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The Adidas Adizero Evo SL is a lightweight daily trainer that offers a high level of performance at a surprisingly reasonable price. Inspired by the Adidas Adizero Pro Evo 1 racing shoe but designed for everyday use, the Evo SL offers a fun and bouncy ride while still being practical for daily training.
It’s one of the best running shoes we’ve tested in a while, and should be a contender for your rotation. The Adidas Adizero Evo SL’s main rivals are the Hoka Mach 6 and New Balance Rebel v4, and it even provides stern competition for the Asics Superblast 2, despite the Superblast being much more expensive.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £130/$150
- Weight: 224g/7.9oz (men’s UK 9 / US 9.5)
- Drop: 6mm
- Stack height: 39mm heel, 33mm forefoot
- Upper: Lightweight mesh with added padding around the ankle
- Midsole: Lightstrike Pro foam
- Outsole: Continental rubber at the forefoot, Clear Rubber at the heel
Adidas Adizero Evo SL review
How’s The Fit
Nick and Tom tested the shoe and had differing thoughts on the fit, with Nick being happy in his normal size while Tom recommending going up half a size. The upper is comfortable all round though, with more padding than many Adidas Adizero shoes like the Boston 12.
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The Run Test: Likes
The standout feature of the Evo SL is its versatile performance. Whether you’re out for an easy run or pushing the pace with intervals or a tempo run, the Evo SL delivers. The Lightstrike Pro foam provides a springy, responsive feel while remaining soft enough for easy runs.
Nick found it shone during progression runs in particular, being comfortable enough for the easy sections and then lively and light enough to finish at speed. Nick found the foam also improves over time, becoming softer and bouncier after a few runs.
Even without the propulsion of a plate the Adidas Evo SL was fast enough for speedwork in our testing. It’s light and responsive, and it offers a smooth transition thanks to the sharp rocker under the forefoot.
The Run Test: Dislikes
We only have mild dislikes of the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, but one would be that it isn’t the most stable shoe for long easy runs, and probably works best in a rotation where you also have a dedicated cushioned shoe with more support for those.
At the other end of the speed scale, you will get a higher level of performance for speed sessions and races from a plated shoe, which deliver a more propulsive ride and make it easier to sustain fast paces over long distances. Again, having the Evo SL in rotation with a dedicated carbon plate running shoe would work well.
Verdict And Alternatives
The Adizero Evo SL has quickly become one of our favourite shoes for daily training. Its balance of comfort and speed in a lightweight design makes it an excellent choice for a wide range of runners and it’s also great value given the rocketing price of running shoes these days.
While it’s not quite as fast as a carbon-plated racer or as stable and supportive as a cushioned cruiser for long runs, it’s an ideal addition to a running rotation for those who want a fast, fun, and comfortable shoe for most training runs.
That said, if you are a one-shoe runner, it’s a very capable all-rounder that can be used for everything, including races.
The competition around its price tag includes the Hoka Mach 6 and New Balance Rebel v4, which are both a little more supportive, but neither have the bounce or speed of the Adidas Adizero Evo SL.
Within the Adidas range the Boston 13 is a similar shoe with rods in the midsole to add some punch, but the Boston is not as comfortable or light as the Adizero Evo SL, and we prefer the Evo SL for pretty much any kind of run. The Adizero SL 2 is a cheaper shoe that doesn’t have a full Lightstrike Pro midsole and is less energetic and springy.
The Asics Megablast is another standout plate-free all-rounder on the market and does outshine the Adizero Evo SL in some areas, notably by being more comfortable and stable while still having a lot of speed. However, the Evo SL is lighter and leaner, and a better speed day shoe, as well as being substantially cheaper than the Megablast.