Are Adidas good running shoes? Two dozen Japanese men can’t be wrong. That’s how many broke 2:12 in the marathon in 2017. Number of Americans who did it: two. It’s no secret that Japan is rabid about running in a way that makes veterans of the first American running boom feel inadequate. Adidas affixes the “Adizero” title to its racing shoes, and the Takumi Sen is an elite racing shoe designed for a market where there are ten times as many elite racers as there are in the U.S. Just when you’re feeling pretty smug about your top-10 finish at Chicago, remember: the best Adidas running shoes might not be consistently available in North America.