The engine's answer
Best running shoe for race training on road running, under €140
Adidas Adizero SL2
84% match
The budget shoe that trains above its pay grade
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Live search for the Adidas Adizero SL2 at retailers that carry it.
Why it wins here
The Adidas Adizero SL2 wins this question with a 84% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €130, weighs 224 g and stands on a 37 mm heel stack with a 8 mm drop; its cushioning scores 68/100, its grip 58/100 and its energy return 74/100. The tightest constraint is the €140 ceiling: only 17 of the 78 shoes come in under it, and 13 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on budget — €130, €10 under the €140 ceiling — 17 of 78 shoes qualify. The nearest runner-up, the Puma Velocity Nitro 3, finished 1 point behind.
The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.
- Budget€130, €10 under the €140 ceiling — 17 of 78 shoes qualify
- TerrainRoad shoe, grip 58 /100, stability 55 /100; 61 of 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe
- Goalenergy return 74 /100, cushioning 68 /100, durability 75 /100
What's good
- Real Lightstrike Pro foam at a fair price
- Light enough for workouts, calm enough for dailies
What to watch
- Firm ride divides opinion
- Skinny on plush comfort
What the runners-up gave up
The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Adidas Adizero SL2.
- Puma Velocity Nitro 383%Quietly excellent, criminally underratedPuma Velocity Nitro 3 (83%) lost on the goal: energy return 64 /100 against 74 /100 for the Adidas Adizero SL2. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Saucony Ride 1783%Quietly one of the best all-rounders goingSaucony Ride 17 (83%) lost on the goal: energy return 62 /100 against 74 /100 for the Adidas Adizero SL2. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Kiprun KD90082%The €100 shoe that embarrasses €160 shoesKiprun KD900 (82%) lost on the goal: energy return 68 /100 against 74 /100 for the Adidas Adizero SL2. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Adidas Adizero SL2 within a €140 budget?
- Yes. At €130 it sits €10 under the ceiling, and 17 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €140 or less.
- Does the Adidas Adizero SL2 suit road running?
- It is a road shoe with grip 58 /100 and stability 55 /100. The question filtered for a road-ready shoe, which 61 of the 78 shoes are; for race training the ranking also weighed energy return 74 /100, cushioning 68 /100, durability 75 /100.
- What does the engine pick with a bigger budget?
- With a €170 ceiling the same question goes to the Adidas Adizero Evo SL at €150. Best road running shoes for race training under €170 →
Change an assumption
This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.
Answer for your own running