The Adidas Adizero Boston 13 and the Adidas Adizero EVO SL belong to the same Adizero range, Adidas’s performance line, and share the role of fast training shoe.
The Boston 13 is the structured daily trainer of the family, with rods and a dual-foam midsole. The EVO SL keeps it simple: Adidas’s racing foam, no rods, in a simple construction that works incredibly well.
On the scale, the EVO SL is lighter, by about 40 g / 1.4 oz. The dimensions stay close: 6 mm of drop, with a slightly taller stack on the EVO SL. The real difference shows up mostly on the run.
Both are built on Lightstrike Pro, Adidas’s premium foam. The Boston 13 combines it with a firmer layer of Lightstrike 2.0 and the Energy Rods, which stiffen the sole and structure the stride. The EVO SL does without them entirely: the foam works without excess stiffness, for a more natural stride.
In use, the Boston 13 is cut for serious training: tempo, fast long runs and marathon prep, with a stable ride to cover every pace.
The EVO SL is a little gem of low weight and responsiveness: lively and versatile, it strings together easy runs and workouts with a pleasant bounce. Its ride is genuinely fun, and we know few runners who have tried it without liking it. Its main limit is distance: for most runners, the half marathon is its ceiling.
On the upper, the Boston 13 goes for a reinforced mesh and sturdy lockdown built to last. The EVO SL’s is more minimalist, light and breathable, with a precise fit for fast running.
Boston 13 or EVO SL: which should you choose?
Overall, we recommend the EVO SL first, for a simple design that delivers a genuinely pleasant ride. It was a surprise hit at launch and it keeps winning runners over.
The Boston 13 is for runners preparing a marathon with big tempo blocks: it is the more solid partner for going long.
