adidas Solar Glide 5 review

Meet the new adidas Solar Glide 5. It’s a big update from its previous model and in my view it’s the best Solar Glide yet. adidas are no stranger in the racing shoe front, but have arguably fallen behind competitors in the daily trainer category. The good news is that the Solar Glide 5 will please more runners and place itself as an attractive competitor to similar commercial offerings on the market. So let’s dive into what’s new and how the shoe performs underfoot.

 

Shoe type:	Neutral
Stack height:	36mm heel / 26mm forefoot
Drop:	10mm
Weight:	335g / 11.8oz (per men’s US9)
Surface:	Road
Best use:	Daily running, easy running

 

What’s New:

– Higher stack height
– More BOOST cushioning
– More comfortable forefoot (key!)
– New plastic shank inside it (called LEP 2.0), more prominent on forefoot
– More padded heel counter, maintains hollow section at achilles insertion
– New knit-inspired mesh upper made with 50% Parley recycled ocean plastics
– Thicker tongue

 

Who’s the shoe suited for:

This shoe will suit a runner looking for a cushioned daily trainer. It is made for someone who values comfort, durability and a nicely constructed design. And someone who doesn’t mind not having the lightest and fastest shoe on the block. Which is a large portion of runners. It will suit everyday running pace best, but not quite up-tempo nor speed work. It is on the heavier side, but it doesn’t necessarily feel like a heavy shoe and relative to it’s cushioning it’ll give you some spring to your step, but still not a speed shoe.

Whether you’re a heavier runner, new runner or even seasoned runner this shoe can suit you, but your more seasoned racers would probably want to couple this shoe with a speed orientated shoe. Adi shoes are great for general daily use (with jeans) if that’s your vibe. Boost cushioning is very comfortable underfoot and is certainly durable. It could be an amazing traveling so if you have to pack tight (and don’t mind orange shoes).