Adidas adizero SL 2 Introduction

The Adidas Adizero SL2 is Adidas’s attempt at providing a daily trainer that is light enough for some faster miles while also cushioned enough to use often.

This is their entry level shoe on their Adizero line which includes the Adizero Boston 12, Takumi Sen, Adios 8, and Adios Pro 3.

The main difference as you go up the line is going to be the type of midsole cushioning and how much. For comparison, this shoe lines up against the Brooks Ghost 16, Asics Gel-Cumulus 26, and the New Balance 880.

This shoe is not as soft as the Gel-Cumulus but not nearly as firm as the Brooks Ghost. It is the lightest of the shoes and it’s very noticeable when you first put it on. In terms of responsiveness, it is similar to the feel of the Gel-Cumulus.

This is an update to the first version of this shoe. There were several updates to this shoe that would be improvements. First, they added in LightStrike Pro foam inside of the LightStrike 2.0, making for a softer midsole cushion. This change in midsole also helps with comfort on longer runs. Second, they redid the upper to a lightweight engineered mesh, which makes the shoe more breathable.

Finally, there was an additional height to the midsole, with the heel going from 35mm to 26mm and the forefoot going from 26.5mm to 27mm. The heel-to-toe drop went from 8.5mm to 9mm. With the combination of these changes, the shoe got about 0.1 oz lighter even with slightly more midsole.

One other feature of this shoe is that it is made of 20% recycled materials.

Adidas adizero SL 2 First Impressions

My first impression of the shoe upon opening the box was that the shoe had a pretty cool design. When I first picked up the shoe, I was surprised by just how lightweight it was.

My first run in this shoe was 5 mile easy run but I was in elevation for the first time. The run overall felt great and the shoes disappeared on my feet. I didn’t think the shoe helped a ton with pacing but it also never inhibited anything either.

The cushion was fine but certainly not pillowy-soft. There doesn’t feel like there is a rocker in this shoe so I never felt propelled forward but I did feel some level of energy return as I was bouncing from stride to stride. This shoe did the job overall. It felt a little tight, enough that I stopped mid run to retie my laces and loosen up a bit.

My next run was a tempo run and I didn’t necessarily feel like the shoe was helping me hit my tempo paces. I did struggle to make my pace and I never really felt like the shoe could encourage me further.

The shoe is comfortable and breathable, handling the North Carolina summer humidity just fine.

The one complaint I have is with the engineered upper. I wore thin socks for one of these runs and I could feel the outside of the shoe rubbing through the sock. It never caused a blister or any hot spots. It simply felt uncomfortable.

Adidas adizero SL 2 Upper

The upper of the shoe was an improvement from the previous version as it is more breathable and slightly lighter in weight.

I don’t love the material as it feels a bit rough on the feet. I would not wear super thin socks as there could be some irritation there.

Definitely do not wear this without socks as it will cut up your feet. The tongue is not gusseted (attached) and is a bit on the thick side. It’s comfortable but it doesn’t quite match with the airy mesh of the rest of the upper. The laces stay tied even on a single knot.

The fit of the upper is what might be bothersome for some runners. It’s a bit on the narrow side. I could feel the shoe hug the width of my forefoot, which is not something I typically feel. I would beware if you have wider feet.

Adidas adizero SL 2 Sole Unit

In terms of the sole unit, the midsole foam that Adidas uses is a combination of their Lightstrike 2.0 and Lightstrike Pro.

The main difference between the two is the energy return. Lightstrike Pro is their premium foam found exclusively in their highest end shoes. What you get in the cheaper parts of the line is the combination with their Lightstrike 2.0 foam, which is not nearly as soft or bouncy.

In this shoe, there is a layer of Lightstrike Pro that is sandwiched in between two layers of Lightstrike 2.0, with the hopes that it will help give some energy return and propulsion. It does ok. It certainly helps make the ride comfortable but I never felt like it was pushing me along.

The midsole was softer than the Brooks Ghost but not as plush as the Gel-Cumulus 26. The midsole drop is 9mm, which is 0.5mm higher than the previous version. It fits in with many shoes in this range. The drop was not noticeable to me and felt comfortable.

The outsole of the shoe also does not use its premium materials, notably missing the Continental Rubber found on many shoes as you go up the line. I found the rubber outsole to be fine enough for a daily trainer but if you’re looking for a shoe with excellent grip then you will need to move up the Adidas line. For what you’re paying for, though, this outsole works. After 55 miles, the rubber barely looked like it had been run in so I anticipate good longevity in this shoe.

The ride on the shoe overall is fine. Again, I never felt like there was any rocker that was helping me propel forward and I didn’t get a huge energy return.

That said, there was some energy return and enough that it was helpful for some longer efforts at easy to medium paces. I felt like I was able to use my normal gait throughout all the runs.

Adidas adizero SL 2 Conclusions

Overall, the Adidas Adizero SL has been an average to good shoe. It’s lightweight, soft-ish, and comfortable on most runs.

At its price point ($130), it’s worth what you’re paying for. You’re not going to get more than you paid for but that’s not always how it’s supposed to work.

I do recommend this shoe for those that like to be light on their feet and like to vary their paces on their runs. I will personally keep this shoe in my rotation for those faster easy runs and the shorter long runs.