There aren’t many shoes I would run a marathon right out of the box in…
OK, that’s a bit of a lie, because unless I’m racing for a time, I’m usually willing to put things to the test in pursuit of a good review opportunity.
But truthfully there aren’t many non-carbon plated shoes that I would run a marathon in without rigorously testing them first. (Maybe the Asics Superblast 2 – although I did an 18 and 20 miler in them to see if I wanted to wear them at Berlin – full review coming soon).
So with the idea that putting 26.2 miles in the Adizero EVO SL trainers (plus two shakeout runs) would be a good way of properly testing them, and the fact they looked REALLY good with my outfit, I went with them on race day.
Inspired by the original, record-breaking Adidas supershoe, the PRo EVO 1, the Adizero EVO SL is for every runner, not just the elites. This isn’t a £450 single wear shoe, these are designed to be trained in, raced in, for long runs or picking up the pace (although they do look very similar!)
The LIGHTSTRIKE PRO foam, according to Adidas, is designed to provide cushioning and comfort for optimal energy return without carbon rods.
The upper and collar are more substantial than their race day plated shoes, which makes sense given you’re likely to put more wear and tear into your everyday shoe. The collar is firmer than the Pro 4 (having felt it, not run in it!) but not as rigid as Adizero Boston 11.
The upper is a thicker mesh that is more stable and supportive whilst the heel toe drop is 7mm, (39m in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot). It feels like enough for my heel striking running style and plenty of stack for a really comfortable run. I personally like a decent amount of cushioning, even on speedier runs (ha, what are those – haven’t done anything *fast* in a while!) and. these provide a plush ride without that slipper feeling that a lot of cushioned shoes give.
Pros
Cost – running shoes have gotten really expensive and I wouldn’t have been shocked if these were priced around £200. Refreshingly they’ll be on sale for £130 when they’re released today (update they sold out immediately, Personally I think that’s really good value!
Weight – these are the lightest shoes in the Adidas training shoe line. At just 224g for a size 8.5UK these feel very lightweight despite it being 86g heavier than the EVO 1 carbon shoes.
Sizing – these came up true to size, I wore my usual running shoe size 6.5 UK. I also have a wider foot and didn’t have any pinch points with these. Adidas shoes do tend to come up quite narrow in many of their styles but I had no issues in these. I did get one small blister on race day but I think that may have been more due to my socks, which btw were also new – whoops.
Cons
Sole – I found they got a little bit slippy in the later stages of the race during the water stations. Whilst they have the Continental rubber on the sole, its Continental Rubber (Conti Winter) at the forefoot and CL Rubber (Clear Rubber) at the back. Now I don’t know what the difference but I wonder if I found these a bit more slippery as a heel striker, especially towards the end of the race when my form would have been a bit sloppy.
I’m not sure how these would stand up to the slick roads during a British autumn/winter – especially with the leaf coverage. I would not say these are a hybrid shoe – I push my road shoes to the limit on the Thames Path, but I’ll keep as strictly pavement.
Tongue slippage – someone mentioned this to me at the shake out run, and although I didn’t experience any issues with it, it was visually apparent after a couple of mins wearing the trainers that the tongue had slipped down – it would have been amazing if it had been gusseted.
Adidas suggest these shoes are designed for running and when you’re not… personally that wasn’t the case and I didn’t find them to be a shoe I’d pick up to wear sightseeing/to an expo or other long day on my feet. And for those looking for more stablity/support, the upper doesn’t provide a lot – I had no issues on race day or in the miles I’ve logged subsequently (I’ve run about 50 miles in these in the last month).
Overall I really like these as a great, affordable all rounder shoe. I think Adidas has done a fab job at creating something that not only looks the part but really does work as a versatile shoe for training and for those not wanting to fork out for carbon plating, a race day shoe.
Whilst I really like the shoe, I do kind of hate these limited early releases then full releases 6 months later. There are limited pairs are on sale today before full release in March 2025!
Are you tempted to buy a pair? What shoes/kit shall I try out next?
