Adidas’ $500 marathon “supershoes” are being resold online for thousands of dollars.
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The Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 sneakers, worn by the London Marathon men’s and women’s world-record holders this weekend, were available for pre-sale in the US on Monday in limited quantities via the Adidas app and at specialty retailers. The shoes sold out almost instantly.
The sneakers are now being resold on platforms such as StockX and eBay for more than $4,000.
Adidas said the shoes will be released more widely during the fall marathon season.
Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images
A big boost for Adidas
The so-called “supershoe” was released only a few days before the London Marathon on Sunday, which saw Kenyan long-distance runner Sabastian Sawe smash the world record.
Alongside Ethiopian long-distance runner Yomif Kejelcha, who finished second, the two men were the first to complete a marathon in under two hours in competitive conditions.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian long-distance runner Tigist Assefa broke the record for the fastest female marathon runner on Sunday. All three runners were wearing the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3.
Richard Baker / In Pictures via Getty Images
This has been seen as a major boost to Adidas’ brand image in the performance sector. It’s also a win over longtime rival Nike, which had equipped the previous marathon record-holders.
Both companies are racing to develop the most advanced footwear technologies.
According to research from European intellectual property law firm Mathys & Squire on international sneaker patent applications, Nike had 374 trainer patent applications published in 2025 — nearly three times as many as its nearest competitor, Adidas, which published 132.
The rise of communities like Strava and Parkrun has made recreational runners more competitive than ever, the firm said.
“Sportswear companies are looking to capitalise on this by developing trainer technologies that will help amateur athletes run further, for longer,” a spokesperson for the firm added.
Adidas has been capitalizing on the hype around the London Marathon, displaying physical ads featuring Sawe and his race time.
Its bio on Instagram has also been changed to the time: “1:59:30. Humanity just got faster. #YouGotThis,” it reads.
