Adidas Revamps the Beloved Adizero Evo SL Into a Retro-Style Showpiece

Combining a modern midsole with an old-school upper, the SL 72 Pro bridges heritage design with contemporary performance.

Close-up of a navy and gray sneaker with white laces and white zigzag stripes on the side.

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By Jack Seemer

Published April 13, 2026

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Adidas is a brand between worlds.

Dating back to the first half of the 20th century, sneakers like the Samba, Gazelle and Superstar have made it arguably the biggest name in retro style.

Meanwhile, super shoes such as the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 and Adizero Prime X Evo keep it on the cutting edge of sports science.

Somewhere in the middle sits the all-new SL 72 Pro.

White and beige Adidas sneaker with black stripes and thick white sole labeled "Lightstrike. — The new SL 72 Pro combines a retro upper with modern midsole technology.

What goes around

Up top, the new design adopts the upper of the SL 72. That shoe may lack the longterm notoriety of Adidas’s heavy-hitters, though not for lack of trying.

Close-up of a navy and gray Adidas SL 72 sneaker with white stripes and laces. — The original SL 72 was one of the first Adidas shoes to showcase the brand’s iconic trefoil logo, which makes way here for modern lettering.

Bob Marley was a fan, and notably, it was one of the first Adidas shoes to showcase the brand’s trefoil logo.

More recently, it’s caught the eye of designer Grace Wales Bonner, who’s given the SL 72 series of sold-out glow-ups.

Here, the upper remains more or less intact with a nylon base and premium suede overlays.

Close-up of a black sneaker with white zigzag-edged stripes and textured fabric panels. — True to the OG, the upper combines a nylon base with suede overlays.

But in lieu of of the traditional low-stack midsole, Adidas swapped in a thick bed of Lightstrike foam, tooled with the same geometry as the best-selling Adizero Evo SL.

Black and gray Adidas sneaker with white stripes and thick white sole labeled "Lightstrike+" viewed from the back side. — The low-stack midsole swaps out for a high-stack bed of Lightstrike+ foam.

That means the shoe features a rocker that sits at around 60 percent of its length, translating to an agile and response toe-off underfoot.

Black and white Adidas SL 72 sneaker with thick black sole and white stripes on the side. — While its foam compound differs to the exact composition of the Adizero Evo SL, the SL 72 Pro has a similar rocker profile that creates a snappy ride underfoot.

Close-up of a black rubber shoe sole with textured grip patterns and a white midsole edge. — An Adiwear outsole brings reliable durability to the design.

Availability and pricing

Now available overseas, with a US rollout in the wings, the SL 72 Pro comes in three colors at launch, blue, white and black.

On the brand’s official Hong Kong website, it carries a price tag of 899 Hong Kong Dollars (aproximately $115).

Navy and white Adidas SL 72 sneaker with suede overlays and thick white Lightstrike sole.

Adidas SL 72 Pro

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About the Author:

Jack Seemer is the executive editor at Gear Patrol, with over a decade of experience in product journalism. He currently reports on a wide range of topics, including footwear, watches, EDC, cookware and more.

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