Hannah H.
Adidas
Brand
JS4454
Product Code
$150
Retail Price
March 2025
Official Release Date
Super Trainer
Shoe Type
Adidas
Retailer
Everyone loves this bestselling Adidas super trainer, but I still don’t see why.
I picked up the smash-hit Adidas Adizero EVO SL running shoes in the throes of my cricket-induced turf toe.
My beloved Hoka Cliftons made the pain worse – especially the mushy new Clifton 10s. So I needed a change.
Since then, I’ve run in the Adizero EVO SL shoes for exactly 200 miles as of this post date (I did the math)! While they don’t aggravate my injury, I’m still searching for the joy in them.
Adidas Adizero EVO SL Running Shoes Review
The Adizeros are Everywhere
Adidas wasn’t even on my radar for running shoes. For me, their many fashion trainers dilute the reputation of their more elite products. The Adizero EVO SL Running Shoes changed that in 2025. This release catapulted a premium shoe into every everyday runner’s lineup.
And that was precisely the goal: Adidas stuck high-quality foam in an affordable super trainer package intended for real, average runners. That’s why it was named the top shoe of 2025 by most running shoe reviewers. Runners rarely agree on shoes, but if there was ever an internet favorite, it’s the Adidas Adizero EVO SL.
Even I bought into the hype. If I needed a turf toe fix, I might as well try what many were calling the best running shoe ever made. The Adidas Adizero EVO SL is classified as a super trainer. That means it can handle daily runs and races. It’s also an all-distance, distance-running shoe, with better performance at quicker paces.
The shoe has been such a hit, I don’t see it being retired anytime soon. In fact, Adidas is actively releasing new colorways and versions with different uppers.
Adidas Adizero EVO SL Running Shoes Value
Every store sells this shoe, so it should be easy to find for cheap. For example, I bought it from Simon Outlets in September 2025 for $90 + tax. That’s $60 off the list price of $150.
Having worn the Adidas Adizero EVO SL running shoes for 200 miles, I’m happy I didn’t pay full price. The overall package is slightly flimsy. But, to be fair, I refuse to pay $150 for any pair of shoes.
Materials
Everyone loves the $150 price-point because of the elite foam midsole. To offer it, Adidas did skimp on other parts of the shoe. The shoe upper is engineered mesh. This breathable layer hasn’t torn – yet – but it’s quite thin and it lets in all the grime.
The un-gusseted tongue is flimsy, short, and finicky, and the laces are as delicate as an aristocrat’s fingers.
It’s telling that Adidas has since released two versions of the same shoe with the only changes being an “improved” upper and tongue.
From mile 1 through 200, the exalted Lightstrike Pro foam midsole has felt too firm for me. While I don’t enjoy this perpetual stiffness, it does mean that the Lightstrike Pro foam doesn’t break down easily. And in terms of value, this is indeed the same expensive foam found in Adidas’ elite racing shoes.
The outsole is the more concerning area. It’s made from Continental Tire rubber and clear rubber. The clear rubber is code for no outsole, and it shows after 200 miles with wear and puncture marks.
Solve the mystery of how I run based on the wear patterns.
Both the tire and clear rubber are advertised as grippy. I found them to be too smooth from day 1 and they’re only getting balder.
The Continental rubber is also peeling away along the edges of the midsole. It’s a combo of natural wear and tear, and cut corners to lower the cost.
Finally, I’m happy I picked a white shoe because it hides scuffs and peeling on the unadulterated foam. I suspect the dyed mid/outsoles would get real ugly fast.
Overall, the Adidas Adizero EVO SL running shoe has average durability. The compromise for its light weight is delicate, and sometimes cheap, components. After another 100 miles, I think this shoe will need to be laid to rest.
Appearance
We recently reviewed the Adidas Howzat spikeless cricket shoe and I liked the modern-vintage look. The brand’s signature clean, throwback styling also shines in the Adizero EVO SL running shoes.
Maybe that’s why I think of Adidas as a fashion running brand: their products usually look good. I bought the Cloud White/Blue Fusion/Off White colorway (women’s) because it was the cheapest. The shoes are both retro and modern. Part of this is due to the color scheme itself. The only real decoration on the white shoe is the enormous vintage baby blue three stripes logo.
I personally like the brazen simplicity of the geometric logo overflowing from the more classically shaped upper onto the modern-day midsole. It’s like a bridge between the 1970’s and today.
All Hoka shoes have a distinctly 21st-century chunky anatomy. It’s a futuristic baroque appearance that’s quite ugly. In contrast, the slim sole shape and upturned, pointed toe of the Adizero EVO SL running shoes recalls the Adidas SL72 or the Nike Cortez.
The throwback upper nestled delicately atop the fat rocker midsole is both a nod to the past and an embrace of modern shoe technology. When I don a pair of white crew socks and my Adidas Adizero EVO SLs in White/Blue Fusion, I feel like an old-school cool runner ready to take on year 2026.
These shoes did get dirty quickly, especially with the raw foam and sweat-breath-mesh. But I just say it’s proof that I actually run.
Fit and Weight
I bought the Adidas Adizero EVO SL running shoes in US Women’s Size 11B because they were on sale, and surprisingly, they accommodate my wide feet.
Shoe Size
My bigger foot is 26.5 cm long and 11.5 cm wide. Length-wise the Adizero EVO SL in Women’s 11B has been perfect. Width-wise, I wanted a little extra space on the right shoe’s medial side when it was brand new. This is my turf toe foot, so I notice any crowding.
However, the shoes expanded with wear and fit comfortably now. I also haven’t had a single blister or bloody toenail.
Adidas Adizero EVO SL Weight
Everyone loves the featherlight weight of the Adizero shoe. Adidas achieved this with the sparse rubber on the outsole, the lightweight Lightstrike Pro foam, and the thin mesh upper. As we’ve discussed, the tradeoffs are slipperiness and questionable durability.
While the Adizeros feel clunky to me, objectively they’re pretty lightweight at 480 grams. Let’s see how they compare to my other running shoes:
US W 11B
Saucony Endorphin Pro 3
430 Grams
US M 10D
Hoka Clifton 9
532 Grams
US M 10D
Hoka Clifton 10
552 Grams
The new Clifton is extra chonky, but the Adizero is 50 grams heavier than my Saucony Endorphin Pro 3s.
Comfort and Performance
Speaking of the Saucony Endorphin Pro shoes, my meh attitude towards the Adidas Adizero EVO SL stems from its comfort performance relative to my other running shoes. Let’s start with the primary selling point of this shoe: the fancy foam.
Adidas Adizero EVO SL Lightstrike Pro Midsole
The midsole is Lightstrike Pro foam, which consists of two layers of EVA foam and cushioning. According to Adidas, Lightstrike Pro is “designed to limit energy loss and provide an ultra-lightweight midsole.” With each step, the foam compresses, and then returns the energy back to the runner.
Versus Other Running Shoes
I found the ride to be stiff, hard, and dead since day one – even during tempo runs. My Hokas are heavier, softer, and more cushioned, but they goad me to go faster than the Adizeros.
My carbon-plated Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 shoes, which are comparably priced, make me go faster. I feel the energy return instantly in the Endorphin Pros. I expected the same from the Adidas Adizero EVO SLs based on reviews, but they have yet to spark joy or pace on my runs. Maybe it’s my footfall, but these will always be my second-choice shoes for every type of workout. They make my runs boring.
I only wear them because they don’t aggravate my turf toe. So maybe I can give them kudos for that: the firmer foam keeps my toe joint from hyperextending.
Outsole and Instability
Continental rubber is literally tire rubber and a signature feature of many Adidas running shoes.
I’m going to harp on the outsole again. The continental rubber is a thin layer of bald tire rubber with shallow cutouts for grippiness. The shoe is already somewhat unstable from a narrow midfoot and the flimsy upper. Combined with the slippery bottom, I’m concerned every time I turn a corner.
I wore the Adizero EVO SLs on a lightly sand-dusted concrete beach path. My feet started slipping as soon as I picked up the pace. The Saucony Endorphin shoes have this same issue, so less grip might just be a fact of life for lighter shoes.
However, I think the slippery instability undermines the Adizero EVO SLs expressed usefulness as a daily trainer, because angles and obstacles suck in these shoes.
Comfort
I gave these shoes a lot of chances to be fast. When that didn’t happen, I waited for them to be fun. When that didn’t happen, I considered if they were comfy. Unfortunately, they’re not even a great walking shoe in the way Hoka running shoes can lead a double life.
The Adidas Adizero EVO SL trainers don’t feel comfortable in the way I am aware of how good my Hoka running shoes feel on my feet. I appreciate that these Adidas shoes haven’t spurred any new injuries. But I really don’t look forward to wearing them for long periods of time.
I’m still waiting for the wow factor with the Adidas Adizero EVO SL Super Trainer
There’s definitely elite race foam in these Adidas shoes, but I don’t see a scenario – track workout, easy run, tempo run – where I would choose to use it.
When I’m fully healthy, I simply prefer a plusher ride underfoot for my daily trainer. For up-tempo workouts, the Saucony Endorphin Pro 3 is better all-around than the Adidas Adizero EVO SL shoe: cheaper, lighter, better durability, and faster.
All-in-all, these shoes are meh for me, but they might be a wow for you.
You Might Also Like
-
5 Things I Never Knew My Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Watch Did
I bet you don’t know all of the cool things your Garmin watch can do.