In production · road · Daily / Long run · $130
Adidas Adizero SL2: 35 mm heel stack, 9 mm drop, 245 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Built for daily, long run, at a target pace of 7:30–10:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is Lightstrike, tuned balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 35 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 9 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.33 per mile at $130.
For the foams and plates Adidas uses across its line, read the Adidas brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
238 g / 8.4 oz
37 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
35 mm
1 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
9 mm
3 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$130
30 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Adidas line it is lighter than the brand's median (278 g / 9.8 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (35 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Adidas Adizero SL 2
238 g / 8.4 oz · 35 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $130
Budget speed trainer with a Lightstrike Pro forefoot insert.
Puma Redeem Profoam
240 g / 8.5 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $110
Budget-friendly firm daily trainer for straightforward mileage.
Brooks Launch 12(2025)
249 g / 8.8 oz · 35 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Firm, light, cheap — the honest budget uptempo trainer.
Brooks Hyperion 3
244 g / 8.6 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Brooks Hyperion 3: 36 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.