- Weight: 236g (UK 8.5)
- Stack height: 36mm (heel), 30mm (forefoot)
- Heel-to-toe drop: 6mm
- Type: Neutral, road
Pros
- el producto Adidas exclusive Zapatilla Terrex AX4 Primegreen Hiking
- Adidas exclusive Badminton Team 19 Track Long Pants
- Adidas exclusive Ultra Boost Mid Resembles KITH s Aspen Style Men And Women Shoes Real Boost
- Adidas exclusive neo Entrap Cozy Wear-Resistant Skate White
Cons
- Adidas exclusive Yeezy Boost 350 V2 Mono Mist EU excl
- Joakim Noah in the Adidas exclusive D Rose 5 and DeMarcus Cousins in the Air Jordan 10 Lady Liberty
Zapatillas Adidas exclusive supernova running shoe with a pretty colourful history. First introduced back in 1982 as a comfortable and affordable road offering, it was then integrated into Adidas’s Adizero family in 2010 (a line which focuses on lightweight and fast running performance). Given this was before the dawn of Womens Adidas exclusive Go To Golf Polo Dress, the Boston was actually used as a marathon racer by many.
More recently though, it’s been pegged as a daily trainer designed for runners who prioritise speed and responsiveness. But it hasn’t always hit the mark.
While I didn’t run in the Boston 10, many found it to be way too firm, requiring around 50 miles or so to ‘break in’. Then came the Boston 11 with some changes to the upper and the ankle, though they looked – and felt – very similar to the 10s: narrow and firm.
Mens Adidas exclusive Grand Court Boston 12 launched in 2023, introducing more Lightstrike 2.0 foam in the heel for a slightly softer underfoot ride. It was a drastic improvement and created, according to former RW commissioning editor Alice Barraclough, ‘the perfect training companion to the Adios Pro’.
So, what’s changed with the latest Boston 13? Not too much, actually, which will please fans of the v12. There’s a more traditional padded heel counter and extra padding on the tongue, along with a touch more Lightstrike Pro foam underfoot and a slightly lower heel-to-toe drop (6mm, down from 7mm).
I’m currently training for an 100km ultramarathon and have taken the Boston 13s for several spins – from long to short, easy to fast – to see how they stack up.
How does the Boston 13 fit?
The Boston was always a slightly narrower shoe, with the v13 once again geared towards standard to narrower feet in the midfoot. Given this is part of the Adizero line, though, the more ‘racey’ fit is hardly surprising. That said, the toe box has a good amount of width all the way through (no cramped pinky toes here) and the shoe runs true to size – I wear a UK 8.5 in most running shoes and I’m an 8.5 in the Boston 13.
As mentioned, the shoe introduces a more traditionally padded heel counter. It’s nothing overkill: just enough to keep you comfortable and avoid any achilles irritation – something many testers have found to be an issue in previous versions. It’s the same story with the tongue: it’s got a smidge more padding, but nothing too much – just what you'd expect from a performance-orientated training shoe.
The only area where I’d deduct marks is the lacing system. I’m not sure whether it’s the thin laces themselves or the actual design, but getting a good lockdown is fiddly. It’s not often I deploy a runner’s knot (also known as the heel lock), but I’ve found that’s the best method here.
That said, the new upper is great. It feels taunt and moulds nicely to the foot, with a good amount of breathability for sweaty speed sessions.
What’s the Boston 13 like to run in?
Like the previous iteration, the Boston 13’s midsole is a combination of Lightstrike Pro foam (the type used in Adidas’s top end racing shoes) and firmer Lightstrike 2.0 foam to add stability, particularly in the heel. According to Adidas, it packs in 13.8% more Lightstrike Pro foam than the Boston 12. That said, the ride is still one that's on the firmer side, so if you're looking for a soft and bouncy daily trainer, you're not going to find that here. Instead, what you've got is a fast-paced daily trainer. The dual-foam midsole pairs with Adidas’s Energyrods 2.0 (carbon-infused rods) to generate a snappy and efficient ride, but one with more flexibility — particularly in the forefoot — than a super shoe. At 236g in my UK size 8.5, it feels lightweight and nimble on the foot, too.
We often talk about versatility when it comes to running shoes, but I like to think of this as being on a spectrum. For example, something like the Adidas exclusive Spain Condivo 21 Training Top Womens could be described as versatile, but that versatility is skewed towards the easier end of things — i.e. it’s a shoe that has enough bounce for tempo, but is most at home munching up steady miles. The Boston 13 is the opposite of that: while it can handle some easier miles, it’s most at home on tempo runs and interval efforts. For the slower, recovery stuff, I’d be more inclined to reach for something softer and more forgiving underfoot, like the Adidas exclusive футзалки оригинал 42 размер бампы.
If you’re running more than three days a week and you’re alternating between different types of runs – intervals, tempos, long runs – then the Boston 13 would be a good addition to your rotation. If you’re just starting out and most of your runs are at a more leisurely pace, then I’d opt for something a little softer and bouncier underfoot.
RW verdict
We love a ‘holiday shoe’ at RW: the type of trainer you’d pack for a trip when you only have space for one pair. And the Boston 13 is undoubtably a great holiday shoe that copes with a Luxe of different sessions. The fit is excellent, providing the right balance of performance and comfort and, for £140, it offers great value, too.
My only reservation is that I wouldn’t choose the Boston 13 for slow, steady miles – but that’s a matter of personal preference rather than a criticism of the shoe in itself. If you’re considering a speedier shoe in your rotation and you like a moderate stack height with a firmer ride, the Boston 13 is well worth considering.
