Inspired by both the Agravic Speed Ultra 2 and the wildly popular Adizero Evo SL, adidas set out to create a daily trail trainer that delivers the same energetic ride runners love on the road while adding the traction and stability needed for all types of trails. Meet the Agravic SL!
Many of us are mixing rolling singletrack, gravel paths, and the occasional rocky section into our trail runs. We want grip when we need it, but we want some of that softeness and energy too.
That’s exactly where the adidas Agravic SL fits.
After several weeks of testing on everything from gravel roads and rolling foothill trails, I found it wasn’t quite the beloved road EVO SL experience. So you’ll be disappointed if that’s your goal, but if you want a solid trail shoe that checks a lot of boxes this is an excellent choice.
Who Is It Good For?
- Wide Feet: Plenty of room through the midfoot, more so than older adidas running shoes.
- Technical Trails: Outsole is definitely designed to handle a wide range of terrain with great grip.
- Long Runs: Designed to help the legs feel good over long miles.
- Front of the Pack: Certainly a shoe that can roll fast, but probably not front of the pack racing.
This is a great moderate cushion shoe that easily transitions from road to most trails, while giving you some style points and plenty of comfort. Plus we’re looking at top tier foam for a daily trainer price tag!
adidas Agravic SL Overview
Let’s be honest, out of the box it looks like a grey version of the adored EVO SL. It’s immediately going to grab a lot of people’s attention with that, but again it’s NOT the same shoe.
In fact, we’d tend to say it’s just a much more well rounded version and more usable version for most runners of the ASU2.But importantly, at $60 less!
The adidas Agravic SL is a lightweight daily trail run shoe that prioritizes speed, comfort, and versatility over extreme mountain performance. At its core is a full length slab of Lightstrike Pro foam, the same premium cushioning found in some of adidas’ fastest road and trail racing shoes.
I still wouldn’t call this the same feeling as the EVO SL, it’s much closer to the moderate stable cushioned feeling of a Hoka Speedgoat. A lot of us keep trying to describe it as a soft, but firm shoe. Does that make sense to anyone?!!
The stability here is much better than the EVO SL as well because adidas paired that foam with a wider platform, a rockered geometry.
The full Continental Rubber outsole featuring 3.5 to 4 mm lugs provides traction on the steep portions (where I get most nervous going down). It’s also part of what adds weight to the shoe, so if you’re really looking to pick up the pace there might be better options, but again this is a shoe that I think is really for a large swath of runners.
Because even with that addition it’s still not bulky or heavy for a trail shoe! It’s a lightweight trail option, which is part of what adds to the ability to pick up the pace.
My runs ranged from easy recovery efforts to some faster pickups to see how the shoe responded. I also spent time running on pavement before and after hitting the trails, which is increasingly common as runners connect neighborhoods, bike paths, and trail systems into a single run.
It’s fine on the roads, but definitely wouldn’t call this a road to trail option. The cushion is absolutely comfortable, but the larger lugs are going to wear down and thus reduce that excellent technical traction we want.
Adidas Agravic SL Specs
- Brand: Adidas
- Usage: Road to Trail
- Previous Model: None
- Weight: 9.84 oz men’s, 8.
- Stack: 39mm
- Heel Drop: 6 mm
- Not available in wide
- Available in four colors
- Available on Adidas.com for $160
These give me road shoe vibes from the look, but maybe that’s just because I’ve been looking at ton of Adidas road shoes lately…and they all kind of look the same. The EVO SL vs The Pacer – look the same, but aren’t. I appreciate the grey which doesn’t look as crusty and used as everything white that’s been coming out recently!
adidas Agravic SL Fit
All right here is where I ran into issues with sizing. I’d say the Hyperboost Edge and the Agravic are 1/2 size longer than what I found in the EVO SL. I’m normally a women’s 11 and in both of these, I have way more room in front of my toes than normal. I actually thought it must be unisex sizing, but confirmed with the brand that it’s not.
The shoe was at least 1/2 size too big and I’ve seen some male reviewers with the same comment. So size down and ladies you might find this one has more room through the midfoot than you’re used to with adidas shoes.
Now outside of that I didn’t have any issues with the overall fit.
Loved the gusseted tongue to prevent movement. It’s thin which helps with both room in the midfoot, reducing some of where shoes can feel hot and comfortable.
And the ribbed laces help ensure they aren’t coming undone while I’m cruising down a rocky hill. They are also long enough to all me to tighten up the fit and do a heel lock lacing.
The heel was nicely padded and overall just felt really comfortable.
While I haven’t taken these through water yet, I’m confident in the outsole but not sure if the shoe itself will shed water as easily as I’d want it to.
Agravic SL vs EVO SL ATR
Ok so we just reviewed the EVO SL ATR an some of you are thinking are these the same?
Yes they have a similar look, similar weight and a Continental rubber outsole. The ATR is also water repellent which is fantastic.
BUT one look at those trail lugs tells you this shoe has a wildly different use case! It’s more of that road feel with the bounce for the person who wants a road to trail shoe or to ensure their EVO holds up better doing a lot of gravel packed trail running.
The ATR is not going to hit up the technical trails with confidence.
Similar Shoes to Terrex Agravic SL
- Hoka Speedgoat 7– Similar moderate cushioned feel, not as wide, great traction
- Brooks Cascadia 19 – Similar slightly wide fit, firmer feel and traction to do it all
- Rabbit High Country – Similar stack, great durability and traction
Our Verdict
Runners seeking a trail shoe from their beloved EVO SL might find this doesn’t feel as cushioned, but quickly realize that’s actually best for the trails. It gives plenty of cushion while giving you traction and enough feel underfoot to tackle a variety of terrain.
All right there is our adidas Terrex Agravic SL review!
Did you know they had a history in trail running? Have you tried any of their recent running shoes?
Looking for more running shoe tips?
The post Adidas Terrex Agravic SL Nails Technical Trails But It Is Not the EVO SL You Were Hoping For appeared first on RunToTheFinish.
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