- adidas’s marketing pitch: Experience the feeling of fast.
- Upper: Lightweight mesh, no inner sleeve.
- Midsole: Full-length Lightstrike Pro foam, composite shank. 6 mm heel drop.
- Outsole: Continental rubber (forefoot), Clear rubber (heel).
- Weight: 224 gms/ 7.9 Oz for a half pair of Men’s US 9/UK 8.5/EUR 42.5/CM 27.
- Stack heights: 39 mm (heel), 33 mm (forefoot).
- Available widths: Single, D – regular (reviewed).
- Country of origin: China.
- Recommended use: Tempo/threshold, 5K, 10K, half-marathons.
- Footstrike orientation: Midfoot/forefoot (full contact).
- Orthotic compatibility: No.
- Median lifespan: 450 miles.
- Recommended paces: 4:00 min/km (6:30 min/mile) and slower.
- Recommended temperature range: Warmer than -0° C/32° F.
Pros
- High energy return
- Versatile ride
- Outsole traction
- Lightweight, durable
- Breathable, spacious fit
- Works well even at slow speeds and heel strikes
Cons
- No reflectivity
- No optional width(s)
- Tongue slide
Also consider:
- New Balance Rebel V4
- Nike Pegasus Plus
- Hoka Mach 6
- Brooks Hyperion Max 2
- Use the Nike Vomero 18 for daily training and recovery runs
- Use adizero EVO SL for tempo, threshold, 5K, 10K, and half marathons
- Use the Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris for marathons
In this review:
SUMMARY AND VERDICT
The running shoe industry is an unforgiving place, even for players who bring their A-game. It’s highly competitive, operates on wafer-thin margins, and attracts the most demanding customers. Product expectations rise with each passing year, making once cutting-edge products obsolete, or worse, irrelevant. If all that wasn’t enough, brands now have punitive tariffs to deal with.
And just when we thought that everything that could be done with a running shoe had been done, a remarkable product showed up to shatter the status quo. As somewhat jaded shoe reviewers, we cherish such fleeting, yet memorable moments.
Every once in a while comes along a novel running shoe that doesn’t fit into a pre-existing category. Such shoes create new segments and minor directional shifts for the industry. In 2014, it was the New Balance Zante and adidas Supernova Glide. 2016 got us the Saucony Freedom ISO. The carbon-plated racer was 2019’s flavor of the year. 2021 brought us the Asics Novablast, a delightful everyday trainer with a propulsive rocker. The Asics Superblast followed the next year.
So far, 2025 is the year of the adidas Adizero EVO SL. This ultra-versatile, multi-role trainer offers excellent value for its $150 price. It’s the kind of running shoe that will get more miles than others in your rotation, just because it’s so much fun to run in; there’s a mildly addictive quality to this shoe. There is nothing generic about the EVO SL, but it has the kind of performance range that can offer different things to different people.
Running shoes with super-foam midsoles usually lack mass appeal, and that’s another reason why this adidas shoe is special – it’s anything but niche.
Last year, we called the Adios Pro 3 the most versatile marathon racer. Unlike other plated supershoes, the Adios Pro 3 was very user-friendly. It did not punish heel strikers or slow speeds. The stability was best in class. The outsole grip was excellent, and so was the overall durability. Okay, the upper fit was far from perfect, but its versatility made up for the minor shortcomings. It was as much a training shoe as it was a marathon racer.
Wait a second. Isn’t this supposed to be a review of the adizero EVO SL? Why are we talking about the Adios Pro 3 then?
It’s easier to explain the EVO SL using the Adios Pro 3 as a reference. The EVO SL is not a replacement for the Boston, because the next-generation Boston 13 exists. To us, the adizero EVO SL is like the Adios Pro 3, but without the Energy Rods. The full-length Lightstrike Pro foam midsole has comparable density and stack heights, and so is the outsole design.
Not having the stiff Energy Rods inside the midsole broadens the EVO SL’s appeal to a wider population of runners. The Lightstrike Pro (LS Pro) midsole is soft, bouncy, and works equally well for heel strikers as it does for midfoot strikers. While not as stable as the Adios Pro 3, the resilient LS Pro midsole is supportive, even for heavier runners who weigh about 200 lbs.
The EVO SL’s spacious toe-box and padded heel collar fall more into the everyday trainer territory. Being a daily trainer is a role the EVO SL is happy to play, but it’s also comfortable in a more aggressive training environment – like threshold and tempo runs at speeds of 4:00 min/km (6:30 min/mile) and slower.
THE RIDE EXPERIENCE
The Lightstrike Pro foam density on the adizero EVO SL (and the Adios Pro 3) is just right, in the sense that it achieves a delicate balance between softness, energy return, and stability. The right dosage of all three attributes is the key; increasing the softness and bounciness could upset stability. Conversely, if you make the shoe too firm, then the midsole becomes all business and no fun. Ask the Brooks Hyperion.
If we see the EVO SL as a reincarnated Adios Pro 3 without the Energy Rods, then what effect does the all-foam design have on the overall ride?
The Lightstrike Pro foam is inherently bouncy, so not having the stiff tube-like structure allows the runners to take full advantage of the said bounciness. The generous stack heights (39 mm heel and 33 mm forefoot) provide the cushioning depth that heel and forefoot landings need.
The beveled crash pad and supportive landing zone make it easier for heel strikers. When landing midfoot or forefoot-first, the wide and tall midsole creates a cushioned platform. The thin and perforated Continental rubber outsole covers most of the forefoot for excellent grip, even on wet roads.
There’s a difference between bounce (energy return) and propulsion, as evident in how the EVO SL and Adios Pro 3 behave. The EVO SL’s midsole has a lot of bounce because of its composition. The propulsive properties of the midsole are mostly due to the rocker shape, and in part to the stiff midfoot shank. Yes, there is a shank under the glued-on footbed. This stiff component doesn’t directly influence propulsiveness, but rather helps the wearer take better advantage of the rocker. On the other hand, the Adios Pro 3 had slightly less bounce, but more propulsion, courtesy of the Energy Rods and tighter upper.
One of the drawbacks of an all-foam midsole is the dreaded midfoot sink. During the transitions, the foot has to work through the midsole softness before reaching the toe-off or push-off phase. Some brands work around this by making the entire midsole firmer – the Brooks Hyperion is a good example. The other way to do this without a shank is to reduce the stack height, but then the comfort is compromised in the process.
A shank, like the one used on this shoe, is an easy workaround around the limitations of a soft, all-foam midsole. Not only does the shank offer torsional rigidity, but it also makes the loading process efficient by preventing the foot from sinking into the midsole halfway. The New Balance Rebel V4, for example, would be served well with a similar shank.
It’s this mix of cushioned energy return and rocker-led propulsion that makes the adizero EVO SL versatile. Also, this shoe is ready to wear right out of the box – there are no Energy Rods that need breaking in.
At slower speeds – regardless of how one lands – the runners benefit from the soft and bouncy cushioning. The stability is quite decent, helped by the Lightstrike Pro foam’s resilient character. In its current form (which differs from what the Adios Pro 4 has), this signature material is resistant to bottoming. That also means that even heavy runners who weigh 200 lbs are supported, which was also true for the Adios Pro 3.
The EVO SL works even better at higher speeds, thanks to the rubbery bounce of the Lightstrike Pro foam. What we like about this material is its ability to consistently offer responsive cushioning at different levels of training intensity. The difference between a PEBA or Fuelcell midsole and Lightstrike Pro is the latter’s ability to offer rubbery bounce even when pushed harder.
To illustrate our point, the Fuelcell midsole on the Rebel V4 offers a comfortable squish during landings, but that’s where its magic stops. On the EVO SL, hard landings are rewarded by a rubbery bounce that’s eager to push back. The midfoot shank ends where the rocker begins – that way, the shank carries the weight to the rocker point and then lets the foot roll down – and forward.
If we talk about numbers, the EVO SL’s upper limit for speed is 4:00 min/km (6:30 min/mile). A tighter upper would have helped the shoe perform at faster speeds, but then that kind of fit would have decreased the overall appeal. But if your training includes tempo or threshold runs in the general vicinity of 4:00 min/km pace, the Adizero EVO SL is just the shoe for the job.
There are other use cases we can think of. This is a good road racing shoe for half-marathons and shorter (5K, 10K) distances. It works very well on the treadmill too.
At this time, we can’t think of another shoe that offers better value for its price. To put the EVO SL’s $150 price in context, plainer shoes like the Asics Cumulus 27, Nike Pegasus 41, and Saucony Ride retail for $140. The $180 Nike Pegasus Plus looks grossly overpriced in comparison.
RECOMMENDED ROTATION
We can think of many shoes that rotate well with the adizero EVO SL, but we’ll limit our recommendations to just two models. With a taller stack and lively ride, the Nike Vomero 18 is excellent for longer recovery runs and as a backup daily trainer. The Asics Novablast 5 is also good for long runs and daily mileage.
The Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris is our carbon-plated pick. This marathon racer differentiates itself with a slightly elevated plate position and softer forefoot landings than other plated racers.
THE UPPER DESIGN AND FIT
Based on our read of the prevailing sentiment, most runners will like the Adizero EVO SL’s relaxed forefoot fit, broad toe-box, and true-to-size interiors. The fit is nowhere as narrow as the Takumi Sen 10 or Adios Pro 3. This is the kind of fit one would find on a forgiving everyday trainer, and that sits well with the EVO SL’s do-everything mandate.
However, if you want a narrower fit for performance reasons, there’s nothing you can do about it. Optional widths are not available, and thicker socks can do only so much. The lacing doesn’t use variable width as the Adios Pro 3 did, so tightening the laces has a limited effect on the forefoot fit.
adidas opts for a conventional heel design that has more in common with the adizero SL 2 than it does with the Boston or Adios Pro. A stiff counter is layered with soft foam padding and fabric – none of that ‘foam pod’ business here. The heel lockdown and comfort are top-notch; your foot doesn’t slide even when turning into corners.
The tongue lacks a gusset, so its slide depends on the foot profile and the kind of socks worn. Runners with a thicker midfoot profile are less likely to experience tongue slide; wearing thicker socks also helps. If the midfoot doesn’t fit flush with the foot, the tongue may slide – either to the side, towards the forefoot, or both. To prevent the tongue from inching forward, pass the 4th row laces (from the front) through the tongue loop.
The EVO Pro-inspired upper breathes well due to the roomy fit and thin mesh. Like many others in the adizero lineup, the upper lacks reflective elements.
IS THE ADIDAS ADIZERO EVO SL DURABLE?
The Lightstrike Pro foam is good at retaining its cushioning over time. The climbing shoe-like Continental rubber outsole is relatively less durable than the thicker variety found on shoes like the Boston, but will last 400 miles or more.
SHOES COMPARABLE TO THE ADIZERO EVO SL
Here are some shoes that compare to the adizero EVO SL in some form, if not directly. Would we choose any of the following options over the adizero EVO SL? No – unless we get a very good deal on pricing.