Adidas Adizero Avanti XC review

After testing the Adidas Adizero Avanti XC in the lab and on its usual playground, we think that works well for:

• Runners who want a more forgiving and stable cross country spike based on what we felt in testing.
• XC athletes looking for a strong mix of performance and price, without paying top-tier spike money.
• Those with wider feet who need a bit of extra room up in the toebox.

We believe the biggest drawback of the Adidas Adizero Avanti XC is its high weight. That extra mass felt a bit disappointing for a race-day XC spike, so we do not recommend it for runners chasing a super-light, feel. Look at the On Cloudspike XC instead!

We also think it’s not the best choice for runners who want a rugged upper. The Nike Dragonfly XC offers a more robust design featuring protective overlays while keeping the same excellent breathability.

The Adidas Adizero Avanti XC sits right at the edge of current World Athletics rules, which cap stack height at 20 mm for spikes.

At 19.2 mm in the heel, it squeezes in a generous amount of foam that proves especially helpful during longer cross-country races.

The forefoot mirrors the heel design, reaching 19.3 mm. That maxed-out thickness is exactly what you want for performance, as it helps keep the muscles fresher late in the race, which matters a lot when cross-country courses get truly brutal.

The Avanti XC is a true zero-drop spike, as we measured an almost nonexistent -0.1 mm difference from heel to toe. Like most spikes, it is clearly built for fast running and favors midfoot or forefoot landings whenever possible.

The midsole uses Lightstrike Pro foam, delivering world-class energy return with every step. It truly feels lively and bouncy, just as you would expect from the same foam found in the Adizero EVO SL.

Therefore, this is not the softer Lightstrike Pro variation used in the Adios Pro 4. Instead, it matches the firmer and denser TPEE version from the Adios Pro 3 at 19.6 HA, which trades extreme plushness for stability and makes much more sense for a demanding cross-country spike.

The Avanti XC features a full-length plate, but it avoids extreme stiffness by skipping carbon fiber. Instead, Adidas uses a glass fiber plate, a choice often seen in super trainers for its more forgiving feel and added flexibility. It is also a nice touch that the plate is made from bio-based materials.

When we unboxed the Avanti XC and put it on, we immediately noticed a slightly roomier fit than most track spikes, which felt refreshing for runners who only race from time to time and struggle with very tight uppers.

After creating our gel mold of the Avanti XC, our first measurement came in at 91.2 mm, clearly above the current average.

Our second measurement fully explains why the shoe feels roomier than most rivals.

At 74.1 mm, it provides extra space and makes the Avanti XC a better option for runners who struggle with a standard spike fit.

The toebox height tells a different story. The upper sits very low at just 23.0 mm, making it best suited for runners who like a secure fit with minimal vertical movement over the toes.

By skipping a carbon-fiber plate and using a gentler material, the Avanti XC delivers a more flexible and less harsh ride. We confirmed this in the lab with a 12.3N result in our 30-degree bend test.

This is easily the weakest point of the Avanti XC. At 6.7 oz or 190g, Adidas clearly pushed weight savings aside and it leaves the spike feeling heavier than many direct rivals.

Whether that extra mass is a deal-breaker depends on you, but there’s no denying this model sits on the heavy end for a modern XC spike.

The upper of the Avanti XC is clearly designed for cross-country racing, delivering excellent breathability with a perfect 5 out of 5 in our test, along with very effective water drainage.

Strong ventilation runs across the midfoot and forefoot, which we clearly showed by moving the upper over a light. This also revealed an internal support cage that helps keep the foot securely in place.

Looking at the upper under the microscope explained why airflow is so good and why mud stays out. The fabric uses tiny, micro-sized openings that balance ventilation with protection.

It is also worth noting that the upper is made from 100% recycled materials, which is a nice bonus for runners who care about sustainability.

On the downside, heel padding feels a bit minimal given the shoe’s higher weight, and a lighter yet more cushioned foam could improve comfort in that area.

The plate adds a noticeable touch of rigidity and lifts the score to 4 out of 5, but it remains clearly less stiff than it would be with a carbon-fiber plate.

The heel counter sits on the opposite end of the spectrum, scoring just 2 out of 5 in our evaluation and offering limited structure. Even so, we found the lockdown to feel secure and confident, and for a race-focused spike tailored for midfoot and forefoot strikers, avoiding a firm or intrusive heel counter makes sense.

One area where the Avanti XC clearly stands out from most spikes is its midsole width.

The forefoot expands to 103.6 mm, creating a wider footprint that boosts stability, though it also adds weight by making the shoe larger overall.

The same applies to the heel, where the Avanti XC measures 68.1 mm, wider than the average spike. If standard spikes feel too narrow or minimal for you, this one offers a more stable platform!

The upper excels in pure performance, but durability is clearly not its strength. The recycled mesh stood no chance against our Dremel test, resulting in a clear 1 out of 5 score.

On the other hand, the heel padding performed exceptionally well against abrasion, earning a perfect 5 out of 5 score, which suggests it should hold up very well over time.

Adidas added rubber in the heel that extends slightly into the midfoot, reaching a maximum thickness of 2.8 mm. This is a smart touch for runners concerned about wear in this area, especially when mixing cross-country races with track workouts.

Adidas keeps things extremely minimal with this spike, fitting the shoe with a paper-thin insole that measures only 2.5 mm. That is roughly half the thickness we usually see in standard road running models.

The Avanti XC uses a lacing system borrowed from road supershoes like the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2, with a very similar layout. However, this XC version adds an elastic strap inspired by trail shoes to stop lace movement, which is a very interesting and clever detail.

The tongue itself is extremely thin and uses the same material as the upper, with no focus on comfort, measuring just 1.2 mm with our calipers.

The Avanti XC lacks a bit of speed compared to state-of-the-art competitors, but it also comes at a lower price than those rivals. And that price advantage matters a lot for a shoe that many runners only use a handful of times each year.

It doesn’t add anything to performance, but the heel tab on the Adizero Avanti XC is brutally cool.

When you flip it up, it reveals a simple truth about most cross-country courses: what goes up must come down.