Adidas Product Testing: Get Free Adidas Products

Adidas product testing is a pretty cool gig, but not everyone is aware that the program exists.

If you’re a fan of Adidas and want to be part of the brand’s history, participate in this program and get first dibs (and your voice heard) whenever the company is about to launch a new product.

You aren’t going to get paid unfortunately, but you can try out some new products before they hit the shelves. Even cooler, your feedback can shape the direction Adidas goes in the future.

Is Adidas Product Testing Legit?

The Adidas Product Testing program is a legitimate, in-house program. It was started in 2015 and has continued to this day.

Before this program was created, Adidas relied on third-party consumer panels. Meaning, the company outsourced the entire process – from getting focus group participants to testing the products, and up to getting feedback.

Adidas figured that consumer panel testing isn’t an accurate way to get helpful reviews from would-be consumers. This is because products were just “inspected” and tried during the focus group dates, but not brought home for extensive testing.

What is Adidas Product Testing?

Adidas was founded on Adi Dassler’s principles of “Listen, Test, Modify” with athletes of all kinds. Testing its products is how Adidas develops the most technically advanced products available today.

But Adidas doesn’t just seek professional athletes as testers. The company also searches for ordinary citizens like you and me to join the testing process and lend their voices to the production and quality assurance stages.

Approved testers can get free shoes, specialty sportswear apparel, and other Adidas gears that have not yet been launched in stores. The items tested are new designs and testers would have to use them for a given testing period.

How to Become an Adidas Product Tester

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a pro athlete to become a product tester for Adidas. However, the company wants someone who:

• Is at least 18 years old
• Lives in the United States (or Europe),
• Has internet access and a valid e-mail address,
• Is passionate about sports, fashion, and the Adidas brand,
• Can read and write in the English language
• Is willing to provide body measurements

Testers are not allowed to test competitor products while participating in the Adidas testing.

They’re also not allowed to share any information related to the product you are testing, even on social media, personal messaging, or any other form of communication.

Of course, testers must also fill out the given survey and submit it to Adidas on time.

Adidas Product Testing Process

The application process is pretty straightforward, but before you get your hopes up, you need to understand that every Adidas item being tested has a very particular target market.

The company would pick you based on characteristics such as shoe/apparel size, demographic profile, geographic location, sport, and athletic profile.

1. Visit the official Adidas Product Testing page.

You’ll be asked if you’re located in Europe or the United States.

Once you pick the appropriate location, the next page will explain how the entire process works. If you’re OK with the terms, simply click the “GET STARTED” button.

2. Answer the Quick Survey and Sign up for the Program

You still get a little control over what kind of product you want to test.

Adidas gives would-be testers a quick survey that would effectively group people based on several things such as:

• Type of item: Would you rather receive apparel or footwear? Pick the appropriate one in the “Division” section.
• Gender: Choose either Male or Female.

• Your sizing: If you chose footwear, you’ll be asked about your footwear shoe size and foot width. If you chose apparel, you’d be asked particular sizes of your top, chest, hip, bottoms, waist, and thigh. Females have two extra sizing details for bra and under bust sizing.

Test products are usually produced in limited quantities and sizes. As such, there may be instances wherein you are qualified on all factors, but the products that require testers are only available in specific sizes. When this happens, you might still get disqualified.

• Interests: You can pick up to 5 types of interests. This lists down sports like wrestling, baseball, basketball, golf, running, skateboarding, soccer, and so on.

Around this time, if you choose interests and Adidas has NO match, the survey ends there and you’ll receive a notification that your qualifications have no match with existing product testing programs.

If the survey continues at this point, it means you’re still qualified for existing product testing programs at Adidas.

3. Be Specific with Your Interests

From here on out, you’d have to be a bit more patient because Adidas gets very specific on the survey. Just answer as honestly as you can.

Adidas will dig deeper into your interests.

For example, if you chose basketball, the survey will ask about your position (center, point guard, power forward etc.), performance level (recreational, professional, college), surface of the court (indoor or outdoor), and the number of basketball sessions you play each week.

In some cases, Adidas even gives you a slot to answer the existing shoe you wear for that particular sport.

In other cases, Adidas will ask what kind of outdoor activities you participate in and if you choose mountain biking, you’ll be asked about your performance level and the hours you spend each week doing that activity.

4. Enter Your Personal Details

The last part of the survey is your personal details. Make sure you include your:

• Real name,
• Address (this is where Adidas will send the items you’ll be testing,
• E-mail address,
• Phone number,
• Month and year of birth, and
  Body height.

You also need to confirm if you’re an Adidas employee or not. (FYI, being an Adidas employee immediately disqualifies you to take part in the program, sorry!)

Lastly, you need to agree to the terms & conditions, agree to the Wear Tester Agreement and tick off the box saying you want to be a contributor.

5. Get Chosen

If you are selected for a test, you will receive an e−mail inviting you to participate.

You need to confirm that you’ve decided to participate. Adidas will then mail you the test product along with instructions.

6. Test the Adidas Product

When you receive the sportswear, footwear, or other Adidas item, it will come with instructions.

For example:

• If you’re given running shoes to test, it will include the mileage per week you must use the shoes for running for the duration of the test period.

• If you’re given footwear specific for climbing, Adidas would note the number of hours you should use it for climbing for the length of the test period.

Once you receive the item/s, you’d have to keep a logbook of your daily/weekly activities.

In most cases, you’ll be asked to ship back the item to Adidas, so the company could inspect and evaluate the product. FYI, the company gives a return label so you don’t have to worry about courier fees.

7. Answer the Product Testing Questionnaire

To finish the program, you need to answer a questionnaire. Adidas usually emails you the link where to find this form.

The logbook you maintained could help you answer this final survey.

Adidas Product Testing FAQs

• How much do product testers make? The tester volunteers we’re talking about in this post are not paid anything at all. Full-time Adidas product testers who work in factories and offices and participate in the production and QA of all products earn about $92,000 annually.

• A social media influencer said she got paid for testing Adidas products. Is this true? It looks like Adidas is aware that some people on social media are claiming to have been financially compensated to be wear testers for adidas. Note that the company has addressed these claims as false and not sponsored or endorsed by Adidas.

• How long is the testing program? In general, the testing period lasts about two to four weeks. In cases when testing is required for over a month, you will be given specific instructions included in the package. Read the guide once you received Adidas products.

• Can I keep the Adidas items? Unfortunately, Adidas states on the website that you’d have to return the product. This is particularly true for sports-specific footwear since the company has to check the item’s condition after your testing. If you’re lucky and receive test products that do not need additional testing from QA, you might be asked to keep the items instead.

Things You Shouldn’t Expect as an Adidas Product Tester

One way to enjoy the Adidas product testing is to get your expectations right.

Here are several things you should know about the official Adidas product testing program:

• Adidas cosmetics are not included – If you came here to get free Adidas deodorant, lotion, makeup or other beauty products, note that the company doesn’t require public testing of these products.

It’s pretty understandable, too! This is because cosmetics and toiletries usually require additional tests (such as safety, stability, microbial testing) before they are allowed to launch.

• There is no recognition as an Adidas product tester – While Adidas doesn’t necessarily request you to keep your testing experience a secret, the company doesn’t really recognize specific names of the program participants. If you’re OK helping out a brand you love, then you could consider this experience as a once-in-a-lifetime kind of charity.

Adidas Product Testing Alternatives

As you can see, joining this program doesn’t really give you any monetary incentives. But it’s satisfying to know you can make a difference in future products of a brand you love.

If you want to learn about other brands that have their own product testing program, check out my post about Nike product testing, Apple product testing, or Amazon product testing.

If you’re looking for completely free footwear, then you’d have more luck checking out this post: List of brands and places giving away free shoes.