Possibly the perfect running shoes

For runners, nothing is perhaps more divisive than the topic of the perfect running shoes.

So by way of caveat, the views expressed in this column are just mine, borne of personal experience and perception.

When talk drifts to the “perfect” running shoes, one ordinarily thinks of the marathon race day shoes, the ones with the carbon plates, or rods, or air pods. While I have my favorite ones of the kind — Adidas Adios Pro 4 and Puma Fast R Nitro Elite — these shoes have their downside.

For one, these supershoes are not ideal for everyday training. Apart from the fact that they are usually not that durable, it is not optimal to train your feet using them. While supershoes can boost performance during races and faster workouts, training in them can result to overuse injuries due to their design and mechanics. It can even alter your natural gait and lead to potential issues.

Moreover, supershoes have increasingly become expensive through the years. The most expensive one, said to be the fastest and lightest, is the Adidas Pro Evo at more than P30,000.

Tigst Assefa broke the women’s marathon world record in Berlin while wearing the Pro Evo 1. Sisay Lemma won the Boston Marathon in the Pro Evo 1. Benson Kipruto won the Tokyo Marathon in the Pro Evo 1, setting a new course record. Tamirat Tola won the New York City Marathon in the Pro Evo 1.

Finally, Sebastian Sawe won the London Marathon in the Pro Evo 2.

It does seem that the price tag is justified but not everyone has that much money to burn on running shoes, especially since Adidas has openly said that the Pro Evo is only good for one marathon.

Apart from the hefty price, these supershoes are not ideal for lifestyle. I love wearing sneakers while traveling but will not dare wear Alphaflys when not running. Supershoes are unfortunately too flashy and unstable for a stroll.

Which brings me to my favorite daily trainer and lifestyle sneaker: the Adidas EVO SL.

This is not a paid column and am not getting anything from Adidas. If anything, with all my purchases, I have probably contributed most to the earnings of Adidas. Kidding aside, the Adidas stores here have become my respite from the daily stresses of life, like a candy store to a kid.

Why the Adidas EVO SL?

To begin with, no one can beat that P8,000 price tag. All the other training shoes of major brands are worth more.

The first Adidas training shoe I fell in love with, the SL2 even cost much less, at P6,500. If Adidas can bring the prices of their training shoes that low, it’s difficult to appreciate any other training shoes with a higher price tag.

Aside from the price, the training shoes of the other major brands do not have the same pop as their supershoes counterpart simply because their midsoles are different. Their midsoles are usually a blend of the supershoe midsole (Zoom x, FF turbo, etc.) and some other material purportedly to make the training shoes more stable. Their configuration is likewise different compared to their supershoes.

With the EVO SL, you get the exact same Lightstrike Pro midsole in the exact same configuration as the Adios Pro 4, just minus the carbon rods. Thus, the EVO SL retains much of the pop of the Pro 4 without the rigidity that the carbon rods provide.

Plus, you can’t beat that sharp, minimalist, and edgy design — the type that when you wear them to the airport immediately says: I’m off to do a marathon or Hyrox somewhere nice.