Takumi Sen 10 review

US Size 9.5 men’s — 5’7(.5) (174 cm) and 125 lbs (57 kg)

For context I am a high school junior competing in the United States. I run cross country in the fall and track in the spring. I wore these shoes in my state championship where I placed in the top 25. I got these shoes because I enjoy a low drop experience and wanted a modernized version of a racing flat.

The upper/sizing: The upper is very light weight and comfortable. Where I live it is very hot and humid, so how breathable the upper is made a really big impression on me. The shoe definitely runs a little small, as I am between a 9 and 9.5 U.S men’s, and this 9.5 still had a really snug race day feel. The heel offers little to no structure, and for me a runners loop is completely necessary for this shoe to function at its peak. Without one, my ankles felt loose in the shoe when going around tight corners. Adidas sent another huge swing and a miss the the laces, which I ended up replacing. I had no complaints about the tongue

Midsole: The midsole on this shoe is substantially lower than you see in a lot of shoes now, with only about 33 mm of foam in the heel. The foam felt significantly more firm than other super foams, like Zoomx, to me. In my opinion this really benefited the shoe because it keeps it snappy and turnover high. The energy rods in the Takumi are bouncy and give a lot of spring. It felt like when I was on concrete or asphalt, a midfoot strike would hit all of the rods and provide excellent energy return. This shoe is NOT for heel strikers. The transition from heel to forefoot is clunky, and the energy rods don’t really provide much off of a heel strike.

Outsole: I have put almost 60 miles on these and the outsole shoes little wear and tear. The continental rubber patch provides really good traction, even in the rain for me, while the heel shows minor signs of use. From what I can tell it’s all cosmetic.

Summary: the Takumi Sen 10 is a really fast shoe that works for almost everything I’ve thrown at it. It handles races, thresholds, and track workouts really well and provides excellent spring and speed at a super light weight. These shoes feel feather light but offer good ground feel and solid energy return.

This is my first shoe review on here! Let me know if you guys have any questions!