Adizero SL2

I have now run 50 km in the Adizero SL2, starting with a 10 km run that was 5 km at race pace and 5 km easy to moderate. The secret is the midsole. It is a sandwich, with Lightstrike on top and bottom and a full-length slab of Lightstrike Pro in the middle, where the first SL had it only in the forefoot. It is much softer than I expected, and I could feel the energy return right away. It keeps pushing you to go faster and never holds you back. You feel the full effect between about 3:00 and 6:00/km. My US 9 weighs about 240 g. The listed stack is 35 mm at the heel and 25 mm at the forefoot, an 8 mm drop, but it feels more like 6 mm to me. The engineered mesh upper is very light and as breathable as a racing shoe's. Heel lockdown and heel padding are moderate and the tongue is not gusseted, which is normal for a racing-style shoe. The forefoot is wide, but the heel is much narrower than average and there is an aggressive cut-out at the midfoot. At first it felt narrow, so I went half a size up and it fits correctly. The Adiwear outsole gives good traction. It may not be as durable as Continental, but I expect 500 to 800 km, and more if you rotate shoes. It is built for runners who want one shoe for easy runs, long runs, tempo runs, track workouts and racing from 5 km to the half marathon, at about 4:00 to 6:00/km. Avoid it if you run very slowly, heel strike, or need stability or ankle support. Absolute beginners should look elsewhere. The ₹12,000 retail price is too much, but it often sells for ₹6,000 to ₹8,000. At that price it is one of the best value, most versatile shoes you can buy in India. With the Evo SL at ₹16,000, I see the SL2 as the better value, especially for beginners and intermediate runners.