Adidas Just Dropped the Best-Looking Running Shoe of the Year (Again)

Adidas and Pharrell Williams team up for a limited-edition take on the former’s fan-favorite running shoe.

White athletic shoes with blue, green, and brown geometric accents. The left shoe shows the text "Humanrace" near the heel and "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" on the sole. The right shoe has white laces with a tag labeled "ADIZERO." The shoes are placed on a gray concrete surface.

By Jack Seemer

Published 2 hours ago

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Updated 20 seconds ago

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Running is no longer just about time and distance.

In some circles, 5K PBs and overall weekly mileage are second to hyper-exclusive super shoes and cotton shirts with holes in them.

Fashion has officially infiltrated running around the globe, with everyone from world-class sprinters to Instagram influencers chasing the next must-have statement piece for their kit.

As fall marathons loom, there’s good chance it will be a new one-off variant of Adizero Evo SL from Adidas and Pharrell’s brand Humanrace.

White athletic shoes with blue, green, and brown diagonal stripes on the sides. The shoes have white laces, and the word "ADIZERO" is printed in blue on the tongue. The inner sole has the word "Humanrace" in green, and "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" is printed on the white midsole. The shoes are placed on a textured concrete surface. — The Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL replaces monochromatic stripes for brown, blue and green, courtesy of Pharrell Williams.

Luxury foam, bargain price tag

With or without the legendary cosign, the Adizero Evo SL is already one of the most attractive daily trainers on store shelves.

It’s fast. It’s reliable. And it’s surprisingly affordable, especially in the context of its material makeup.

White athletic shoe with three diagonal stripes in brown, blue, and teal on the side, featuring white laces with teal tips. The sole is white with "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" text, and "Humanrace" is written near the heel. The shoe is placed on a textured concrete surface. — The Adizero Evo SL doesn’t just look sharp. It’s one of the best shoes on the market performance-wise.

The Adizero Evo SL features Lightstrike Pro — one of Adidas’s best foams, as evidenced by its inclusion in the $250 Adios Pro 4.

However, the original Adizero Evo SL gets it underfoot for a 40 percent discount. Even at full MSRP, the shoe costs just $150, the same price as the workhorse Hoka Clifton 10.

Close-up of a white shoe sole with a "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" label, featuring brown, blue, and green stripes on the upper part of the shoe. — The Adizero Evo SL features Lightstrike Pro, a highly responsive foam found in some of Adidas’s best running shoes.

What’s more, the Adizero Evo SL looks good, plain and simple.

While most shoe brands go with bold, bright colorways that stand out on store shelves, Adidas here opted for a minimalist aesthetic that looks just as good running errands as it does on the track (especially with blue stripes).

Input from the current creative director of Louis Vuitton, one of fashion’s most historic houses, will likely do little to change that reputation.

Pair of white athletic shoes with green, blue, and brown stripes on the sides, featuring "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" text on the midsole and a black outsole, placed on a textured concrete surface. — From nimble everyday trainer to fashion statement, the Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL is certainly versatile.

Fast fashion

The Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL follows the template laid down by Pharrell Williams at the Paris Olympics last summer.

During the opening ceremony, the designer wore a limited-edition version of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, which replaced black stripes for green, blue and brown.

Pharrell in a pair of Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 — This isn’t Pharrell Williams’s first take on a performance sneaker. He wore a similar colorway of the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1 at the Paris Olympics in 2024.

That same treatment carries over to his version of the Adizero Evo SL, which also comes in black.

A pair of Adidas Adizero running shoes, one in white and the other in black. Both shoes feature green, blue, and brown stripes on the sides. The white shoe has white laces, and the black shoe has black laces. They are positioned against a textured concrete wall and floor. — The Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL comes in two colorways.

Both variants cost $160, a small upcharge over the standard Adizero Evo SL but considerably less than the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1, which Adidas rereleased in April for $500 (and goes for considerably more on the reseller market).

White athletic shoe with blue, green, and brown geometric accents, featuring a thick white sole labeled "Lightstrike Pro." A bundle of green shoelaces rests on top of the shoe. The background is a textured concrete surface. — The Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL also comes with a second pair of laces, colored green.

In other words, the Adizero Evo SL is still one of the best values on the shelf — both in performance and style.

The shoe, sold out on Humanrace’s official website, will go up for sale September 13 on the Adidas Confirmed app.

White running shoe with a sleek design featuring three diagonal stripes in green, blue, and brown on the side. The sole is thick and white with "LIGHTSTRIKE PRO" printed on it, and the upper material appears lightweight and breathable. The shoe has white laces and a low-cut ankle collar.

Adidas x Humanrace Adizero Evo SL

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.