The engine's answer
Best running shoe for race training on road running, under €170
Adidas Adizero Evo SL
89% match
Race-shoe foam, no plate, no apologies
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Live search for the Adidas Adizero Evo SL at retailers that carry it.
Why it wins here
The Adidas Adizero Evo SL wins this question with a 89% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €150, weighs 224 g and stands on a 39 mm heel stack with a 7 mm drop; its cushioning scores 75/100, its grip 60/100 and its energy return 86/100. The tightest constraint is the €170 ceiling: only 52 of the 78 shoes come in under it, and 38 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on budget — €150, €20 under the €170 ceiling — 52 of 78 shoes qualify. The nearest runner-up, the Adidas Boston 12, finished 0 points 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€150, €20 under the €170 ceiling — 52 of 78 shoes qualify
- TerrainRoad shoe, grip 60 /100, stability 52 /100; 61 of 78 shoes count as a road-ready shoe
- Goalenergy return 86 /100, cushioning 75 /100, durability 70 /100
What's good
- Full Lightstrike Pro at a trainer price
- Fast, fun and plate-free
What to watch
- Less structured than plated rivals
- Sells out constantly
What the runners-up gave up
The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Adidas Adizero Evo SL.
- Adidas Boston 1289%The tempo grinder with marathon mannersAdidas Boston 12 (89%) tied on the headline score and lost only on the finer weighting — the closest alternative on this page. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Asics Magic Speed 488%The carbon plate for normal budgetsAsics Magic Speed 4 (88%) lost on the goal: cushioning 70 /100 against 75 /100 for the Adidas Adizero Evo SL. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
- Asics Novablast 587%The fun daily trainer that keeps winning group runsAsics Novablast 5 (87%) lost on the goal: energy return 76 /100 against 86 /100 for the Adidas Adizero Evo SL. SportsShoes.com ↗ Top4Running ↗ Running Warehouse ↗
Questions this answer raises
- Is the Adidas Adizero Evo SL within a €170 budget?
- Yes. At €150 it sits €20 under the ceiling, and 52 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €170 or less.
- Does the Adidas Adizero Evo SL suit road running?
- It is a road shoe with grip 60 /100 and stability 52 /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 86 /100, cushioning 75 /100, durability 70 /100.
- What does the engine pick with a smaller budget?
- With a €140 ceiling the same question goes to the Adidas Adizero SL2 at €130. Best road running shoes for race training under €140 →
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