Adidas Boston 12 Review: The best super-trainer of 2023? 

Love love these Boston 12’s after the last 2 iterations, brilliant for high tempo runs and slow easy runs,perfectly said Nick about the difference between the 2 foams being less stark which makes for a smoother transition , it is such a major improvement even more than I expected , and relatively cheap with a promo code,so I had to get the green and pale blue colourway as I couldn’t decide 😂

Thorough and clear review. Thank you. I’ve been looking for an easy day shoe that still has some pace in it - might try these.

Really enjoy these reviews thanks for all the effort you put into them.

Brilliant review Nick, always appreciate your honest review and comparisons.

Just got mine. Looking forward to my first run in them.

I always wait for nicks seal of approval before buying. My wallet hates you Nick

Yep my next everyday trainer. Thanks for the great review.

Got the Boston 12 to replace the Boston 11 that I just couldn't get to work for me and I love it. It just may be my favorite daily trainer now although I still love the Deviate Nitro 2. I also have the Speed 3, Novablast 3, Hoka 5, Rebel v3, and Velocity Nitro 2 and they are all good with their unique strengths and rides but I find the Boston 12 the most satisfying, mainly due to the feel and ride underfoot. And, yes, as Nick says, the Boston 12 is fast and pushes you to run fast and do some demanding workouts. It really does have that race supershoe feel and ride. Like all Adizero shoes, the upper and tongue aren't the most inviting and comfortable and need a decent amount of lace fiddling but, once you dial it in, it becomes very comfortable as you run and don't even notice the upper. Adizero shoes aren't known for being plush and accommodating, but that's just how they are to emphasize speed and nimbleness. If you already have other Adizero shoes like the Prime X Strung, Adios Pro 3, Takumi Sen, and Adios like I do, then the Boston 12 will fit in very nicely. It's a fast daily trainer and very versatile although it's not the best for easy/slow paces. It's great for medium-to-fast paces - tempo runs, threshold runs, intervals, marathon-pace long runs, etc. Very happy with the Boston 12. I'm not even considering any other shoes in the so-called "super trainer" category. For me, Lightstrike Pro provides the best balance between propulsion/responsiveness and comfort/protection. It's not too firm and it's not too soft. For me, it's in that "goldilocks" zone that provides the most fun in my runs. The Boston 12 not only continues that tradition but builds upon it and makes it even better. The Lightstrike 2.0 also feels a lot better than v1 as well. This is just a great all-round running shoe.

I like the no nonsense reviews you do! And really want to try an Adidas shoe, so this will be it!:-)

In the end, I loved my Boston 11 besides the fact it was a bit clunky in the first 50km or so and not the fastest daily trainers. But this performance shoe has been lasting a very long time to me so far (~350km ran) . But ,I want to try different plated shoes, and I'm curious about this Magic Speed 3. Anyways, in the end, having both the Boston 12 and Magic Speed 3 would be a dream come true in terms of fun for me ! Great video review !

Waiting to getting hands on the B 12. My son uses the Superblast, loves it for all around running.

Got this shoe 2 weeks ago, my favorite shoe by far. really surprised by how comfortable/stable it is and how fast to it feels. it does easy paces well and picks up when you need it to.

Seems like the most recent Adidas releases Boston 12 & Adios 8) have really increased their arch support. One of my feet is a bit flatter than the other and can feel that extra arch support digging into it, giving me pretty significant pain after even a bit of running. No issues with previous releases such as the AP3 or Adios 7.

Great vid nick .. I was wondering about the Boston 12 .. I still rock with the Boston 8 haha .. the 12 are on sale now .. I’ll give it a try ✌️

Got it last week, did 22k half easy pacey and half tempo run with it today and I was impressed. Really nice feel at slow run and felt light on tempo, really a great training shoes for the pro 3 I would say 👍

This video is so true that I wish the other shoe reviewers would watch. The super trainer class that is being peddled out there are just sod daily shoes. The Boston 12 is the only new super shoe minus the endorphin speed 3 superblast and dv2. The sc trainers of the world are just more built up triumph 21’s or magnify nitro 2’s. They don’t excel where the Boston 12 can.

Nice review Nick. Would these make a good marathon shoe for a “steady race” (as opposed to racing a marathon for PB!?). Looking forward to the Superblast review and comparisons for the same purpose!

Love the channel and your reviews! I'm hearing great things these at the moment! I'm looking for a shoe to train for and, ultimately, run London marathon in (around 4 to 4.5hrs) I've been running in stability shoes for years (adrenalines / guides / NB860) but I've recently started using stable neutral shoes like Hoka Mach 5's and just did a fast 10k race in Endorphin Pro 3's with absolutely no stability issues. Have you got any suggestions for shoes I could look at for the marathon? Many thanks.

Thanks for the review - curious to hear your thoughts on running a marathon in the speed 3's. I love them , I do most of my training in them - they fit me perfectly and feel great. I ran my firsr marathon in Feb in the E Pro 3 and got numb toes. I am enjoing the Adidas pro 3 but I get a bit of lace bite. I am running NY in Nov and thinking of running in my speed 3's despite trying a bunch of carbon plates shoes.- Thanks

Waiting on a cool colorway before grabbing these

Ran in this and I got to say. I surprisingly like it so far. The runing experience wasn't impressive at first, coulple of reviewers mentioned they need to go through break in to soften up a bit. But honestly first run, I kinda like the firmness. The bounce is slightly tuned down compared to my endorphin speed 3 but I reckon it would match up eventually after break in. Maybe a little boring, flat and firm but overall a fun cruising experience. I am now very excited to look forward to it after the break in miles.

Great review. Just wondering how this shoe compares to the On Cloudmonster and if you had to choose one, which one would it be? Thanks!

Hi, good review. Just curious for my own comparison. What is your heel to toe measurement in cm?

Hi Nick, thanks for this review. The fit of the Speed 3 did not work, and I suspect the deviate nitro 2 to be a little bit too stiff and causing a small injury above my ankle. As I fell in love with the Takumis, I am considering these Boston for daily training and speed work and long runs and the adios pro 3 for eventually racing, but also long runs when the volume will be high. Your opinion helps a lot, I think I'll give them a try and compare with the Puma.

❤❤❤❤very nice

It has a special lacing system. Need to keep low tight and top part looser.

The Adidas line is great. Pro 3, Takumi Sen 9, Boston 12, Adios 8 😘👌👍💪

Hey Nick nice review.. I tried the shoes in store and I found that the lateral side of the heel was not level with the medial side (lateral side was not touching the ground), making it I guess not very stable at the heel.. Is it safe for a heel striker? All my shoes have significant wear on those lateral heel sides.. thanks

My takumi sen 8s I struggle with the lacing. If I runners lock I get pain on the top of the foot. If I don’t the fit feels a bit saggy. Looks like the lacing could be similar here. Thanks for the review.

The Boston 12 is really amazing.

Would love to know how Boston 12 compares with New Balance SC Trainer v2.

I'm currently deliberating between these and the ASICS Superblast. I fear the stripped down heel cup on the Boston 12s won't work for me though, and the Superblasts have a fairly traditional looking design.

Waiting for Endorphin Speed 4 with the rumored PowerRunHG outsole adapting with Endorphin Elite.

Please could u do Boston 12 vs Superblast ?

How would these compare versus Mach 5 for all round daily?

I use the Speed 3s for all my training and vapor fly for races. Reckon this could replace my speed 3s? Oh what to do. 😊

The Adios Pro 3 has fit me perfect since day 1…. This one is giving me many issues in the fit. I can’t get a comfortable lock down no matter what.

great review,

Just how firm is the ride on this shoe? How accommodating is it towards runners with higher arches and wider forefeet?

Definitely interested in a deeper comparison between Boston 12 and Superblast!

I just purchase this after using only Nike and Hoka over the last two years, at the last Maraton in Vaporfly 2 i ripped a gluteus medius because is so instable, so i hope this is more stable withc is seems i only run 17 kin this but seems fine my oly problem was that i use different muscles i need to adapt to this brand, lot of pain in the shin and from thies :)

Okay I’m still getting the Boston 10’s 😂😂😂. But these are something to think about having in the mix.

Any chance of a speed tempo training partner shoe comparison vid. Ie the speed, magic speed, this mach x, nb trainer 2 and the likes.

Hey, do you recommend this for 5k - 10k run?

Put a Strung Upper on this and it might be the one Super Trainer that’s super versatile, more affordable and the one shoe to Rule Them All.

I want a do-all super trainer for everything except race day. 5k -1/2 distance , easy runs , tempo and intervals. Should i get this or the saucony pro 3? I can buy 2 of these for the price of 1 saucony.

Don't slow your speech Nick!....It's your natural rhythm!, Never missed what you're saying due to speed :) and cram lots of relevant information into limited time...spot on!

I’m a size 9 in Nike and and had to size down to an 8.5 in these. I personally found that these fit big.

What is overal stability? Can this be succesfully used for light over pronators? I'm aware that this is not stability shoe, but I sucessfuly use trail shoes that are just stable (Nike Pegasus Trail 4)) in my ratotaion with Brooks Adrenaline.

Recently bought a pair of the 11s prior to the launch of the 12. They're unwearable. Felt great for the first run but on the second it was immediately obvious that the sides of my big toes rubbed the inside of the shoe on both sides (I'd even gone half a size up) and length wasn't an issue. The main problem though was the heel counter, it's just awful and the stitching created a pressure point which made blisters inevitable. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I can see, that doesn't look like it's been addressed in the 12.

Thanks just purchased!

I love the midsole and ride, but I can't get the fit right for this shoe. Anyone else having this problem? I usually take a US 7.5/EU 40.5. The 7.5 in this shoe feels good in the heel but I can't get a lock-down in the mid foot. My foot is literally sliding when I corner. I have tried to size down, but that feels small in the mid foot.

I have wide feet and it fits me great.

Hi Nick, you compared this to the Puma deviate 2, but how would you compare it to the deviate elite 2?

I have an underpronation on one side, and am looking for an alternative to the invincible 3 im currenlty using (which are great, but a bit boring), how are these shoes for stability? as the INV 3 are very good.

I'm trying to hold off buying any more shoes and you're not helping Nick! Quick question, I can get Adios Pro 3 for £157 and Prime Ex Strung for £167 from SportsShoes (before 10% club discount), would either of those be a better option than the Boston 12 at those prices?

I received my Boston 12. I have a problem with the heel counter, I find that it is not tight enough.

Have purchased several runners based Run Testers reviews, Including the Boston 12. I’m of the opinion the Puma Velocity Nitro 2 is as good as Boston 12. What is your opinion? Puma is stepping up their game and other shoe manufacturers should pay close attention.

I find the Speed 3 mushy in a long run. Boston 12 stays fresh. Alone Speed 3 unstable at slow pace and Boston 12 very stable at any pace. Puma Deviate Nitro 2 fastest and upper more comfortable but again Puma Deviate Nitro 2 hates the slow paces and Boston 12 stable at all paces but Boston 12 feel bottom heavy at slow (recovery) pace.

I had a hard time running on straight uphills when using this shoe, that's what I have observed.

Is boston 12 same technology with adios pro 3 ?

what garmen watch series are you wearing ?

We need a Boston 12 strung

A question for you. You guys refer to shoes as being ‘true to size’ does this mean you classify them as being a like for like e.g I’d buy them in a size 8 if I measure a size 8 normally or does it mean you true to size for the say half size you would add on normally? I’m a bit confused as I have just bought some triumphs in my normal dress shoe size as Saucony website puts this as at least 5mm longer than this size would normally be in a dress shoe…

I had to go size down haha!

Great review Nick. I’m looking at ordering a pair of these last pair I had was the Boston 9 but I had to half size up in them would you say the same with the 12 or so they run slightly bigger.

Do any of the run testers have issues with Achilles pain? Trying to find a shoe that will get me through longer runs that will keep me pain free (puma velocity 2 has done the trick for daily training/shorter runs)

Umm maybe the Boston 12 is a good example of a shoe that does not scale that well for those with larger feet. My UK 13.5 is about 340g and so a good 60g more than the Speed 3. OK it is lighter than the Boston 11 but still feels clunky and the 11 actually fitted me better as found the 12 quite voluminous up front but I do have relatively very narrow feet. For faster work I would take, from adidas alone, the Adios 8, Takumi Sen 9 or Adios Pro 3 everytime over these and all of them are "lightweight" even in my size and I find them fine for slower paces or going for longer runs. Did any of the other Run Testers try this one? Nick always has good insight but equally his paces are way faster than an average runner. In general "super trainers" largely for the weight reasons I alluded to seem a miss for me and anyway Superblast not even offered in my size. I tend to use the carbon racers like the Rocket X2 or Adios Pro 3 I don't like enough to race in but are good for uptempo runs as I don't have the huge weight penalty the lower tier shoes have in my size.

Injury risk- The upper and laces on the Boston 12 are terrible. It's fine for shorter distances, but over longer runs or hills it causes heaps of pressure on the metatarsal & tarsal area of the feet. Disappointing as I'll need to ditch mine since it caused an injury. The lower is actually excellent.

Can B12 be used as a daily trainer?

review the noosa 15... the best trainer 2023... ;)

Wonder which one will pass the durability test… B12 or SuperBlast…

Only got 16 miles on mine so far so. But I do think they hit a spot the saucony speed 3 was missing. Upper isn't as soft or comfortable as the speed 3 but it's noticeable but doesn't seem to cause issues so far. I've always heard the adidas foam needs to break so will see what difference that makes when it happens.

I must be the only person who really didn’t like the endorphin speed 3. They’ve given me consistent heel blisters and speed sessions in them are very hard on my forefoot (really bad blisters too). Not only this but the branding and logos literally started peeling off after my first run. That was my experience anyway 🤷‍♂️ doesn’t seem to match up with the constant praise I see that shoe getting

please compare to takumi sen

I just got mine about 5 days ago and love them. I came from the Adios Pro 7's. Ran 13.5 miles. Set a new PR on a 5k, all great. Laces took a bit to get the fit right, but now it's great.

I’ve historically used Pegasus and spent a few weeks in a new balance prism which felt great just a little too firm. Going back to Pegasus I’m finding my legs ache and soleus is sore too. Is the Boston 12 a decent alternative to pegs?

Did my first run today in Boston 12... Great shoe.. Only improvement for me would be a bit more padded tongue which would help get the shoe on... It's a bit floppy and basically the same as the Takumi Sen 8. For a more daily trainer it should be a bit easier to get on and off. Lacing system is a good idea... Very easy to cinch down. The ride is top as is midsole comfort. Outsole is good as usual.

What would you choose for a daily trainer? This or Novablast 3 or should I go for the adios pro 3?

Super trainers are a hard sell for me at their list price… you can find the New Balance SC elite v3, the Adios Pro 3, and the Vaporfly 2 for about the same price (or even a little less) right now. I’d rather buy any of those than a full price super trainer.

The Boston 12 could be a quite nice running shoe. But it's not (at least for me). And the reason why is the upper material, which is not flexible at all. I don't get it. They could have used their Primeknit and the Boston 12 would be a awesome shoe. I bought the shoe, because it felt great in the store. But about 10 minutes into my first run i had to realise, it's the worst thing my feet ever had to deal with. If you have wide feet, i highly recommend you not to buy this shoe, it's a nightmare. Or size up at least two sizes. And i already ran quite a few shoes till the end of their lifespan (Ultraboost, Solarboost, 2x Clifton8, Caldera6, 2x GT-2000, Deviate Nitro 2). For wide feet i highly recommend you to buy the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 instead. It's quite simmilar to the Boston, but you'll be able to finish your runs with a great pace and without any blisters.

I learnt today the adidas size guide and measurements are completely made up! I’m a U.K. 8.5 in Nike and Puma, based on the adidas measurements I should be a U.K. size 9.5. You can now see me performing in the local big top! I’m returning and exchanging, but based on this I feel I should be going for a U.K. 8.5 as the 9.5 was around two thumb width’s too long. Other than that it felt like a great shoe

I never ever agreed with yr comments on the fit 😂

Is it me or this video slightly sped up?

❤✔️👍

The heel flap looks so bad. I’m amazed Adidas keep persisting with it.

Asics Superblast is a better shoe but the price...

Can you give me this shoe?

DO NOT BUY THIS SHOE Boston 12…. How can adidas make an upper so bad??? Really think they are onto something with this midsole and glass fibre rods but that upper!!!! First run 8 mile run and will never wear them again. The material across the toe box is constrictive and the heel cup is a disaster. The heel cup from what I can see consist of three pieces of plastic or stiffer inner material. I know this because I have 3 blister on each heel. The shoe was even uncomfortable to walk around in. When you spend over £100 on a pair of shoes and have to consign them to the bin after 8 miles is ridiculous.

Still a good chunk of EVA. Nope. 💩

Thanks. But I have no idea why any runner would use a shoe positioned as a daily trainer as a track shoe? Addidas has a few options for tempo shoes. Otherwise, the rest of your review makes sense.

I received my Boston 12. I have a problem with the heel counter, I find that it is not tight enough.