Adidas Duramo 10 Introduction

The name Duramo comes from a Latin word meaning “to last, to persist, to wear well and stand the test of time.” This is a shoe that lives up to its name. The firm midsole, rubber outsole, and 50% recycled-material-mesh upper hold their form.

Weight is not listed, but Duramo is average for weight with size 9.5 weighing the same as my size 10 in ASICS GT-2000 11 at 9.8 oz.

Duramo is adidas’ answer for runners who simply want a shoe that will be comfortable and durable and who do not want to experiment with foams and shoe designs that have not stood the test of time. The list price is $70 USD with plenty of sales to bring it even lower.

This shoe competes with ASICS Gel Excite 10, ASICS Gel Contend 9, Nike downshifter 12, New Balance Fresh Foam Arishi v4, Saucony Cohesion 16, and Reebok Ahary.

Look for a comparison of these more affordable running shoe options coming from RunningShoesGuru later this year!

Adidas Duramo 10 First Impressions

Taking this shoe out of the box it looked simple but cute! Surprisingly for a $70 shoe it comes in some black/gray/white variations plus two-tone blue and red options for men and a variety of colorways for women.

Walking around and on the first run Duramo 10 felt firm underfoot and basic—but protective and functional at the same time. It was refreshingly simple!

The older I get I need a softer cushion for runs over 4 miles and prefer more bounce for racing, but I truly enjoyed the firm responsiveness of the Duramo 10 ride for 1-4 miles at a time.

Sometimes tried and true is comforting, and that is the feel I get from Duramo 10.

Adidas Duramo 10 Upper

The upper feels comfortable and fits securely. It is friendly to the environment, made of a minimum 50% recycled textile material mesh.

It can get warm.

Lace holes are well protected, with a suede-like piece for the end holes and thick plastic reinforcing lace holes up to the ankle.

The tongue protects the foot decently well from tight laces. It has a tendency to bunch up closer to the tie point, but it can be adjusted.

The toe box has a strip decal that circles the box but lacks internal tip reinforcement. This is probably the lowest area of durability in an otherwise resilient shoe.

Some suggest placing a piece of duct tape on the inside of the shoe where toes often break through, for another layer of resistance.

The fit is true-to-size and medium width, heel through midfoot, perhaps a bit narrow in the forefoot, but it does stretch slightly with a break-in of about 15 miles.

Moving back in the shoe the heel counter, which wraps around the heel to counter excess horizontal motion, is low-moderate in quality and effectiveness. This is one factor, in addition to the firm cushion, that keeps this as a low mileage shoe in my book.

This shoe is available in wide width.

Adidas Duramo 10 Sole Unit

Duramo 10 carries a full-length LIGHTMOTION midsole that is relatively firm.

The LIGHTMOTION midsole is more resistant to pressure than the brand’s LIGHTSTRIKE material; it takes more force to indent the side when pushing on the foam. However, LIGHTMOTION foam is softer than ASICS (basic) FLYTEFOAM.

LIGHTMOTION provides a firm and somewhat responsive feel underfoot. Unlike some softer foams it is unlikely to crease excessively over time.

The ride is refreshingly simple in some ways: decent ground feel, no extra “give” to the foam; it is slightly blocky but overall pleasant.

Along with the locked-down upper this shoe provides a pleasant ride that does not stand out on either end, negatively or positively.

A sole that bevels outward on the inside of the foot below the toebox offers some natural stability to resist excess pronation.

Both the Lightstrike SL and Gel-DS Trainer 26, with comparable-thickness midsoles of the above-mentioned foams (LIGHTSTRIKE and FLYTEFOAM), are lighter and more breathable than Duramo 10 but also come with a higher price tag.

Part of what makes Duramo heavier is a full-length rubber outsole less a diamond cut-out mid foot. This version comes with a much more finely textured pattern than we saw on Duramo 9. This outsole is great for durability.

The drop heel down to toe is not listed but feels like 10 mm.

Adidas Duramo 10 Conclusions

Duramo 10 is a great buy for getting a lot out of your running shoe in basic comfort, grip, and durability.

This shoe has a no-nonsense ride that gets the job done with no complaints!

Recommended wear is for runs up to 4 miles at a time due to a low-moderate heel counter and firm midsole; shoe can double as an overall weight room and activity shoe.