Best for everyday runners: adidas Adizero EVO SL

adidas Adizero EVO SL technical details

• RRP: £130
• Drop: 6mm
• Stack: 36/30mm
• Weight: 188g
• Foam: Lightstrike Pro
• Special tech: Continental Rubber grip

What our tester said

“I first ran in these during my marathon taper on a 5k run through London. I was expecting my legs to feel heavy but I immediately had a spring in my step. The Lightstrike Pro midsole foam delivers a responsive and energetic ride, with excellent energy return but without being overly firm. I felt like I was gliding along.

“I’ve now run in them three times and have enjoyed them every time. They’re becoming part of my running shoe rotation and I would reach for them on both easy runs and slightly faster sessions. I definitely think they’re a good option if you want a shoe that can do a bit of everything. And at £130, offers excellent value for its performance.”

Want more? Here’s Laura’s full adidas Adizero EVO SL review.

Best for PBs: adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4

adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 technical details

• RRP: £220
• Weight: 172g
• Drop: 5 mm (heel 32 mm / 37 mm)
• Foam: Lightstrike Pro cushioning
• Special technology: Carbon-infused ENERGYRODS 2.0

What our tester said

“Under-foot I found the shoe super comfortable. The foam gave the perfect amount of plushness and energy return that I like. I do find that once I get over 10k, I can start to get a bit of big toe soreness in some carbon plated race shoes, but that hasn’t happened in this shoe yet.

“One thing that I found (and I’ve run in a lot of different carbon plated shoes) was that it felt quite easy to run in. Some shoes demand you full concentration but this one allowed me to just run. This may be because of its stack height which comes in a little lower than some other carbon racers. I’m really looking forward to racing in this shoe and will be choosing it for a spring half marathon I’m doing.”

Need more info? Read Laura’s full adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 review.

Best max cushioned shoe: adidas Supernova Prima

adidas Supernova Prima technical details

• RRP: £150
• Weight: 242g
• Drop: 7mm
• Stack height: 36 mm / 29 mm
• Sizes: UK 3.5-10.5
• Foam: DREAMSTRIKE+ super-foam

What our tester said

“I’ve been running in this shoe for a month now clocking up around 30 miles in total. The first run was a club run which saw me going a little quicker than my easy pace for five miles over road, path and a bit gritty trail. I found the shoe to be comfortable and smooth underfoot.

“The shoe features a support rod system to offer stability to overpronators. It also has a fairly wide base through the forefoot and heel to give an additional sense of stability to the shoe. I didn’t feel like the shoe was overly controlling of my stride, but it did feel nicely supportive in the upper and stable for landing.”

Want to read more? Check out Laura’s full adidas Supernova Prima review.

Best max cushioned shoe: adidas Adizero Evo SL ATR

adidas EVO SL ATR technical details

• RRP: £140
• Drop: 6mm
• Lugs: 1.5mm
• Sizes: UK 4-10.5
• Foam: LIGHTSTRIKE Pro

What our tester said

“I feel like Adidas made these shoes just for me. I loved the original Evo SL and wore them regularly over the summer. But my pair are white, so for the past few months they’ve had fewer outings. Enter this new ATR version.

They’re not a massively different shoe to the original, which I’m happy about. On your feet they feel largely similar. The most noticeable differences are than the tongue takes a little more adjusting and that your feet stay dry.

I’ve mainly been using these on runs I’ve done with my dog where we mostly run on grass and in the woods. Wet grass usually soaks my socks through in regular trainers, but the water repellant nature of the Evo SL ATR keeps my toes dry. They’re not going to completely waterproof, but they will keep out most of the winter rain.

The small lugs offer some grip, but not enough for properly muddy paths. But the advantage of that is that they perform more like a road shoe on wet pavements and don’t leave you slipping as an aggressive, technical trail shoe might.”

Want to read more? Check out Laura’s full adidas Adizero Evo SL ATR review.

Best for speedy trail runs: adidas Agravic Speed Ultra 2

adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2 technical details

• RRP: £200
• Weight: 225.56g
• Drop: 8mm
• Stack: 42mm/34mm
• Foam: LIGHTSTRIKE PRO
• Special technology: Energy Rods

What our tester said

“The Agravic Speed Ultra 2 is built for trail racers and fast ultra runners who prioritise speed, grip and stability over plush cushioning. It’s ideal for off-road races, long technical routes and courses where control and traction matter as much as endurance.

adidas Agravic Speed Ultra 2 run test

I’ve been out on the trails in this shoe during what has been a very wet January. The ground conditions have ranged from damp to muddy and the once white Speed Ultra 2 is no longer white. But colourway aside, I’ve been very glad of the grip the shoe provides.

The grip has been is excellent across dry, loose and moderately wet trails, and the shoe handles brief road sections that have interrupted my trail runs well too.

At speed, this shoe comes alive and the rocker is noticeable from the off. The platform feels stable and efficient, helping you stay confident on uneven ground. (Definitely more stable that the Asics Metafuji.) Where it falls short is on easier terrain or slower runs where it can feel overly firm and slightly unforgiving if you’re not pushing the pace.”

Need to know more? Read Laura’s full adidas Agravic Speed  Ultra 2 review.

Best elite racing shoe: adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3

adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 technical details

• RRP: £450
• Weight: 97g
• Drop: 3mm
• Stack height: 39 mm/36 mm
• Foam: Lightstrike Pro Evo cushioning
• Special technology: Carbon ENERGYRIM

What our tester said

“The fit is unapologetically race-focused. The ultra-lightweight upper, inspired by kitesurfing materials, feels almost non-existent on the foot. It offers just enough structure to hold the foot in place, but there’s very little padding anywhere. This creates a precise, locked-in feel, though runners used to more forgiving uppers may find it minimal to the point of harsh.

“The shoe is super lightweight and bouncy. It feels noticeably softer than the Evo 2 but that ENERGYRIM gives some stability to it. And, of course, Sabastian Sawe got his sub-2-hour marathon in the men’s version of this shoe, so we can be sure that it delivers.”

Read more – check out Laura’s full adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 review.

Best strength training shoe: adidas Dropset 4

adidas Dropset 4 technical details

• RRP: £110
• Weight: 264g
• Drop: 6mm
• Stack height: 15mm/9mm
• Sizes: 3–10.5
• Special technology: REPETITOR technology for energy return

What our tester said

“I’ve worn the adidas Dropset 4 to the gym a couple of times now as well as for a home workout in my garage. Winter is a good time to have a dedicated gym shoe because nobody wants to be the person trailing mud from their running shoes into the gym!

My workouts have involved plenty of squats, deadlifts and overhead presses, which have given the shoes a good test as that’s when I lift the biggest weights I work out with, and therefore when I want a stable base.

During lifts, the Dropset 4 feels solid and dependable. The wide base and firm platform minimise unwanted movement, helping you stay balanced during squats, lunges and deadlifts. Grip is excellent on gym floors, and transitions between exercises feel controlled. While you can do short cardio bursts, this shoe really shines when the weights come out.”

Read more – check out Laura’s full adidas Adizero Dropset 4 review.

Best hybrid training shoe: adidas Adizero Dropset Elite

adidas Adizero Dropset Elite technical details

• RRP: £450
• Weight: 210g
• Drop: 12mm
• Stack height: 42mm
• Foam: Lightstrike Pro cushioning
• Special technology: Energy Rim

What our tester said

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be among the first to try this shoe. Adidas set up a mini hybrid event at their headquarters in Germany that involved running, sled push, wall balls, burpees and lunges to put both me and the shoe to the test.

On running segments, the Lightstrike Pro midsole feels lively and efficient, helping you maintain pace between stations. We were running indoors on very smooth, shiny flooring with some tight corners but the Continental rubber grip helped keep me upright.

When it came to the sled push, that outsole, applied in a thin diamond pattern, also griped well on the carpet and transitions between running and functional work felt smooth.

The stack measures in at 42mm, which some runners will be used to, though regular gym-goers may still prefer something flatter. It also means that if you were hoping to use it for road races to get your money’s worth, it’s not classed as a ‘race legal’ shoe for road running.

It also comes with a sizeable 12mm heel drop (though it didn’t feel that drastic on my feet) which is designed to encourage a slightly forward body position, to help with form on wall balls and lunges.”

Read more – check out Laura’s full adidas Adizero Dropset Elite review.