Adidas Adizero Boston 12 review

The Adidas Adizero Boston 12 - named after the Boston Marathon - wants to help you on the road to your marathon or half-marathon goal. This ‘super trainer’ (the same category as the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2, Saucony Kinvara Pro or HOKA Mach X) is packed with tech to help you pick up the pace and well priced against it’s competitors. But how does it feel to run in?

Adidas Adizero Boston 12 technical details

Price: £140 Weight: 267g Drop: 7mm Stack height: 38 mm/31 mm Sizes: UK 4 to 13.5 Special technology: ENERGYRODS

Adidas Adizero Boston 12 pros and cons

Pros

• Great price for a fast shoe.
• Excellent grip and durability.
• Good energy return.

Cons

• A little stiff in the upper
• Laces slipped.
• Needs more padding in the tongue.

Who is this shoe for?

The Adidas Adizero Boston 12 is a training shoe built for mid- to long-distance running. They’re aimed at runners training for a half or full marathon who are incorporating speed training or tempo run into their week and the shoe is designed to give you a boost on these runs.

In the midsole you’ll find layers of Adidas’ Lightstrike Pro cushioning teamed with a new version of it’s durable Lightstrike 2.0 EVA. There are also glass-fibre infused ENERGYRODS which act similar to a carbon-fibre plate and are there to limit energy loss and give a more propulsive feel. If you’re a fan of the Adidas Adios Pro 3 - this is a potential training companion shoe.

How does it fit?

I wore my usual UK size 6 and found them to be true to size. There was plenty of space in the width for me (though I have slightly narrow pace) and I had to make sure I pulled those laces quite tight, but I was able to get a good fit. My only issue was that my laces (which I’d double knotted) came undone on the run. The laces are quite smooth and would be better if there was a little grip on them.

Is it comfortable?

The Adidas Adizero Boston 12 is designed more for speed than outright comfort, so don’t expect a plush upper or super squishy slab of foam. Having said that, the shoe was comfortable to run in once I’d got the fit right. The Boston 10 and 11 had a lot of feedback from runners that they were a bit too firm. I ran in the Boston 11 and they were a little firm for my tastes too. But the Adidas seems to have taken this feedback on board and the Adizero Boston 12 is softer than it’s predecessor. It’s still firm but it’s definitely more comfortable.

Adidas Adizero Boston 12 running review

The moment I put the shoes on I could feel (and hear) the grip of that Continental rubber outsole as I squeaked my way through the house. This is a good sign for a wet winter ahead. But I was nervous that I wasn’t going to love them as I headed out for my run. The first mile or two they did feel a bit too rigid both in the upper and the sole. However, after a stop to redo the laces and get a better fit (I’d been too generous on the first tie) they felt a lot better.

I’ve been running a lot in super plush, max cushioned shoes like the Asics Gel Nimbus 25 recently to log my long runs, so switching to this shoe was a bit of a change. I took them on a five mile club run and found that after a mile or so both me and the shoe loosened up a little and I really started to enjoy running in them. Although this wasn’t a workout for me, the pace wasn’t easy but the shoes clearly wanted me to go faster - I did find myself having to hold back more than usual in them even after having done a 13 mile run two days previous. They’d be a great shoe to do a tempo run in or even could be a race day option if you don’t want to go for a full carbon racing shoe.

Where can I buy it?

You can get the Adidas Adizero Boston 12 from Adidas in a choice of seven colours.