A record-breaking marathon shoe from long before the standards of PEBA foam and carbon fiber plates is finally releasing for the first time.
The Wales Bonner x Adidas Adios Neftenga will usher in the release of the running sneaker 16 years after it was worn by athletes at the highest level. Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie wore the shoe while breaking his previous world marathon record by 27 seconds at the 2008 Berlin Marathon. For its introduction to the public, the WB Adios Neftenga maintains the same yellow and black colorway worn by Gebrselassie for the feat.
The lightweight, low-profile running shoe features a suede and mesh upper predominantly clad in yellow. A synthetic metallic silver heel stabilizing strip sweeps directly into a matching portion of the midsole, and black accenting includes a co-branded tongue tag featuring Wales Bonner’s name as the only discernible change from the original.
Gebrselassie’s shoes were never released because they were a prototype from legendary Japanese designer Toshiaki Omori for the Adizero Adios line, which continues to be Adidas’ flagship for marathons and has been worn for a number of subsequent record-breaking performances by men and women.
The first Adizero Adios made available to the public used a combination of compression-molded EVA foam and Adidas’ proprietary Adiprene material with an updated Torsion system. It’s a far cry from the most up-to-date model, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, which weighs just 138 grams per shoe and features an ultra-thin targeted outsole beneath a thicker, rocker-shaped LightStrike Pro foam midsole. Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa broke the women’s marathon world record last year while wearing the $500 shoe.
Wales Bonner and Adidas have previously collaborated on models including the Samba, Samba Millennium, SL76 and SL72. Behind the Samba Millennium, which debuted in 2009, the Adios Neftenga is the second-newest sneaker the two collaborators have taken on.
The Wales Bonner x Adidas Adios Neftenga will release Thursday, September 12, through the Confirmed app in “very limited” quantities, with sign-ups for the draw opening Tuesday. Pricing is set at $220.
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
