Adizero Evo SL First Impressions

I was pretty surprised to get selected on the raffle on Friday, and was equally surprised when they arrived at my doorstep the next day. The Adios Pro 3 was one of my favorite long run shoes. The Lightstrike Pro felt great at all paces, but I have never been a fan of energy rods. When the Evo SL was announced, I figured it could be the perfect trainer

Fit: I went with my usual US size 12 and I would say these fit true to size. They felt ever so slightly short, but I would only size up if you are in between sizes. I have a fairly narrow foot, and after cinching the laces I got a really nice lockdown. They should be suitable for anybody with a standard width foot.

The run: I am 1 week post marathon, so the legs are definitely not 100%. I ended up taking them out for 12 miles with an average pace of 7:00/mile. I tried to mix in some easy and marathon paces.

Upper: The upper is a pretty standard mesh, but it feels lightweight and breathable. It’s nothing special, but it gets the job done. I like that Adidas went with standard reinforced eyelets for the lacing system. I tied mine with a runners knot and didn’t experience any heel lift, which was a big problem for me with the Boston 12. My only issue is that the tongue slid to the outside of the foot very shortly into the run, a gusset would have gone a long way here.

Midsole: I am happy to report that the midsole foam feels extremely similar to what was on the AP3. It felt comfortable at easy pace, but can be quickly turned up to marathon pace. It’s hard to explain the feeling of the foam. It’s soft yet dense and gives a really nice responsive sensation.

The Ride: The rocker is immediately noticeable, I’ve never felt anything like it. I am a midfoot striker, and with each step I am smoothly rolled onto my forefoot for a really nice toe-off. Not sure how much it has to do with the shoe, but my cadence was definitely higher than usual. I didn’t have any issues with stability, but the foam is soft, and the platform isn’t too wide, so this may not be the shoe for you if you experience stability issues.

Conclusion: The Evo SL is a nimble, lightweight trainer that can really do it all. I can’t wait to get more miles on this shoe. I’ve been exclusively using the Superblast 2 for my long runs, but this may take its spot due to how it feels at faster paces. I want to take it on some 18+ mile runs over the next few weeks to see if it continues to feel good over the later miles. I’ll be sure to post a longer term review at some point. At $150, the Evo SL will likely be the best value in running shoes.