Adidas Training Spezial review

We believe that Adidas made a very successful take on the casual Handball Spezial sneaker by adapting it to the needs of the gym crowd.

You are likely to enjoy the Training Spezial if:

• you want a break from the built-up athletic cross-trainers like Metcons or Nanos
• you prefer flat, low-stack, and firm platforms for strength training workouts
• you'd love a visually appealing sneaker for both gym and casual wear

On the flip side, this Adidas trainer also has its limits. If your workouts are built around cardio/aerobics/conditioning, you will likely prefer a better-cushioned option with higher shock absorption, like the Nike Free Metcon 6.

And if you focus on heavy lifting and want to reach new personal bests, the Adidas Dropset 3 may be a more suitable option without stepping into full-on lifting shoes.

With a low-range shock absorption of 78 SA in the heel and a minimalist-like reading of 41 SA in the forefoot, the Training Spezial is definitely not your best bet for high-impact sessions (cardio, aerobics, etc.)

However, it creates an amazingly stable and grounded platform for more stationary, lifting-based workouts.

Meanwhile, the presence of a responsive REPETITOR foam keeps this Adidas trainer a bit more versatile for general fitness.

We recorded its energy return at a solid average: 54.4% in the heel and 55.2% in the forefoot. It's not a bounce castle by any means, but offers some controlled response for walking and lighter kinds of jumps. Warm-up runs or intervals up to a mile are also bearable in this trainer.

Much like the classic Spezial silhouette that inspired it, the Training Spezial is built on a very low platform.

It is notably lower than average, with a heel stack of 19.4 mm, but not quite as low as the Adidas The Total, a deadlifting-oriented shoe (12.5 mm).

The shoe's forefoot stack also proved to be much lower than average at only 13.4 mm. Ground feel and proprioception are very pronounced here, contributing to balance and stability.

The Training Spezial's heel-to-toe drop came in exactly 6.0 mm, matching Adidas's stats to the decimal. That's the most optimal offset for cross-training, promoting a very surefooted experience.

The shoe features a dual-density REPETITOR midsole, where the firmer, less compressible foam (red) is located in the heel area for enhanced stability.

Our durometer recorded its firmness at 29.4 HA. While not as hard as that of the Adidas Dropset 3 (41.0 HA), it still falls into the firmer category. For reference, it is on par with the heel firmness of the Reebok Nano X5 (29.9 HA).

The white foam, on the other hand, showed a more balanced reading of 25.0 HA. Moderately soft, it adds forefoot and midfoot comfort for walking, short runs, and plyometric exercises.

We find it odd that Adidas calls the Training Spezial a wide-fit shoe, as it didn't even feel spacious on our medium-width feet!

Creating a gel mould of the shoe's interiors helped us shed more light on the situation...

Using a digital calliper, we measured the widest part of the shoe's mould at only 94.9 mm! That's tangibly narrower than the training shoe average, and also narrower than the Dropset 3 (98.1 mm)! Even though both shoes are claimed to have been built on the same last.

Granted, the Training Spezial is at least wider than the Handball Spezial sneaker (89.5 mm).

Could it be that it has a wide, foot-shaped toebox like The Total (77.7 mm)? Nope.

The Training Spezial has a very moderate width of 72.8 mm at the big toe. That actually lies toward the narrower end of the medium-width range.

Alternative width options are not available for this Adidas shoe either.

We found no added vertical space in the Training Spezial. There is a clear downward taper towards the toes, much like in the original Spezial.

Our calliper measured its toebox height at 26.6 mm, which is close to the category average. For those without toe issues, vertical toebox pressure shouldn’t be a concern.

The Training Spezial's Traxion outsole showed a fairly good friction coefficient of 0.27 in our test. While it's not the stickiest rubber, it maintains a reliable grip on the common gym surfaces.

But be mindful of your footing on slippery patches and sweaty spots.

The outsole design of this Adidas trainer is borrowed from the Spezial sneaker. The only difference is the shape of the small brand logos in the heel area. Those changed from the lifestyle Trefoil shapes to the Three Stripes to indicate the Training Spezial's performance-oriented design.

Needing only 8.1N of force to bend by 30 degrees, the Adidas Training Spezial bends very easily with the foot.

Bendier than the average cross-trainer, it accommodates lunges, planks, burpees, and rope jumps just fine.

In the sea of overbuilt cross-trainers, the Adidas Training Spezial stands out with its toned-down, minimalist construction, which is also reflected in the shoe's weight.

At 9.6 oz (272g), it is less than an ounce away from the minimalist trainers!

While the shoe's CORDURA nylon mesh is built to last, its sturdiness surely limits the airflow.

Seeing some billows of smoke pass through the shoe's toebox, we weren't as concerned about drowning in sweat, but we did lower this Adidas trainer's breathability score to a moderate 3/5.

The nylon mesh also showed its semi-transparent nature in our LED test, further proving that the Training Spezial is not hopelessly suffocating.

But looking at the CORDURA nylon through our microscope, we could see that the chainlinking is pretty tight, prioritising durability over ventilation.

It's hard not to feel stable in a flat and low-stack shoe like the Adidas Training Spezial. Its gum sole also rises up slightly to cradle the base of the foot.

Offering a moderately firm, close-to-the-ground platform, the shoe barely needs additional stabilisers to keep the foot and ankle steady during moderate training.

But if you intend to lift heavy and set some PRs, you may benefit from the more reinforced Adidas Dropset 3 and its lateral TPU sidewalls.

The shoe's thin-soled, low-key construction makes it quite easy to bend not only forward but also sideways. Assessing its torsional rigidity on a 1-5 scale, we gave it a lower score of 2.

The heel counter of this Adidas trainer is not particularly structured either, scoring only 2 out of 5 in our manual test. However, this doesn't compromise heel and ankle stability, thanks to the shoe's firm and low-stack platform.

The Training Spezial's low-profile silhouette allows it to keep the midsole width rather slim without causing instability. The widest part of the forefoot showed 104.7 mm on our calliper.

Our measurements confirmed that this Adidas shoe's midsole dimensions are equally slender as those of the Handball Spezial.

The heel of the Spezial trainer is also among the narrowest in gym shoes, measuring only 76.8 mm at its widest point.

If you're tired of massive and cumbersome cross-trainers, this Adidas shoe feels like a breath of fresh air!

A hard-wearing CORDURA nylon mesh makes up the primary upper material of the Training Spezial. Additionally, it is also reinforced with sturdy synthetic overlays in the high-wear areas, such as the toebox.

Applying our Dremel to the shoe's T-shaped synthetic rand for 12 seconds, the material remained practically unscathed!

Earning a high toebox durability score of 4/5, this trainer is ready for some tough repetitive slashes and toe drags.

A soft microfiber-like material inside the shoe's collar resisted our Dremel test just as beautifully. Showing no signs of wear, it earned the maximum durability score of 5/5!

Last but not least, its outsole gum rubber also held up, showing only a 1.0 mm dent. This is normal damage for an average training shoe.

A decent outsole thickness of 3.0 mm complements the shoe's sturdy rubber compound, promising lasting durability.

The Training Spezial has a standard insole thickness of 3.7 mm.

You can remove the insole to create more space inside the shoe, as long as you are fine with less underfoot padding and a firmer feel.

And if you are considering a custom orthotic, it may not bode well with the slimmer interior of this Adidas shoe.

With a moderate thickness of 3.8 mm, the tongue is minimally padded in the Training Spezial. But it's thick enough to prevent lace bites.

A pull tab is not part of the deal in this Adidas shoe.

With no tongue gussets, you might experience slight tongue shifting when moving sideways in this trainer.

The Adidas Training Spezial's retail price sits slightly below the training shoe average, and we believe that's fair. While it's not overpacked with too many technologies, the shoe offers high-quality essentials that make it effective, comfortable, and durable.