The Adidas Evo SL, or ‘Hypebeast’ (the nickname I’ve affectionately given it in Garmin Gear), is the most hyped running shoe of the past year. In testing the Evo SL, I wanted to see if this was justified. The TLDR of this Adidas Evo SL review? For £130, there are very few trainers that can compete with what the Evo SL offers. A jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none, at a very reasonable price. But are they for everyone?

The Evo SL Launch: What’s the Deal, Adidas?

Oh hello there, Adidas Adizero Evo SL. We meet at last.

I had my reservations about the Adidas Evo SL. I wasn’t impressed by Adidas’ initial release strategy, which went something like this: “Enter a draw and, if you’re lucky, we will graciously allow you to part with your hard-earned cash.” Erm, thanks, I guess? And no, I wasn’t salty about not winning. I never entered. Principles, innit.

I was also a little skeptical about the glowing reviews and overall hype, the legitimacy of which was, in my opinion, weakened by the lottery. When you have to “win” the opportunity to purchase a shoe, you’re more likely to form positive opinions before the shoes even arrive. The perceived rarity might also subconsciously affect your view on their performance. Psychology, I think.

Still, if I’m being honest, there was no way the Evo SL weren’t going to make their way into my collection eventually. If these £130 kicks do live up to the hype, then Adidas has set a new benchmark. The Evo SL would be the yardstick by which others are measured. And, as the Evo SL became more readily available, the positive reviews continued to pour in. The previously questionable hype was quickly gaining credibility. “Time to give them a go,” I thought. And thus, the Adidas Evo SL review was born.

How I Tested the Adidas Adizero Evo SL

I’ve heard all kinds of claims about the Evo SL. I’ve seen Reddit posts saying they ruined their rotation because they now only want to run in the Evo SL, to which one commenter replied, “Just rotate 5 pairs of Evo SL.” Some have even gone as far as to dethrone the Superblast as the king of the super trainer category. The common thread is the opinion that the Evo SL is an extremely versatile trainer that performs well across all types of runs. So that’s exactly what I wanted to test. How does the Evo SL perform across different workouts? If you could only have one shoe, should it be the Evo SL?

I’ve covered 63.91 kms in the Evo SL, and I think I’ve got my answer.

Here’s how I covered those 63.91 kms:

Easy

(1) 6 km “easy” (somehow, I bonked).

(2) 7.07 km, 5:48/km pace, 153m ascent.

(3) 6.57 km, 5:22/km pace (predominantly downhill).

Long

(1) 15 km long block run, with 4 km easy, 10 km at 5:20/km, 1 km easy (5:31, 5:15, and 5:28 respectively for the three blocks – a bit quicker than expected).

(2) 14 km conversational long run, 5:34/km average, with 205m ascent.

Speed

(1) 5*1 km repeats at 4:25/km, with a 2 km easy warm-up and 1 km cool-down.

(2) Stryd Workout: 5-minute ‘Easy’, 20-minute ‘Comfortably Hard’, 5-minute ‘Recovery’, 30 seconds ‘Extremely Hard’ (6.6 km).

Sleek Design: Aesthetic Appeal of the Adidas Evo SL

Let’s start with an easy one – aesthetics. No review of the Adidas Evo SL would be complete without a subjective take on its looks, would it? Inspired by the design of the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, the Evo SL has a sleek, minimalist design. It’s one of the cleanest designs available today. Or, depending on your tastes, one of the more boring ones. By keeping things simple, Adidas has managed to release the Evo SL in a wide range of colorways to suit almost all preferences. From what I’ve seen, there are no wild or “out there” designs. Choose your base colour, pick your stripe colour, and you’re set.

I went for the black with silver stripes option, which I hadn’t seen in typical running retailers. I found it on ASOS, a fashion retailer. For those unaware, Adidas has admitted, “The Evo SL is designed for you to run in it, or not.” While I agree that the Evo SL is stylish, I’m not sure I’d want to walk around the high street in a shoe with bouncy foam and an aggressive rocker. But hey, each to their own.

Overall, if you’re concerned about looking good while running, the Evo SL is a great choice. The team has done well to please as many people as possible, though they’re unlikely to win any awards for innovation.

How Much Do the Adidas Evo SL Weigh?

In my men’s size UK 8.5 / US 9.5, the Adidas Evo SL weighs 235g (though Adidas says it’s a little lighter at 224g for the same size). For women, Adidas lists the weight as 188g in a UK 5.5. For a daily trainer with close to the maximum stack height permitted by World Athletics, and at a price of £130, you’re unlikely to find something much lighter. For comparison, the average weight of daily trainers (according to RunRepeat) is 265g.

How Do the Evo SL Fit?

As usual, I sized up to a UK 8.5 from my street size UK 8. This is standard practice for me irrespective of brand, as I prefer extra room to accommodate for feet swelling. Of the handful of Adidas shoes I’ve tried, the Adios Pro 3 & 4, Takumi-Sen 8, and the SL2, the Evo SL’s upper, from a room perspective, is pretty spot on. The Adios Pro 3 and Takumi-Sen 8 were a little baggy and scratchy, and the SL2’s upper felt like I’d sized down rather than up!

Beyond congratulating Adidas for manufacturing an upper that fits as it should, there’s little else to write home about. It’s fine, but that’s it if you ask me. Also worth mentioning are the laces. They’re thin and cheap, prone to causing lace bite. I replaced mine with a pair of shark-tooth laces from Amazon (which you can find here). Comfort is markedly improved, so I highly recommend this “modification!”

I guess that’s the trade-off for getting a full slab of Lightstrike Pro for £130. Honestly, I’ll take it!

Lightstrike Pro Midsole: Balanced, Bouncy, and Boisterous

The Evo SL’s midsole, sporting 39mm of Lightstrike Pro in the heel and 32mm in the forefoot, strikes a perfect balance between soft and firm. It’s the Tikka Masala of the midsole world. Who doesn’t love Tikka Masala?

The absence of the carbon-fibre plate found in the Adios Pro 3 means the Evo SL is bouncy without being overly (or forcefully) propulsive. This doesn’t mean you can’t pick up the pace, though. The Evo SL feels very comfortable and responsive, particularly at paces around and below 5:00/km (at least at my weight, 72kg). I’ve done the bulk of my miles slower than that, possibly averaging 5:20-5:30, and it’s equally enjoyable here.

For fans of the Adios Pro 3, the Evo SL should be an easy sell. Same foam, no plate, improved upper. What’s not to love? If you’re racing in the Adios Pro 3, this is your training companion, right? Well, that depends on your reasons for choosing the AP3. I’m sure many race in the AP3 simply because it’s not as soft as others in the category. Running brands will do well to remember, not everybody loves that soft, sinking-in feeling. In cases where a firmer rotation is preferred, the softer underfoot experience of the Evo SL due to its plateless construction may lead to a hard pass. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a super soft shoe. It’s just softer than the AP3. If, however, the presence of the Adios Pro 3 in your rotation is for the love of that shoe’s Lightstrike Pro formulation, then look no further than the Evo SL.

Are the Adidas Evo SL Durable?

As always with these early stage reviews, it’s hard to give a definitive answer. Here are a few photos of the wear after 63.91 kms. I can see these lasting as long as, if not longer than, any other typical daily trainer.

Adidas Evo SL Review: A Surprising All-Rounder

I’ll be honest — I wanted to dislike the Evo SL. The launch felt overhyped, the early adopters overly enthusiastic. It seemed like Adidas was holding stock back just to create artificial buzz. The whole thing didn’t sit right.

But at the same time, I wanted the Evo SL to succeed — and I think runners should too. We’re in a moment where running is booming, and big brands are cashing in. Shoe prices are spiraling. If Adidas could deliver a daily trainer with race day foam for £130, that could really reset pricing expectations.

And, in some ways, it already has. I can’t recall the specifics, but the Nike Vomero 18 was originally pegged for a much higher price than the £134.99 it eventually launched at. I’d bet the Evo SL — along with the backlash to Nike’s Pegasus Plus pricing — played a role in that adjustment.

Hype aside, I’m pleased to say the Evo SL lives up to expectations. In the first week, I used them for every run except two (and only switched then for a different heel-to-toe drop). Lightstrike Pro without a plate is soft, bouncy, and versatile. It’s comfortable at most paces. Someone on Reddit said the Evo SL ruined their rotation — and honestly, I get it.

They remind me of the Asics Superblast — a true “jack-of-all-trades.” Sure, there are better options for specific runs, but the Evo SL does everything well enough that you just keep reaching for it.

Of course, there are caveats. It performs best, in my opinion, at paces around 5:30/km or faster — anything slower, and there are probably better options. The stock laces are also terrible (thin, uncomfortable, lace bite galore). As mentioned earlier, I swapped them for some £6.95 shark-tooth laces from Amazon, which helped a lot — making this, realistically, a £136.95 shoe.

Some have mentioned stability issues, though I personally haven’t experienced any. Still, something to be aware of depending on your stride or weight.

Overall, I’m impressed. Adidas could have priced this higher and still sold loads. Instead, they undercut the competition and made a statement. Over to you, Nike, Asics, Hoka, Saucony.

Is it the best running shoe ever? No. But for £130, if I had to choose one shoe for training and racing, the Evo SL would be it.

Psst, if you’ve made it this far, you can get 15% off most SS25 products on sportsshoes.com by following the links in this review and entering code: Z146C8C4GME. If they’re out of stock there, they can frequently be found here.

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