Adidas Running Shoe Roundup: Adizero Adios 8, Boston 12, RC5 and the Duramo Pair

Introduction

Adidas has been releasing running shoes at a remarkable pace, and the latest batch covers almost every corner of the range: a flagship racer, a tempo workhorse, a budget-track-inspired option and two everyday trainers. Here is how they stack up, and which ones are worth your money.

Adidas Adizero Adios 8

The Adios series has long been a favourite among Adidas fans, and the 8 continues the good work. Weight is down from the previous version, landing at around 208 grams for the sample size compared with 217 grams before, and a long way back from the roughly 238 grams of the Adios 4. Any weight saving in a running shoe is a step in the right direction.

Adidas has added one millimetre to the heel and forefoot stack while keeping the same drop, and there is more Lightstrike Pro foam in the forefoot than before. The standard Lightstrike material has been simplified around the edges of the midsole, which should make the front of the shoe a little more forgiving. There is also a second version of Lightstrike here, though Adidas has not explained exactly what that means on foot. The surprise addition is an extra torsion rod in the midsole and outsole area, somewhat like the blades under the Prime X, which could add a bit of extra push. The torsion system also appears thinner than in the Adios 7.

The upper borrows from the Takumi Sen, which helps make this the lightest Adios yet. At £120 there is a price increase, but the list of positive changes makes that easier to accept.

Adidas Adizero Boston 12

The Boston 12 launched quietly on the Adidas site, and the model needed a rethink after the Boston 11, which was a minor update on a Boston 10 that already felt a little tough and under-cushioned at around 354 grams. Adidas has shaved off some weight here, but only four grams, so this remains a relatively heavy shoe at a quoted 267 grams for the sample size.

The drop is lower at 6.5 millimetres, bringing the shoe more in line with the Adizero Adios Pro 3, with the heel stack reduced by a millimetre or two. As with the Adios 8, the Boston 12 uses Lightstrike 2.0, and Lightstrike has meant quite different things across past models, so how it feels in practice will matter. The Lightstrike Pro cut is deeper in the mid-forefoot, peaking under the ball of the foot, and it will be interesting to see whether that foam creeps toward the heel, where it was previously wafer thin and the plate underfoot was easy to feel.

The big change is the new energy rod implementation carried over from the Adios Pro 3, plus a fresh mesh upper. The black, white and Lucid Lemon launch colourway is a genuine highlight.

At £140 it is a serious outlay, and with an abundance of heavier max-cushion trainers already aimed at mid to long distance running, some buyers may wonder if they need it. Still, the combination of a lower drop, updated foam and energy rods makes it the most interesting Boston in several versions.

Adidas Adizero RC5

The RC5 is a low-weight, Lightstrike-only shoe aimed at racing and shorter efforts, at 217 grams. In looks and implementation it is comparable to older Adios models, with a two-pronged torsion system similar to the Adios 6 or 7, but without any of the extra features. The sample size has a 27 millimetre heel stack and 17 millimetres in the forefoot, making a standard 10 millimetre drop.

That said, it can feel like a re-packaging exercise: existing designs moved into a different category. At £85 it risks confusing buyers who must choose between this, the Adizero SL at £110, and the rodless Lightstrike-only shoes further down the range. If a lower-stacked shoe around £85 is what you want, picking up a Takumi Sen on discount would likely be lighter and more usable for the money.

For runners who genuinely want a simple, low-stack Lightstrike trainer for short sessions, it can work. But there are better-value alternatives in the current line-up.

The Duramo Models: Duramo Speed and Duramo SL

The Duramo Speed and Duramo SL sit at the bottom of the range, and the concern is that Lightstrike on its own is not enough to justify two near-identical shoes. The cushioning this foam provides does not really suit a maximal stack, and past Lightstrike-only daily trainers have felt forgettable, with the foam firming up rather than softening as stacks grow.

The Duramo Speed reads as a firmer take on the Boston silhouette, while the SL appears similar with a slightly more padded upper. In terms of weight there is little to separate the two. These could make sense if you want a very durable version of that silhouette with a similar drop, perhaps as a backup for runners who save their Boston for racing days.

For most buyers, stepping up to the slightly higher-tier models makes more sense, especially given how small the price difference is.

Buying Advice

If you want one shoe from this batch, the Adizero Adios 8 is the standout, with meaningful weight savings, more premium foam up front and a lighter overall package. The Boston 12 is the pick for tempo and longer faster sessions if the lower drop and energy rods appeal, provided you accept the price. The RC5 and the Duramo pair are harder to recommend unless you find them at a clear discount, because better options exist at similar money.

Conclusion

Adidas is covering every base with this release wave, but not every base needs covering. The Adios 8 and Boston 12 are genuine steps forward, while the RC5 and Duramo models fill shelf space that existing shoes already occupy well.