The Adidas Adizero SL is not one of the best running shoes available, but it is a pretty good one and I’ll be amazed if you can find a better one for $35.83. That’s the price that REI has reduced the shoe to in its sale, which is a head-turning 70% off.
The Adizero SL is designed to be a value option within Adidas’s Adizero range and has some of the brand’s best foam—Lightstrike Pro—under the forefoot. This is the material used in the best Adidas running shoes like the Adidas Adios Pro 3 and Boston 12, which are more expensive than the Adizero SL.
While the Adizero SL doesn’t deliver a similarly bouncy and impressive ride as a shoe like the Adidas Boston 12, it is a good all-rounder for runners who mostly stick to shorter runs—I found it a little firm for distances over 10 miles myself.
It’s a pretty light shoe so can handle speedwork too, and while it doesn’t have a Continental rubber outsole like the best Adidas shoes, it gripped well enough for me on wet, wintry pavements during my testing.
If you just want a cheap running shoe to add to your rotation, this is an outstanding deal on a solid option, and the Adizero SL even looks good enough to wear when you’re not running too.
