The Adidas Boston 12 was one of our favourite shoes of 2023, and with Adidas opting not to release an updated version of the shoe so far this year, we wanted to compare it to the current crop of super-trainers and other top daily trainers, to see if the Boston still holds up as top option. Nick runs through the Adidas Boston 12’s features before comparing it to whole load of other great shoes in this video.
00:00 – Intro
00:48 – Design & Key Stats
01:43 – How’s The Fit
02:26 – The Run Test
04:09 – Verdict & Comparisons
05:15 – vs Saucony Endorphin Speed 4
05:55 – vs Hoka Mach X2
06:33 – vs Puma Deviate Nitro 3
07:03 – vs Mizuno Neo Vista
07:37 – vs New Balance SC Trainer v3
08:20 – vs Brooks Hyperion Max 2
09:05 – vs Asics Superblast 2
09:35 – vs New Balance Balos
10:10 – vs Nike Pegasus Plus
10:50 – vs Hoka Mach 6 & New Balance Rebel v4
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Hello welcome to run testers my name's Nick and we've got something a little Bit different today I'm going to be Comparing the Adidas Boston 12 one of my Favorite shoes from last year to the Current crop of super trainers that have Come out in 2024 to see if the Boston Still holds up as a top option on the Market Adidas is not updated the shoe in 2024 and as fair to say it still is a Very good shoe and one that not only Comes in a lot cheaper on list price Than a lot of the super trainers that Have come out this year but is often in Sales especially with Black Friday Coming up has a slightly different feel To most of the other you know trainers That have rods or plates or something in Them on the market I would say so I Thought it was worth refreshing my Memory with a Boston by running in it Today and then doing this video Comparing it to all the shoes that have Come out this year cuz it's F so we've Had a really good year in terms of some Very impressive kind of allrounder daily Trainers with plates without plates Loads of really good shoes out there so Does the Boston still hold Up the first a quick run through of the Design of the shoe and the specs it's £40 or $160 although as I mentioned it Does often pop up in sales these days Weighing at2 59 G or 9.1 o in a uk9 and
It has a 7 mm drop with a stack height Of 38 mm to the heel 31 at the 4 foot Got a very lightweight mesh upper with Very minimal padding around the back of The shoe not much on the tongue there at All got a dual density midsole with a Layer of Light Strike Pro and then Light Strike Eva 2.0 underneath that so you Got two different Foams there with Adidas's energy rods running in between Those these are a glass fiber infused Version of the energy rods and they're Basically there to give you that little Bit of stiffness and the extra extra Kind of propulsion you get from things Like plates in other shoes you have a Continental rubber out soole really good Coverage on the 4ot two strips of rubber At the back you know a very reliable Rubber that we've seen in lots of Alid Das shoes that does give you really good Grip quick word on the fit of the Boston 12 this is uk9 which is a US 9.5 that's My normal size for Adidas it has a Fairly dialed in fit it's not the wi Shue in the world but it's been okay for Me in terms of length and width I have Someone who has quite a narrow foot it's Fair to say it's pretty fussy upper We're going to talk about the upper a Lot with the Boston we always do it's a Really racy upper which does mean it's Not the most comfortable for like daily Training it's quite easy to get things
Like lace bite and general discomfort I've heel locked it to make sure the Heel didn't rub in any way as well so Yeah it's a very minimal upper which Means the fit is like I say quite dialed In and something you have to work on a Little bit to make it comfortable for Your general runs but does give you a Nice secure and fast feeling when you Are going out to do a session or even a Race in the Shoe obviously we have our full review And lots of other coverage on the Boston Up on the channel if you want a more In-depth run test this is going to be Quite brief before we look at the Comparisons of other shoes in the Verdict but it is a really versatile Oround shoe I found like I found it Pretty good for easy runs and long runs And that kind of thing I think some People might find it a little bit too Minimal for that it's like they're not The most comfortable shoe either in Terms of the mid sole or the upper but I Do think it is one that lots of Runners Will find very good for pretty much Everything in terms of just daily Training and then it has a nice Lightweight and Nimble feel with that Light drrive Pro giving you the extra Pop when you are doing fast running as Well so they kind of remind myself of The Boston cuz it's been a while since I
Used it I took it out this morning for An easy to steady uh hour or so with Some strides at the end so starting off Very relax cuz it was kind of wake up And get straight out the door and then Finishing kind of around six minute Ming Pace something like that and yeah it is Good to get back in the shoe it's Certainly got a more direct and grounded Feeling than a lot of the super trainers I've been testing this year especially Under the for foot you get more ground Feel it's also quite narrow and Nimble Shoe lots of these kind of big super Trainers have started to widen out to Add stability and that kind of thing and The Boston doesn't feel unstable to me But it does definitely have a much Nimbler feeling than a lot of those Shoes it's not the most rocket shoe Either and I say it's pretty not as Comfortable as some of the super Trainers that have come out that have Focused more on daily training but I do Think it does have enough Comfort like I Say like as a heel Striker I find this Wedge of Light Strike 2.0 you know quite Soft actually when I'm running at easy Paces it does feel like quite protective And that kind of thing then you get the Slightly more propulsive feeling from The 4 foot you know it's not an allout Comfortable shoe I think it is one that Probably puts a bit more impact through
The legs than some of the other super Trainers out there these days but you Know I do think it's pretty comfortable Still and very versatile and it was Quite wet today as I was running in the Shoe and that's not good thing about the Boston you do get that really good Outsole for winter training with that Continental Rubber the verdict on the Boston itself Is that it is a very good shoe and Certainly worth its price tag which is a Lot lower than a lot of super trainers Out there but the main thrust of this Section is going to be comparing it to All the shoes that have come out this Year to see if the Boston still you know Holds up against them because you know In 2023 I probably would rate it right Up there as you know comparable to the Endorphin Speed 3 as among my very Favorite super trainers as been a few Come out this year that I really like as Well so let's see how the Boston Compares to those so we're going to be Looking at you know not just plated Shoes but also some of the you know the Best unplated shoes that are in this Kind of super trender category and then Some shoes that are around the Boston's Price so things like the mac and the Rebel that you know have a similar price To Boston but don't really have anything Like rods or plates in them but can
Fulfill a similar role I'd say before we Go into the individual comparisons I'd Say for pretty much all of these the Boston is the cheaper shoe until we get To some of the shoes at the end there And it's also got the worst upper I Think the only upper that is equally Fiddly or nearly as is the Hoka ma x2s But even that I think is a better upper Than this one which I did remind this Morning how annoying it was to try and Get the shoe on get a comfortable fit Foot just felt irritated by it for the First section of the run but you do get Into it it is comfortable overall but It's just a much more annoying upper Than pretty much any of these other Shoes uppers first up we've got the Endorphin speed 4 I think we do have a Full comparison video on the channel the Endorphin speed 4 you know is a great All around super trainer it's still Probably my favorite up there I think I Like it a little bit more than the Boston it gives you certainly a bit more Comfort for easy runs it's got much more Of a rocker than the Boston and it is Still really fast I find like I've used It for some hard marathon training Sessions lately and it always delivers You get a bit more comfort and kind of Fluidity in the ride over longer Distances than the Boston but Boston has A nimbler feel a more grounded feel I
Think it's got a slightly punchier Feeling to it when you're doing short Reps and that kind of thing I think They're pretty comparable in terms of Their actual speed when you're looking At those faster runs but I'd say the Speed maybe is the edge for sustaining Fast paces and it certainly feels more Comfortable at relax Paces for me then We've got the Hoka Mac X2 which is one Of my favorite new shoes of this year You can get on with the upper of the Mac X2 like it doesn't rub your heel in any Way I think it's a tremendous allrounder It's got a lot more foam Under Foot than The Boston and you certainly feel that In terms of extra bounce and extra punch Off the forfeit in particular I think It's equally fast but a more comfortable Option for easy runs like it's a bit More expensive but I definitely rate the Maxu higher than the Boston I think it's Just tremendous all round shoe and Unlike with other comparisons to the Macx 2 the Boston doesn't even have the Edge in terms of a better upper because Actually I find this upper worse than The one on the hak X2 so yeah that's one I get ahead of the Boston along with the Speed for I'd say they're both really Good all around super trainers but the Boston is a bit cheaper than both of Those shoes then we've got the Puma DV8 Nitro 3 a shoe I didn't really get on
With like it's one that's veered a bit More to the comfortable end of things And I didn't find it very comfortable I Found it it hurt my achilles a little Bit and I just didn't find the ride very Propulsive like it's got a rocker there But it doesn't really give you that much Back the Boston has a snappier nimbler Feeling I find actually a bit more Comfortable actually because it doesn't Annoy my achilles and in general I think It's a more versatile shoe bit cheaper Uh like getting a bit more foam with the DV at Nitro I think you might appreciate That on some long runs but overall I Certainly fer the Boston to the Puma There's a Muno Nea Vista that's a Completely new shoe this year which is a Lot softer and bouncier than the Boston You've got that really high stack of Foam very springy it's more comfortable For long runs for sure it's got a lot of Bounce for fast running Boston again has A Nimble a feeling certainly feels more Grounded and direct and Nimble in General and you can definitely feel that If you're going to do some fast running In the shoes the Neo Vista is quite good For cruising and doing fast sessions Where the reps are maybe a bit longer But the Boston feels a bit more sharp Like an interval shoe more a racing Option as well but the Neo Vista Definitely has you know a much more
Bouncy and fun ride than the Boston if You're going to use it for kind of daily Training I'd say they got the New Balance SC Trainer V3 I've just been Testing this recently got about 50 mies In it again that's another one that Veers more towards the comfortable end Of the super trainer Spectrum seems to Be designed very much for those long Marathon training runs where you're kind Of doing a lot of miles speeding up a Little bit Boston has a nimbler feeling A much lighter feeling again it's a shoe I would use over this over the new Balance for you far Stu on the track and That kind of thing New Balance will have More comfort on long runs and again if You're doing extended sessions where Your reps aren't at Flatout Pace they're Just long reps like I did a four times 4K session like I prefer to do that and The New Balance over the Boston as well As easy running but Boston has a bit More top end speed and it's so much Cheaper the New Balance has basically Priced itself out of the UK Market in Particular because it's so expensive Here so I certainly would be paying the Extra in the UK to get that shoe over The Boston you got the Brooks hyperia Max 2 which is not a much bigger shoe Than the Boston again you've got more Foame on fit you're getting extra Comfort on long runs it's a fair bit
More rocket than the botton as well it's Got a really smooth ride again a shoe That I'd really like for long sessions Easy to steady like you know 90minut Runs marathon training runs longer reps At slower Paces but it doesn't have the Pace of the Boston for me for those Short shot reps doesn't feel as Nimble It feels much more like a cruy super Trainer again Boston has a bit more Punch Light Strike Pro foam I think is a Bit more explosive as well than the foam On the Brooks so yeah I think again it Might depend a little bit what you're Looking for if you are looking for a Daily trainer to do everything in then Something like the Brooks up here in Max On the new balance it might be more Suitable if you don't find the boss in That comfortable for easy runs but in Terms of a super trainer to do fast Running in I think the Boston is quicker Than those shoes then we've got a couple Of big very expensive super trainers That don't have plates got the ax super Blast 2 which is you know a really good Shoe you've got loads more foam on that Shoe than you have on the Boston despite The fact I think it might even be Lighter than the Boston that gives you More protection and comfort over long Runs churning out lots of Miles like It's a really good shoe the super blast For your kind of long runs in particular
Again not quite as Nimble and fast as The Boston for really you know allout Pce stuff but I think if you're doing a Lot of reps if you're doing lots of Training day-to-day the super L is going To give you more protection after your Legs better than the Boston help you Kind of go again the next day but it's a Lot more expensive again as is the New Balance ballos which is a little bit Different I think that's a really soft And bouncy shoe with a really pronounced Rocker but it's geared a lot more for Easy stuff again you can do reps Inn it I have enjoyed doing reps in it because It's a pretty lightweight shoe given the Size you have there but Boston certainly Feels like a faster shoe a more direct Shoe one that's more set up for fast Training definitely than the uh than the Um ballos which is yeah more of a fun Relaxed shoe again you know they both be Going in a rotation as a daily trainer It just might be what you're looking for For like if you can get on with the Boston comfort for easy runs you've Definitely got more versatility for fast Stu I'd say than the ballos super blast You know is all round I think a better Shoe but a lot more expensive so Something to take into account there Then there's the Nike Pegasus plus which Is a little bit more expensive than the Boston like quite an interesting shoe it
Feels like a much snappier higher drop Shoe than the Boston even though the Actual drop isn't that different like It's got quite a traditional ride you've Got that zoomx foam in there but it's a Fairly firm version of it doesn't feel Actually too dissimilar to the Light Strike Pro in the Boston but Boston Again feels a bit ner a bit sharper Probably get a bit more punch off the Toes with this shoe and again would be a Better interval shoe that Nike Pegasus Plus has more of a daily trainer vibe to It with a more comfortable upper for Sure and again you can probably grind Out long miles a bit better in that shoe But I do think the Boston is the better Shoe in terms of all round versatility Again if you find it comfortable enough For easy runs I'd be getting the Boston Especially as it's cheaper and a couple Of really good shoes around the Boston's Price you've got the hoko Max 6 and then New Balance Rebel V4 now both of these Don't have anything like rods in there They've got pretty standard Foams but They're both really lightweight Versatile trainers that I've LED for Everything from kind of you know short Reps on the track to longer runs I think They're really great value shoes and are A bit more comfortable than the Boston In terms of the upper they feel like They have a better Vibe for daily
Training if you're going to sub in one Of those shoes as a race shoe then I Think the Boston would be the one I'd Use but for an all Round mix of training I really like the Max 6 and the rebel V4 And I don't think they lose much in Terms of running fast because of the Lack of a plate or rods or anything in Them they just really could choose all Round Boston does have a bit more punch To it but if you're generally someone Who gets have quite long runs most of The time with your training the Mac 6 Probably is a bit of a better option Boston is the fastest shoe again you Could even kind of combine a couple of Those shoes in a rotation if you wanted You know a fairly cheap and really good Pair of shoes that can cover a lot of Bases all right that is a little run Through of the Boston versus the shoes That have come out this year let us know What you think in the comments below are You still a big fan of the Boston let us Know in the comments below please like And subscribe ring the little bell and We'll see you next time