adidas Adios — ($110)

How many shoes have run faster than 2:04 in the marathon? Only these. And they should probably be called “Dehaan Kun” because that is “adios” in Haile Gebresalassie’s native tongue. These classic racing flats have a close and narrow fit that embraces the foot through every stage of their smooth heel-to-toe transition. Our testers found that the tongue is a little sloppy, but it didn’t detract from the shoe’s ride, which is enhanced by the flexible uppers and firm and adequately cushioned midsole. These are recommended for 5K to half marathon; only Gebresalassie types would use the Adios to race a marathon. adidas.com/running