Adidas Adizero SL2 Review

We think the best daily trainers sit in the middle of the comfort-performance spectrum. They might be biased slightly in one direction, but they need to be comfortable enough for long, easy miles while still having enough responsiveness for faster running. The Adizero SL2 checks off that list and then adds a friendly price tag.

Performance Comparison

Landing Comfort

We measured 38 mm of foam in the heel and 29 mm in the forefoot in our standardized lab testing of the SL2. That's on par with the rest of our lineup, which we found interesting. That's because the SL2 runs like a lower-stack shoe. Runners who like a bit of ground feel will probably love the SL2; you can feel what you're running on more than in most other similar daily trainers, but the Lightstrike Pro foam does an excellent job of cushioning and insulating the legs. To our legs, the SL2 feels like a shoe that rides closer to an old-school trainer, with good ground feel and lightweight turnover but with modern premium foam's performance and comfort benefits. It's a great combination.

Landings don't feel harsh or unprotected. The foam feels somewhat firm but also energetic. You don't feel particularly bouncy in the SL2, but you get the impression that the foam is returning a lot of energy. We found that the cushioning was more than adequate for longer efforts. Transitions feel smooth throughout, and the rocker does a good job of keeping you moving efficiently. This is a shoe that both heel-strikers and those who land farther forward are likely to enjoy.

Responsiveness

The SL2 is more responsive than most other daily trainers. It can't compete with a super shoe or most super trainers, but it can handle workouts. Some runners might find that it works as a race shoe, although we prefer more purpose-built shoes for racing. The shoe rolls smoothly thanks to the rocker, and the Lightstrike Pro formulation is resilient enough to be noticeable without compromising the daily training goal of the shoe. Thanks to the decent ground feel, we prefer this shoe to some other, typically faster “super trainers” for hill workouts and workouts on grass.

The SL2 feels good at threshold paces and decently fast beyond that. It doesn't have quite the same top end as a more dedicated speed trainer, and we found it more challenging to maintain pace during more prolonged reps. However, it outperforms many more expensive shoes in this category. Overall, its responsiveness is why we highlight it as a great value; very few shoes offer this level of pace versatility at this price point.

Upper Comfort

In our experience, Adidas uppers are often a letdown. The SL2's upper is a mixed bag. It's more comfortable than other Adidas options, and the lacing system is much better. On the other hand, it runs narrow through the midfoot. After loosening our initial lacing setup, we found the fit workable, if a bit narrow. Other runners may not be so lucky.

If you're a runner who has found Adidas shoes that work for you in the past, you should have no issues with the fit of the SL2. We didn't experience any rubbing, hotspots, or discomfort with the shoe, but we did note that the upper materials felt better after about five miles. They were more pliable and comfortable than they were out of the box.

Stability

The SL2 sacrifices stability for a lightweight and nimble feel. We think this is a worthwhile tradeoff, but runners who highly value stability likely won't enjoy the shoe. It is still a neutral daily trainer, so it should work for many runners.

While there aren't any dedicated stability features to note, one plus is that even with the highly resilient Lightstrike Pro in the midsole, the SL2 is a firmer shoe. That helps provide a little more support than we typically expect from premium foam.

Weight

The SL2 weighed in at 9.36 ounces, which is reasonably light for a versatile daily trainer.

9-10 ounces is ideal for a daily trainer that will be used for a wide variety of runs, and this shoe fits into that range perfectly.

Traction

The SL2 provides excellent traction thanks to its nearly full rubber outsole coverage. The outsole is lugged enough to stay unintrusive on pavement, but the bite is noticeable on slick or loose surfaces.

While we wish the rubber was Continental, as it is in many of Adidas' higher-priced offerings, we still found the traction to be excellent, if not as tacky as it could be. Still, it significantly outperformed the traction seen in most other shoes we've tested this winter.

Should You Buy the Adidas Adizero SL2?

In short, yes, you should consider it. This is an excellent all-around daily trainer at a significantly lower price than many shoes it outperforms. This isn't a great choice if you value stability more than comfort or performance. Similarly, if you want a highly insulated ride with little to no ground feel, consider other options. Otherwise, this is a great option for runners who want a versatile daily trainer that could be used as a single-shoe rotation or to slot in for easy-to-moderate running in a multi-shoe rotation. Plus, it's hard to look past the price — it MSRPs for less than many competitors and is often on sale for $100 or less.

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