The vast majority of running shoes are designed for outdoor usage. That means they need to handle heavy impacts on hard, often uneven terrain and have to be resistant to outdoor weather.
Treadmills, by contrast, offer a softer landing and more consistent terrain, nullifying the benefit of extra cushioning, and they are indoors, requiring no weatherproofing. The Treadflow takes this into account, offering a lighterweight, more breathable option that’s more treadmill-friendly than any shoe to come before it.
Running up that (artificial) hill
So, what does that mean in practice? Let’s start with the outsole. Called “Lighttraxion,” the outsole is specifically formulated to interact with treadmill belts, offering less traction than road-going shoes and, in exchange, cutting down significantly on weight (hence the skeletonized cutouts).
But that’s not all. The midsole has also been adjusted. It features dual-cushioning Lightstrike and Lightstrike Pro foam tech pulled from the brand’s record-breaking Adizero line. It’s formulated to interact with treadmill surfaces to offer the ideal energy return and fast, engaging transition.