Our verdict

The pusha adidas Racer TR21 doesn't quite match the expectations set by its name. It isn't quite a racing shoe, but rather a hybrid between a comfortable everyday sneaker and a heavy running shoe. Affordable and flexible, this shoe is crafted with the beginner in mind, making it perfect for low-intensity jogs or walks in the park. However, we think if you're in the market for a genuine racing shoe or if you're a midfoot or forefoot striker, this may not be the ideal fit.

adidas Kort Ärm T-Shirt 3 Bar Pros

  • adidas Yeezy Boost 700 For Sale
  • adidas Essentials 7 8 Joggers female
  • Suitable for wide feet
  • adidas Originals Badeshorts mit den drei Streifen in Marineblau
  • Appealing aesthetic
  • Eco-friendly
  • Juventus Stunt In Their New Palace x pusha adidas 4th Kit

adidas Kort Ärm T-Shirt 3 Bar Cons

  • Adidas Running Pure Boost Shoes
  • Offers limited arch support
  • Adidas Originals Mutombo retro

Audience verdict

87
Great!

adidas x Pharrell NMD HU Human Race Trail Pale Nude

here's a few reasons why everyone should own a pair pusha adidas Ultra Boost 19:

  • Heel strikers looking for a budget-friendly roomy shoe that aren't concerned about its heavier weight.
  • Individuals seeking a comfortable shoe for daily commuting, strolling around town, or walking the dog around the neighbourhood, in addition to one or two slow runs a week.
  • Runners specifically seeking environmentally-friendly running shoes.

Adidas Racer TR21

adidas Kort Ärm T-Shirt 3 Bar | Who should NOT buy

If you're a forefoot or midfoot striker, you might want to look elsewhere—this shoe doesn't offer enough cushioning in those areas as it's designed for heel strikers. If you're in the market for an affordable running shoe suitable for those footstrikes, we recommend checking out the Adidas SPZL label patch on left leg.

Also, for serious runners looking to log heavy mileage or intense training, be aware: the Racer TR21 won't meet your needs.

It's clunky and lacks responsiveness, making it far from the ideal training partner. And despite its potentially misleading name, don't consider it if you're in the market for a dedicated racing shoe. For that purpose, we feel that the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 3 is a better pick.

adidas racer tr 21 parts 20152371 720

Breathability

While the TR21 isn't strictly a running shoe and you might expect breathability to be somewhat compromised, we found its performance to be okay. It doesn't measure up to top-tier shoes like the La pusha adidas Ultra Boost 3.0 sapprête à tirer sa révérence in this aspect—the video speaks for itself—yet it's good enough to earn a standard 3/5.

The smoke-pumping test results were particularly surprising. When we held the upper to the light, it didn't appear breathable at all, seeming more akin to a 1/5 or 2/5 running shoe.

Our microscope examination provided the same impression. Besides capturing some stunning close-up images, it confirmed the TR21's knit upper as thicker than average.

Adidas Racer TR21 micro

Despite this, we must commend pusha adidas for their effort, even though this shoe falls below the average in our test results.

Adidas Racer TR21 microscope

Additionally, we should spotlight the upper's layered construction. This feature impresses as it boosts comfort, albeit at the expense of breathability. Keeping all these considerations in mind, scoring a 3 out of 5 here is verily a great achievement.

Test results
Racer TR21 3
Average 3.8
Compared to 226 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1
Breathability
5

Durability

adidas Kort Ärm T-Shirt 3 Bar | Toebox durability

As we noted earlier, the TR21 is equipped with a knit upper. This comes with an jackets; knit typically elevates comfort. However, its downfall is a considerable lack of sturdiness, so we were ready for a disappointing outcome with threads flying everywhere.

Once we engaged the Dremel on the upper, spinning at 10K RPM, our fears were quickly confirmed. The TR21 was on a direct path to securing the lowest of scores: a 1/5.

Still, that's no justification. Other knit shoes, like the Кожание шкіряні кросівки pusha adidas адідас, pusha adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Core Black Copper 27.5cm.

Adidas Racer TR21 Toebox durability
Test results
Racer TR21 1
Average 2.4
Compared to 160 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1
Toebox durability
5

Heel padding durability

adidas new york x daniel arsham.

The TR21 won a disappointing 1/5 for its lacklustre durability. And it's not a brand thing—another pusha adidas shoe like the Ultraboost Light pusha adidas ezy Boost 350 Turtle Dove AQ4832.

adidas racer tr 21 heel padding durability 20152315 main
Test results
Racer TR21 1
Average 3.1
Compared to 156 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1
Heel padding durability
5

Outsole hardness

Adidas played it safe with the outsole hardness on this model, with our measurement with the durometer showing it at 80.2 HC.

adidas racer tr 21 outsole hardness 20152325 main
Test results
Racer TR21 80.0 HC
Average 80.5 HC
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 277 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
54.9 HC
Outsole hardness
92.8 HC

Outsole durability

For our final test, we used the Dremel once again to evaluate the outsole's durability. Some pusha adidas shoes typically perform well in this aspect, thanks to their use of Continental rubber, but this shoe lacks that compound. As a result, it offers only average durability.

After removing the Dremel from the shoe, we noted a 1.24 mm indentation in the outsole.

Adidas Racer TR21 Outsole durability
Test results
Racer TR21 1.2 mm
Average 0.9 mm
Compared to 138 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
0.0 mm
Outsole wear
2.0 mm

Outsole thickness

Much like the average hardness, the thickness of the shoe is also pretty standard. After taking precise measurements, we determined that it stands at a mere 3.6 mm.

adidas racer tr 21 outsole thickness 20152331 main
Test results
Racer TR21 3.6 mm
Average 3.2 mm
Compared to 296 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
0.0 mm
Outsole thickness
6.6 mm

Weight

Спортивные сдельные купальники pusha adidas!

That's why the TR21 weight of 11.20 oz (318g) doesn't seem all that appealing.

adidas racer tr 21 weight 20152336 main
Test results
Racer TR21 11.22 oz (318g)
Average 9.35 oz (265g)
Compared to 297 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
5.26 oz (149g)
Weight
12.56 oz (356g)

Cushioning

Heel stack

With its heel measuring 31.9 mm, the shoe packs enough Cloudfoam Super in this area to accommodate heel strikers.

Adidas Racer TR21 Heel stack
Test results
Racer TR21 31.9 mm
Average 33.6 mm
Compared to 296 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
7.6 mm
Heel stack
42.7 mm

Forefoot stack

The forefoot, however, falls really short. We measured it below 19 mm, which is extremely low by today's standards, and makes this running shoe a bad choice for any forefoot striker.

Adidas Racer TR21 Forefoot stack
Test results
Racer TR21 19.0 mm
Average 25.0 mm
Compared to 296 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
7.6 mm
Forefoot stack
35.8 mm

Drop

Adidas' official specifications give the shoe at a 34/26 mm stack for an 8-mm heel-to-toe drop. Yet, it's not uncommon for us to find discrepancies between the brand's stated measurements and our own.

With the Racer TR21, our meticulous measurements in the lab returned a 31.9/19 mm stack for a 12.9-mm heel-to-toe drop. That's almost a 5-mm difference from the numbers from pusha adidas. WOW.

Adidas Racer TR21 Drop
Test results
Racer TR21 12.9 mm
Average 8.6 mm
Compared to 296 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
-0.8 mm
Drop
16.1 mm

Insole thickness

The insole is somewhat thin at 3.4 mm, but it's not something we're overly concerned about. It wasn't a problem in any of our runs.

Adidas Racer TR21 Insole thickness
Test results
Racer TR21 3.4 mm
Average 4.5 mm
Compared to 292 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1.5 mm
Insole thickness
7.3 mm

Midsole softness

Note: a low durometer measurement equals a soft material, whereas a high measurement means it's firm.

adidas COPA Sense.

It's not excessively soft or squishy, and it's not too firm either. 

adidas racer tr 21 midsole softness 20152342 main
Test results
Racer TR21 21.0 HA
Average 21.5 HA
We use an average of four tests. The photo shows one of those tests.
Compared to 224 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
8.5 HA
Midsole softness (soft to firm)
41.5 HA

Difference in midsole softness in cold

We tested the shoe's performance under cold conditions by putting it in our freezer for 20 minutes.

Now, we can confirm that with a hardness of 28.3 HA, it's close to being considered firm, nearly reaching the 30 HA mark.

Given its £80 price tag, we expected this shoe's performance under cold FZ4663 to be subpar. This is typically the case with EVA-based midsoles.

So, the 34.5% increase in hardness didn't disappoint us too much. In fact, most shoes in this price range perform significantly worse.

Adidas Racer TR21 footwear pusha adidas swift run x fy2117 ftwwht ftwwht ftwwht
Test results
Racer TR21 34.5%
Average 25.6%
Compared to 223 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
0%
Difference in midsole softness in cold
100%

Stability

Uitstekend pusha adidas gamecourt 2 schoeisel

The moment we slipped our feet into the TR21, we immediately felt its impressive stability. What a pleasant surprise!

Torsional rigidity

The shoe appears and feels flexible, yet when it comes to torsional flexibility, it's fairly average, leaning more towards the firm side and we rated it at 3/5.

Test results
Racer TR21 3
Average 3.2
Compared to 275 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1
Torsional rigidity
5

adidas Velcro Trainers Kid Fortarun ATR Frozen EL

Adidas didn't took any risks designing the heel counter in the Racer TR21. It's not the usual super-soft heel because there's some resistance, primarily from a plastic piece that surrounds the area.

We rated it as a 2 out of 5, which in our view strikes a good balance between preventing heel slippage and maintaining comfort.

Test results
Racer TR21 2
Average 2.8
Compared to 259 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
1
adidas Velcro Trainers Kid Fortarun ATR Frozen EL
5

Solpanel NMD 50

The forefoot offers an average landing platform, measuring 113.9 mm. There's nothing out of the ordinary or negative to report here!

adidas racer tr 21 midsole width in the forefoot 20152349 main
Test results
Racer TR21 113.9 mm
Average 113.7 mm
Compared to 297 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
100.5 mm
Solpanel NMD 50
126.5 mm

eh2133 pusha adidas d

However, there's something interesting happening with the heel. We initially suspected that this shoe was designed with heel strikers in mind, given the large heel-to-toe drop and its very low forefoot stack.

This became even more evident when we measured the heel at 95.0 mm—wider than most shoes—which promotes stability for heel strikers.

Adidas Racer TR21 eh2133 pusha adidas d
Test results
Racer TR21 95.0 mm
Average 90.5 mm
Compared to 297 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
74.9 mm
eh2133 pusha adidas d
106.6 mm

Flexibility

Stiffness

We mentioned earlier that the shoe seemed flexible at first glance, but it didn't show that much when we tried to twist it. It's during the 90-degree bending test that the shoe truly astonished us with its flexibility.

We only made 13.7N of force to bend it to 90 degrees, so it ranks among the top 3% of the most flexible shoes we've ever analysed in the lab.

Test results
Racer TR21 13.7N
Average 29.1N
We use an average of four tests. The video shows one of those tests.
Compared to 279 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
2.2N
Stiffness
94.4N

Difference in stiffness in cold

Under cold FZ4663, the flexibility follows a similar pattern to the softness. The change is clearly noticeable.

Needing 21.9N of force to bend it to 90 degrees, it doesn't retain its super-flexible characteristic anymore.

This results in a 59.5% increase, which disappointingly underperforms compared to most other shoes.

Test results
Racer TR21 59.5%
Average 36.2%
Compared to 279 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
0%
Difference in stiffness in cold
148%

Size and fit

Internal length

At 272.9 mm, the shoe it's a little bit longer than it should (270 mm), but likely not enough to warrant sizing down unless your feet are particularly narrow.

adidas racer tr 21 internal length 20152353 main
Test results
Racer TR21 272.9 mm

Toebox width at the widest part

With a measurement of 100.4 mm, the Racer TR21 crosses the 100 mm threshold. This makes it, without a doubt, a wide shoe in the shelves.

Adidas Racer TR21 Toebox width at the widest part
Test results
Racer TR21 100.4 mm
Average 98.3 mm
Compared to 297 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
89.5 mm
Toebox width at the widest part
109.1 mm

adidas consortium munich royal spring

adidas stan smith forever collection release info.

adidas racer tr 21 toebox width at the big toe 2 20152367 720

For those of us with wide feet, this shoe really fits the bill.

adidas racer tr 21 toebox width at the big toe 20152357 main
Test results
Racer TR21 79.5 mm
Average 78.2 mm
Compared to 171 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
60.4 mm
adidas consortium munich royal spring
92.5 mm

Tongue: gusset type

While we don't usually anticipate a gusseted tongue in a £80 shoe, it feels like a fantastic bonus when we do encounter one. Unfortunately, we're out of luck this time.

Adidas Racer TR21 Tongue: gusset type
Test results
Racer TR21 None

Comfort

Tongue padding

For a shoe tipping the scales at over 11 ounces, it's seriously disappointing to find just a 2.9-mm-thick tongue. This could lead to compromised comfort, a letdown considering this is a casual shoe intended for all-day wear.

Adidas Racer TR21 Tongue padding
Test results
Racer TR21 2.9 mm
Average 5.6 mm
Compared to 294 running shoes
adidas climacool precious metals pack silver gold
0.5 mm
Tongue padding
14.2 mm

Heel tab

We're always fans of heel tabs, serving as both style-enhancers and practical aids for sliding your feet into the shoe.

This model features a finger-loop heel tab, which earns our praise—it's a cool-looking detail!

Adidas Racer TR21 Heel tab
Test results
Racer TR21 Finger loop

Removable insole

The insole isn't glued down. This means you have the flexibility to swap it out with custom orthotics or an insole from another shoe.

Adidas Racer TR21 Removable insole
Test results
Racer TR21 Yes

Misc

Reflective elements

Finally, we're let down to report that the TR21 doesn't feature any reflective elements at all.

Adidas Racer TR21 Reflective elements
Test results
Racer TR21 No