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Adidas Adizero Evo SL: The Up & Runners Review

Name: Men's Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Brand: Adidas
Rating: 4.4 (2 reviews)

The Up & Runners

Posted Feb 23, 2025

The Evo SL is a budget-friendly, lightweight trainer that delivers an impressively versatile running experience. Borrowing elements from Adidas' high-end racing models, this shoe offers a fast, smooth ride suitable for a variety of workouts.

Total

Form

Performance

Value

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Adizero Evo SL

4.4/5

(2)

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Pros

Lightweight and versatile for various paces and distances
Responsive Lightstrike Pro midsole with great energy return
Budget-friendly price for high-performance feel
Comfortable, breathable fit with roomy toebox

Cons

Tongue sliding can be annoying
Runs slightly short—may need to size up
Less grippy on wet surfaces

The Adidas Adizero Evo SL hits the pavement as a lightweight standout, weighing in at just 224g (men’s size 9) and 188g (women’s 7)—the lightest trainer in Adidas’ lineup. Taking cues from the elite Adizero Pro Evo 1, Adidas aimed to craft an affordable speed machine for all runners, pricing it at $150.

Featuring a springy Lightstrike Pro midsole with a 6.5 mm drop, a breathable mesh upper with bold black stripes, and a grippy Continental rubber outsole, it ditches carbon plates for a smooth, versatile ride. Whether it’s tempo runs, long hauls, or easy days, this shoe brings a fast, cushioned feel that adapts to whatever you throw at it.

Our multi-tester review panel, "The Up & Runners"—comprised of Eric McIntyre, Blake Graf, and Cody Jett—put this shoe through its paces in different conditions and training scenarios. Here’s what they found.

Adizero Evo SL at a Glance

First Impressions

From the first step, all three testers agreed that the Evo SL punches above its weight class in terms of performance and comfort. The Lightstrike Pro midsole was a standout feature, providing a plush yet responsive ride.

Eric: This shoe is built to be a light weight trainer which typically means its pretty good at a lot of things but not typically GREAT in any one area. This is the VERY rare case where the shoe actually outperforms some others that are specialized for particular use. The shoe can go long, short, moderate, fast, slow, whatever and in my opinion is genuinely GREAT at every category. I love it for daily miles but would consider racing almost any distance in it.

Blake: Adidas has been making waves with its racing shoe technology, and the Evo SL is the latest example of high-end innovations trickling down into an affordable, trainer-oriented package. Designed as a lightweight, versatile up-tempo trainer, the Evo SL brings elements from the Adios Pro Evo, and the SL, and combines them into one fast-feeling shoe.

Cody: For a budget-friendly shoe, the Adidas Adizero Evo SL blew my expectations out of the water—like, “Did I accidentally buy a super shoe on sale?” kind of good. The Lightstrike Pro foam feels so amazing underfoot that I had to double-check the price tag. Smooth, cushioned, and ready to roll, this shoe makes my wallet happy and my legs even happier!

Fit and Comfort

The shoe provides a generally comfortable fit that is true to size, though Eric noted it runs a little short. Cody found it worked well for slightly wider feet, making it a solid choice for a range of runners. However, all testers highlighted issues with the tongue, which tends to move around during runs.

Eric: I found the shoe to be a little short with a roomy toe box and standard width. The one issue with the fit & comfort is the tongue and laces. The tongue is short and not gusseted and the laces feel a bit cheap.

Blake: True to size with a relaxed fit. The only gripe I had with the upper was the tongue. By the end of my runs it always slid down into my shoe, or over to the side. It never wanted to stay in place. Luckily I never noticed it on the actual run, but I thought I'd point it out.

Cody: The Adidas Adizero Evo SL fits true to size in both length and width and comfortably accommodated my slightly wider foot. The tongue is a bit of a hassle—it takes some adjusting to get it in the right spot, and I found myself wishing Adidas had just gusseted it. Less fuss, more run, please.

Performance & Versatility

The Adidas Evo SL is designed as a lightweight trainer with an emphasis on versatility. Unlike many shoes in this category that perform well in only one or two areas, the Evo SL excels across a wide range of paces and distances.

Eric: The shoe isn't the most stable but it somehow has the comfort and balance to keep you hitting tempo paces on a long run but also can pick up for 200s or 400s. The pace versatility of this shoe is insane and not something that I've experienced before.

Blake: The Evo SL has a nice rocker that isn't too aggressive, but prominent enough to help throw you on your toes when picking up the pace. The responsive foam and rocker work together to give this shoe a really smooth ride. No matter if I was jogging on a recovery run, or doing intervals on the track, the shoe provided enough protection and propulsion to handle anything I threw at it.

Cody: This is a smooth & fun ride. I’ll be honest—I haven’t loved Adidas’ non-super shoes in a while. But the Evo SL is a total game-changer. The ride is buttery smooth, fast, and just plain fun. It’s like Adidas finally remembered how to make a great everyday trainer.

Whether used for daily miles, tempo efforts, or even race-day performance for those avoiding plated shoes, the Evo SL performs beyond expectations.

Upper

The upper of the Evo SL is a blend of minimalism and structure, offering breathability and lockdown without excessive weight.

Eric: The upper to me is a good blend of minimal yet structured. It's light and breathable and does just enough to keep you locked in while not adding excess weight. The one issue with it is the tongue and laces. If the shoe doesn't fit your foot and you require a runner’s knot or any type of adjustment then this shoe could turn into a nightmare for you.

Blake: The upper uses engineered mesh with light padding around the ankle and tongue. It's definitely more comfortable than the stripped-down racing uppers, which makes it great for everyday training and long runs.

Cody: The upper on the Adidas Adizero Evo SL is lightweight and breathable, offering a secure fit, though the non-gusseted tongue requires some adjusting to stay in place.

Midsole

The Lightstrike Pro midsole, a supercritical TPEE foam, is one of the highlights of this shoe, delivering a balance of softness, energy return, and stability.

Eric: Litestrike Pro (Supercritical TPEE) + a Nylon shank makes for a soft and supportive yet hyper responsive ride. It's a little firmer to me than the Lightstrike Pro in the Adios Pro 4 but still such a dream to run on.

Blake: The midsole uses a similar formula of Lightstrike Pro as the Adios Pro 3, but without any rods or plates. It has a small shank in the midfoot to provide some stability, but besides that it's pure superfoam.

Cody: Lightstrike Pro is pure gold! One of my all-time favorite foams, and Adidas absolutely nailed the formula in the Evo SL—it’s cushioned, snappy, and just downright fun to run in.

Outsole

The outsole design pulls inspiration from the Adios Pro Evo, featuring Continental rubber in key areas for traction without adding unnecessary weight. However, Eric and Cody both found the outsole to be somewhat lacking on slippery surfaces, so it might be best to keep the Adios Pro Evo in the closet on those rainy days!

Eric: This is probably one of the biggest issues with the shoe. Ironically I ran in snow in the shoe and it was great but on a more slick surface like a road post rain or during rain this shoe slips quite a bit. Its weird because continental rubber tends to do really well but something about this setup caused some issues. If the roads are dry though this shoe does great.

Blake: The outsole also takes inspiration from the Adios Pro Evo 1. The forefoot is covered by Continental rubber, and the heel has two patches of clear rubber. So far the rubber has been holding up well, and grips well on road and light gravel. It definitely isn't as robust as a true daily trainer, but like most things with this shoe, it strikes a balance between saving weight and being versatile. I was worried that the exposed foam would shred pretty quickly, but fortunately it has been holding up pretty well.

Cody: The outsole performs perfectly fine in ideal conditions, but on wet or slippery roads, it leaves a bit to be desired in terms of grip.

Who Should Buy This Shoe?

The Adidas Evo SL is a fantastic option for runners who want an affordable, versatile trainer with a high-performance feel. It’s particularly suited for:

Runners looking for a fast daily trainer that doesn’t sacrifice comfort.
Athletes who prefer plateless shoes but still want a snappy ride.
Budget-conscious runners who want super shoe tech at a fraction of the price.
Newer runners or high school athletes who want a do-it-all shoe.
Marathoners seeking a lightweight training shoe that can handle race-pace efforts without feeling harsh.

Cody: I truly believe this shoe suits every type of runner. If you're looking for a do-it-all trainer that won’t break the bank—handling daily miles, recovery runs, tempo efforts, and even long runs—you’re in luck! $140 for this level of performance? It feels like I accidentally used a discount code. You’re getting high-end tech without draining your bank account—what’s not to love?

Final Verdict

The Adidas Adizero Evo SL exceeded expectations across the board, providing a fast, smooth, and highly versatile running experience. While minor issues like the sliding tongue and wet-weather traction prevent it from being flawless, its combination of performance, comfort, and affordability makes it a standout option in the lightweight trainer category. Whether you’re looking for an everyday workhorse or a budget-friendly alternative to a racing shoe, the Evo SL delivers.

Comments

David Moore Seeing great reviews for this shoe everywhere I look and appears unanimous here as well. I missed the Lucid Blue colorway before they sold out my size.. hoping to catch a pair on the next restock.

Apr 14 08:15 pm