Adidas adizero Boston 11 review

Adidas adizero Boston 11 Introduction

Adidas debuted its first “Boston” running shoe in 1982, and it was immediately loved for its top of the line comfort. In 2010 “Adizero” was added to the Boston’s name to signal a top-tier performance shoe with the latest tech geared for serious training and competition.

Soft suede overlays protecting the tip of the toebox and lace holes are the only part of this latest Boston that resembles the first edition, and I love this nod to nostalgia.

The Boston 11 is basically a remake of the 10 after its complete overhaul in 2021 but with less padding in the upper, making it .4 oz. lighter. Adidas maxed out the midsole, adding carbon-infused ENERGYRODS between layers of Lightstrike and Lightstrike Pro midsole.

So is this shoe plated? No—but close! Perhaps these rods that bring stiffness but allow some slight flexibility combine the best of plated and non-plated shoes.

Boston’s job is to take on training miles and provide a similar but more comfortable ride for those racing long distance in the Adizero Adios Pro. The Boston has a more sturdy heel counter than Adios Pro to support all of those training miles but less heel padding: choose your poison; choose your greatest need.

Adizero Boston 11 fits long, similar to the Adizero Adios 7 which is a fast, low-profile shoe that is great for speedwork.

Adizero SL is a softer version of the Boston and is especially good for easy recovery runs and daily training. With less Lightstrike Pro and lacking ENERGYRODS, this is an economical option at $40 USD lower than Boston and a light, comfortable ride.

The Adios Pro and Takumi Sen are Adizero’s racers similarly fitted with ENERGYRODS. Adizero RC 5 and PRIME X STRUNG are thrown in to cover the extreme opposite ends of the spectrum.

To keep all of these ADIZEROS straight I’ve created a hypothetical scenario to highlight their running glory:

TrueBlueRunner AZ buys the Adios Pro for her upcoming marathon and the Boston to put on most of the miles of her tempo and long runs. For speedwork, AZ wears the Adios 7 with the softer Adizero SL reserved for recovery runs and some longer runs here and there when her feet need a break.

As a thoughtful runner, TrueBlueRunner AZ buys the $100 USD Adizero RC5 for her friend who wants to start running a few times a week, in Solar Red / Cloud White / Coral Fusion, because - cute! Meanwhile she is saving up for the $300 Adizero PRIME X STRUNG for the ultimate experience of tailored fit, triple-layered Lightstrike Pro cushion, and propulsion.

That’s a lot to take in for Adizeros!

Moving into other brands, On Cloudflyer brings a bit wider—and 7 mm. shorter—fit in a half size bigger shoe, from the Boston, with a slightly quicker transition onto the toes.

Boston has the edge on higher stack height cushion with more protection underfoot and a final propulsive “blast” off the toes, at faster paces.

Other similar shoes are the NikeZoomX Invincible Fk 2, New Balance FuelCell SC Trainer, Nike Zoom Fly 5, and Nike ZoomX Vaporfly NEXT%, Saucony Endorphin Pro, and Hoka One One Mach 4.

The official weight for men’s US9 comes in at 271g / 9.56oz and women’s US8 at 255g / 9 oz. It is as heavy as Brooks Glycerin GTS 20, which is 1.5 oz. more than Adizero SL and over an ounce more than the Adios Pro racer.

Official stack height is 39.5mm heel, 31mm forefoot for an 8.5mm drop.