REVIEW
GET IT HERE
The adidas adizero Boston 10 retails at R2999 and is available in select adidas stores across South Africa as well as online at www . adidas . co . za
THE OUTSOLE
All of the outsole panels are made from durable Continental rubber , which I have always found to provide great durability , even when I put my shoes through the grind . Given that Boston 10 is built for long training mileage , this is an essential . The traction provided by this particular outsole is also top class – no problems in wetter conditions .
THE NAME
The name Boston has been used numerous times before by adidas , and has appeared on both racing flats and cushioned trainers in the past , but the important thing to note here is that this shoe is completely different to any previous Boston models . In other words , if you ran in a Boston 9 , don ’ t go buy the Boston 10 because you think it ’ s the logical upgrade . Instead , go buy the Boston 10 because it ’ s a great new shoe with more cushioning , a workhorse trainer with some terrific ‘ bells and whistles ,’ and the ideal training parent for your pair of adios Pro 2 !
THE FIT
As I mentioned in my review of the adios Pro 2 , some reviewers have found the new adizero shoes consistently fit a bit bigger than usual sizing , so they prefer taking a half-size down , but as was the case with the adios Pro 2 , I did not have this experience . I found the fit comfortable overall , the forefoot roomy and the length of the shoe just right for my toes .
THE MIDSOLE
With its high-stack midsole , this shoe is built for long mileage , but whereas the adios Pro 2 ’ s midsole is made of two layers of the Lightstrike Pro rubber compound , the Boston 10 has a layer of Lightstrike Pro on top and conventional Lightstrike below that . The reason for two layers is to accommodate the EnergyRods between them , and the two different compounds provide different properties – the Lightstrike Pro provides more energy return ( and cups the foot to provide extra stability to compensate for the high stack height ), while the Lightstrike provides a more stable base platform . The Lightstrike is firmer than the Lightstrike Pro , which also makes it a bit more durable , and thus better suited to longer training mileage . Another shared feature with adios Pro 2 is the midsole cut-out , which you can see if you look at the bottom of the shoe , and which allows you to see the EnergyRods .
THE RIDE
I ’ ve said it before in this review , and I ’ ll say it again : These shoes were built for mileage . I found the ride firm but well cushioned , and the stiff forefoot provided a great rocker motion and toe-off , which I came to enjoy more and more on my longer runs . In fact , at times I forgot that I was on a long run , and the energy-saving features meant I finished my runs actually feeling like I could have gone further . And faster ! Obviously the Boston 10 is heavier , firmer and less snappy than the adios Pro 2 , but I still found it could handle shorter , faster tempo runs , but it was definitely better on the longer , slower runs .
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
Where the adios Pro 2 is fast and flashy , the Boston 10 is solid and dependable , and makes the ideal training stablemate for its racing companion . With its energysaving propulsion system and great cushioning , it makes you want to run further , or more often , so it ’ s a great shoe for those so-called ‘ slog kays ’ of your training programme , while still delivering a similar ride to the racer .
My biggest take-away from doing this review was finding a training workhorse shoe that still features the same ( or very similar ) top-level tech of a top-level racing shoe , notably one as technologically advanced and supremely fast as the adios Pro 2 . The result is that I now have the ideal combo of trainer and racer that literally work together to make me a better runner !
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