly ramp up the intensity and volume. Going too hard too fast can cause discomfort and you run the risk of injuring yourself.

Daily Wear: 7/10

If it weren’t for the energy rods, I can see these being a much better daily wear shoe. The foam midsole is super comfortable and responsive and the upper is so lightweight. The energy rods kill it for me though. They’re fine in short bouts, but over a longer period of time, they got pretty uncomfortable.

Construction Details

My size 10 weighs 10.8 oz, they have a 7-8 mm heel-to-toe drop, and a thin removable insole.

There is an extended outsole layer that comes up the toe box for some added protection. There’s also a light TPU layer over the toe box and an internal toe guard for additional lockdown during forward and lateral movement.

The upper is ADIDAS’s Climacool mesh. It extends from the toe box through the entire shoe to the boot. The boot is very lightweight with padding in spots. There is an external heel tab to help pull the shoes on.

The midfoot has 5 core eyelets and a thin, padded mesh tongue. The tongue features extra ventilation ports and is not gusseted. It’s thin enough that as long as it’s laid flat during lacing, there shouldn’t be any issues with the tongue sliding down during training.

The midsole that runs throughout the shoe is ADIDAS’s Lightstrike dual density foam midsole. It’s a bit softer and more responsive in the forefoot, and more dense in the heel. The denser heel is negated quite a bit by the heel bevel though. There are energy rods that run throughout the midsole.

The outsole is a full Continental rubber outsole with some cutouts in the midfoot (exposing the midsole and energy rods) and forefoot for added flexibility. The rubber is incredibly durable and provides enough traction to protect the foam midsole.

Final Thoughts: Would I Buy Again?

Overall I enjoyed this shoe for what it is, a cross-training and HIIT focused shoe.

It’s not going to be your everyday training shoe. And it’s not going to be your shoe for lifting heavy.

Deployed in the right context and by the right athlete, it’s going to excel. It’s just better left in your gym bag, and only brought out for those specific training sessions.