adidas adizero Boston 12 Review

Upper

Jon: "The recycled mesh upper wraps comfortably around my foot and offers great breathability. The wider toe box accommodated my foot nicely, which made for a very comfortable ride. The highlight of the upper was the soft padding in the tongue. The laces were a bit harsh, so the protection provided by the tongue's padding was necessary and appreciated.

I did have a couple of notable issues with the Boston 12's upper. First, the laces would not stay tied unless I double-knotted them tightly. It is not the biggest deal in the grand scheme of things, but having to stop mid-run to retie your shoes is not ideal. The second issue I had was with the very firm heel counter. The upper works and feels great in all other aspects except for that heel counter. It put unwanted pressure against my heel, and at times it felt more like a dress shoe than a running shoe. Thankfully the issue was limited to minor discomfort, and it did not leave any bruising or bother me enough to stop running. This could also be a result of my specific foot shape."

Risa: "I enjoyed the race-like feel of the Boston 12's upper. It felt lightweight, and I had no points of irritation. I also had no trouble finding a secure lockdown, even with my narrow feet. That said, as a more performance-oriented shoe, the Boston 12 does not have a plush on-foot feel like some more comfort-minded trainers, but again, I found the upper to be very comfortable. I appreciated the more modern, sporty aesthetic as well."

Midsole

Jon: "The midsole was the true highlight of the Boston 12. The Lightstrike 2.0 feels much softer than the previous Lightstrike foam midsole. The new Lightstrike 2.0 is also combined with a higher amount of Lightstrike Pro foam, making the Boston 12 feel supremely comfortable underfoot. I was most pleased with how protected my legs felt after each run. No matter if it was a speed day or a long run, my feet never felt too beat up, and my legs felt fresh every day. This was a bit surprising, given the slight firmness you get from the midsole upon step-in.

I do not typically like shoes that are too soft, so the firmness of the midsole made the ride a near-perfect one for me. The midsole required no break-in, but I still felt the foam soften up after the first few runs, and 60 miles in, the ride feels even better than it did at mile 5."

Risa: "As a soft shoe lover, I enjoyed the midsole of the Boston 12 much more than version 11. The midsole still feels slightly blocky, but it is much softer and feels way better on the run. The foam is also more responsive in version 12, which made for some really fun daily training efforts. Moving forward, I think the Boston could be slightly faster, but regardless, I know a lot of runners will appreciate the updates adidas made to this classic trainer."

Outsole

Jon: "It is hard to complain about an outsole that features the highly durable and extremely reliable Continental rubber, but in the interest of saving weight, I wonder if it would be worth sacrificing a bit of that rubber. Even though this update shed over an ounce from the Boston 11, it still feels heavier on foot than I would prefer during speed workouts."

Risa: "I really liked the Boston 12's Continental rubber outsole. It gripped the pavement very well, and I had no problems throughout testing. From a durability standpoint, I expect it to last many miles and be competitive with the other top shoes in its category."

Comparable Models

Jon: "On paper, I thought the Boston 12 would be most similar to the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, seeing as they are both highly versatile speed-oriented trainers, but that was not the case for me.

While I was able to get through speed workouts just fine in the Boston, the Endorphin Speed feels so much lighter and faster on foot. All of the components of the Endorphin Speed work to make that shoe really fast, while the higher weight and wider base of the Boston make it less of a fast-day shoe and more of a daily trainer, which is by no means a bad thing.

My recommendation would depend on what type of runs you favor. Runners who prioritize comfort over speed in a daily trainer will be really happy with the Boston 12, but the runner who wants a super fast shoe that can also handle daily miles might want to try something like the Endorphin Speed."

Risa: "The Boston 12 reminds me of other speed-oriented shoes like the PUMA Deviate Nitro and New Balance FuelCell Rebel. The Boston offers more protection underfoot than both the Deviate and Rebel, and it is better for longer runs where you still want the speed and efficiency benefits of the ENERGYRODS. If you want a shoe that's better for pure speed workouts, then the Deviate and Rebel offer a little more speed with a more connected-to-the-ground feel."