The 12th version of the Adidas Adizero Boston Shoe has arrived and runners are excited about them again. After Adidas made big changes for the Boston 10 & 11 from the 9, a lot of Boston fans were left disappointed. Luckily, for those who loved the 9 Adidas have changed things up again. They have once again created an amazing performance training shoe. Boston is iconic in the running world and Adidas has created a shoe that is capable of getting you there.
I picked up a pair to see what they were all about. Let’s jump in and take a look at how the shoe has held up over the first 50 miles of wear.
Adidas Boston 12 Tech Specs
| Shoe Type | Neutral |
| Terrain | Road, Light Trail |
| Best For | Training Shoe/Fast Training Runs |
| Distance | Mid To Long Distance |
| Weight | Men 267g (US 9.5) |
| Forefoot Height | 31mm |
| Heel Height | 38mm |
| Drop | 7mm |
| Price | $159.95/£140 |
Who Should Buy The Boston 12s?
The Adidas Boston 12 is the perfect shoe for long-distance runners such as the half marathon or marathon distance. If you put in a lot of miles in training, this is a great shoe to get you through your training block comfortably. It performs well during speed sessions as well as long runs, while also being durable enough to last a full marathon block.
Many people who race in the Adidas Adizero Pros believe this will be the perfect training/race day shoe combo.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Boston 12s
If you are a casual runner who is only running a 3-10 miles per week you probably don’t need a shoe as high tech as the Boston 12. It is an expensive shoe coming in at $160. If you’re purchasing it, make sure you’re going to get the most out of it.
Adidas Boston 12s vs Boston 11s
The Boston 12 is a significantly less clunky shoe than the Boston 11. The shoe has lost approximately 50g in weight as well as having a much thinner, more breathable upper.
Adidas has also cut back on the size of the heel stack, getting you closer to the ground. The heel stack in the previous two generations was 39mm and is now 38mm in the Boston 12 giving the shoe a reduction in height of 1.5mm. This has helped to shave some of that weight off the shoe.
How Does The Adidas Boston 12 Fit & Feel?
I am a UK 9.5 and the shoe fits true to size. However, like the Vaporflys I do need to use a runners loop to ensure they are securely fitted to my foot. My foot is fairly wide and I have had issues with other shoes being too narrow but the standard fit in the Boston 12 has gave me no trouble in terms of width.
When it comes to the sole of the shoe I do find that when I’m walking I can feel a bump pressing into my arch from the midsole. Now, this is something I deal with on my left foot in the Vaporflys as well. I may have a slightly low arch on that side. However, that said it causes me absolutely no discomfort when I’m actually running.
On the back of the shoe, there is a thin heel counter, and inside the heel are two small strips of collar cushioning on either side. The rest of the heel is fairly thin and may cause some issues if you are wearing thin socks.
The shoe is comfortable when on and didn’t get too hot even on really warm days here in the UK. Overall compared to similar level shoes it is quite comfy for long training sessions.
Adidas Boston 12 Structure
Upper
The upper on the Boston 12 is thin without much cushioning like the Boston 11s. This material is unfortunately quite unpleasant when rubbing against the foot. Some people have reported getting blisters from it.
The shoe has a floating tongue that is connected to the upper through the laces which thread through 3 eyelets on either side. This gives you a fairly good lockdown but I did have to pull the laces quite tight and use the runners loop.
Lacing System
There is a lot going on with the lacing system on this shoe. The tongue is made of foam and the edges of the shoe are made with a hard rubber material. Personally, it hasn’t caused me any issues as I haven’t been wearing ankle socks when running. However, some people have reported that this part of the shoe has been causing them blisters.
I have been using the runners loop to tie the shoes and keep them more secure on my foot during runs.
Mid-sole
In the previous version of the Boston 10s and 11s many people complained about the mid-sole. It took a long time to break in and was stiff underfoot. In this version they have stuck with the same two piece construction but have made significant improvements in the foam. They have added more LightStrike Pro foam in the shoe, specifically the forefoot. This foam feels light and bouncy which is a significant improvement on Lightstrike 1.0.
The stack height has got smaller coming in at 37mm with a 30.5mm forefoot. This shoe is more flat and less of a rockered feel than the previous iterations.
Included between the two layers of mid-sole there are glass-fiber infused EnergyRods 2.0. This is an upgrade from the half-length rods used in the Boston 12 and similar to the structure used in the Adios Pro 3’s.
Outsole
The outsole on the Boston 12s is made from two pieces of continental rubber and is built to be durable over a large number of miles. When doing speedwork in the shoe I felt like I was getting a lot of traction with the ground. When compared to something like the Vaporfly 2 this felt much more solid when taking corners.
You can see the exposed energy rod through the bottom of the sole.
Long Runs In The Adidas Boston 12s
I have now taken on two fairly long runs in the shoe. A 10 mile and a 14 mile. While the shoe held up comfortably during the run, when I took them off my toes and toe nails were sore. I feel like my toes were bashing off the toe box. If I was deep in a training block and taking on some 20+ mile runs I feel like this could cause a bigger problem.
Underfoot the shoe feels very comfortable during a long session thanks to the Light Strike Pro foam.
Speed Sessions In The Adidas Boston 12s
I really enjoyed my speed sessions in this shoe. When you hit them faster paces the shoe feels responsive and you get that snapiness feel of a race day shoe from the carbon rods. The shoe felt closer to a race day shoe than a training shoe when doing these speed runs. I felt like I was getting good energy return and could maintain higher paces for longer.
Should You Buy The Boston 12s?
I would recommend buying a pair of Adizero Boston 12s if you are looking for a high end marathon training shoe. If you are looking a comfortable shoe that can do long runs, speed sessions and everything in between then this is a great choice.
The shoe will last you a full block and potentially even take you all the way to Boston, if that’s your target.
If you are a casual runner who is doing shorter 3-5 mile runs occasionally, you can probably get away with cheaper shoe such as the Pegasus 39 or New Balance 1080V12s.
Over all, I would recommend these for serious runners doing a high-mileage training block.
How Durable Are The Adidas Boston 12s?
The Boston 12 has great durability just like the previous models in the Boston range. The Continental outsole on the shoe should easily last you over 300 miles. I will update this post with wear and tear as I add more miles to the shoe. As this shoe is great for speed workouts you can also save some miles on your more expensive super shoes.
Wrapping Up
So there you have it, those are the Adidas Adizero Boston 12s in a nutshell. I have personally been really enjoying the shoe and it will likely be my go to daily in my current collection of shoes. I have an upcoming sub 3 training block where these shoes are going to get a lot of use. Let me know your thoughts down below if you have had a chance to take the Boston 12s out for a run.
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