Adidas Adizero Boston 13 Review – Boston Still Strong?

Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price

When it comes to stack height, the Adidas Boston 13 now packs 36mm in heel and 30m in the forefoot for a 6mm drop. That’s down from 38mm / 31mm and a 7mm drop in the Boston 12.

The weight stays the same. It came in at 9.1oz in my US men’s 9 test shoe. Not far off the ASICS Superblast 2.

On price the Adidas Boston 13 lands at $160. That’s a chunk cheaper than daily trainer rivals like the ASICS Superblast 2 ($200), the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 ($170) and the New Balance SC Trainer V3 ($180).

Design

The Adidas Boston 13 carries some super-shoe tech – superfoam and carbon rods – and is designed to be a daily training partner to the Adios Pro 4 carbon race shoe.

Adidas told us the focus for the updates was to keep the identity of the much-loved Boston 12 but to improve the comfort and create a shoe that’d cater better for those everyday training miles and long runs.

So although the Boston 13 is just a teeny 2g lighter, shaving weight wasn’t a priority.

But there are some notable changes. Starting with a new midsole tooling. You’ve still got a dual-foam set up with a combination of Lightstrike Pro and Lightstrike but there’s now more Lightstrike Pro – 13.8% more to be exact. Much of that extra super foam is in the forefoot in a bid to create a snappier feel.

Adidas wanted the transition and the toe off to feel like an Adizero shoe, sharing some family DNA and offering familiarity for runners who might step up from the Boston to the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 on race day.

So there’s a thin layer of Lightstrike in the forefoot and a thicker part in the heel for stability. Then the Energy Rods system in between, and finally the top layer of Lightstrike Pro with more of that in the forefoot.

There are tweaks up top, too. You’ve still got engineered mesh uppers but the tongue and heels now have more padding to add more training shoe comfort, for the longer runs. Some runners found the Boston 12 were a bit too minimal. These are now medium padded.

The outsole has a good covering of rubber with big pads of Continental in the main forefore strike area and a back heel pad with Lighttraxion rubber elsewhere.

Fit

In testing, I ran in a US 9 and the fit worked really well true to size. That’s not true of all Adidas shoes. The Adidas Adios Pro 4, for example, came up a bit short for length in the US 9. This is much better with good clearance towards the end of the toe box with no problems with toes bashing up against the end of the shoe.

The uppers hold really well with a fit that’s snug and secure but not too tight across the toe knuckles. That’s aided by the stretch and flex from the uppers. So you get a secure midfoot hold that locks down without any trouble.

The medium-padded heel collars offer good comfort and the lightly padded tongues prevent any lace pitch. A good, easy comfort and a shoe that fits well true to size.

Performance

In testing, I’ve logged north of 40 miles in the new Adidas Boston 13 at a mix of paces, everything from easy recovery right up to 5km pace intervals. My longest run took me up to 90 minutes on feet. Most of that was on the road but with some outings on light offroad.

Those miles have been largely positive. Comfort straight out of the box is excellent. This is one of those shoes that feels instantly like it belongs on your foot – lightweight and disappearing. And exactly what you want in a good daily trainer.

However, the ride was more blocky than I anticipated, especially at slower paces. I was expecting a softer, more bouncy feel given the Lightstrike Pro foam in the forefoot – similar to what you get in the Adios Pro 4 – but this is a different beast.

The Boston 13 leans more into a mildly springy, responsiveness with a firmness. The base Lightstrike foam makes for a grounded, structured platform that offers a balance of cushion and stability. It’s not a big bouncy ride.

That said, the shoe begins to open up and feel snappier as you pick up the pace. At around 6:50/mile pace, the ride felt more dynamic, with the forefoot foam delivering a quick, responsive turnover. It doesn’t offer the plush, cushioned feel of something like the New Balance SC Trainer v3 or ASICS Superblast 2, but I appreciated its firmer, more disciplined ride.

If you like a shoe that encourages quicker foot turnover and doesn’t coddle your stride, the Boston 13 delivers. It handles mid-to-uptempo paces well and still offers enough cushioning to take the sting out of the road. Though runners who prefer a softer underfoot feel for longer or recovery runs, might want to look elsewhere.

My Verdict

The Adidas Boston 13 has the makings of a great rotation workhorse — albeit with a firmer, more responsive ride than you get from softer, bouncier, springier plated trainers like the ASICS Superblast 2 or the New Balance SC Trainer V3. You might call it a shade blocky but that brings good stability with just enough versatility to handle endurance miles, as well as faster sessions.

It may not be the softest option going, and it’s not as punchy and precise as a HOKA Mach X2 but if you value a snappier, more engaging ride – where your feet still have to do some of the work – it’s definitely worth a look.