adidas adizero Boston 12

Name: adidas adizero Boston 12
Brand: adidas
Rating: 4.4 (31 reviews)

Speed shoe · Neutral · Road · 8.7 oz · 38/31mm stack · 7mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The adidas adizero Boston 13 replaced it

How it ranks

The adidas adizero Boston 12 is one of the strongest running shoes in our data. Looks and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Comfort scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 58 runner reviews and 10 other rated shoes in the adizero Boston product line.

Good

Overall

Good 88

Appearance

Exceptional 97

Durability

Excellent 95

Value

Good 87

Cushioning

Decent 70

Comfort

Below average 60

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

98 Very high

Very high 98

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Our ratings
Product line track record
External ratings

What runners say

“Fit quite long and wide—size down half a size.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Laces are absolute garbage; come undone during runs.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

“Forces you up onto your toes, helping increase cadence and decrease overstriding.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Runs about ½ size bigger than Saucony and Nike.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

“Lasted only 200 miles before sides separated from base.”

3/5 Full review 80 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the adidas adizero Boston 10

“Outsole is grippy and looks new after 100km.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

“Needs about 30 miles to break in; feels overly firm before that.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Less calf muscle fatigue late into runs.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 20

“Rolls through the toe with obvious ease.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the adidas SL20.2

“Upper is race-like and lacks comfort for longer runs.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Feel fast and slightly bouncy/springy.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 20

“Carbon fiber rods give good push without overdoing it.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

“Handled 23-mile workouts with no issues.”

4/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9

“Lacing makes it hard to keep snug; heel is a bit loose.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project)

“Felt best for longer and faster runs; too aggressive for easier runs.”

5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Perfect foot shape and forefoot room with good heel lockdown.”

5/5 Full review 62 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Craft PRO Endur Distance

“Great cushioning, excellent comfort, not chunky/clunky.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas SL20

“Relatively light with good response and very durable.”

4/5 Full review training for a marathon came from the adidas adizero Takumi Sen 9

“Good for easy runs to tempo; not so much for intervals.”

4/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Fly SP (Special Project)

“Toe box is large with 50-100 mile break-in period.”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

“Hard to find trainers that don't look/feel clunky on easy runs.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas SL20

“Full-length plates can mess up your form.”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 40

“Tongue is flimsy and not secured properly.”

3/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 2

“Lacing system and lockdown are the only flaws.”

5/5 Full review 62 mpw training for ultramarathons came from the Craft PRO Endur Distance

“Energy rods don't feel super snappy.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

Prefer this shoe over another

60% 18/30

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers rate it a clear step up from the Boston 11.
Runners use it for easy miles, long runs and tempo work.
Several reviewers call it durable, one naming it the most durable shoe they have owned.

Cons

Several reviewers criticize the upper, the laces and the heel lockdown.
Three reviewers report a firm break-in of 20 to 100 miles.
Comfort is its lowest-rated dimension, and one reviewer finds the race-like upper uncomfortable on longer runs.

adizero Boston 12 rates 88. This shoe has very high confidence. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the adidas adizero Boston

Each dot is one version of the adizero Boston, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

80 2014 73 2014 80 2017 88 2018 94 2019 81 2020 89 2021 67 2022 88 2023 86 2025 90 2014

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Adizero Boston 5 Boost

2014 · 35 reviews

90 Very good

98 Confidence
adizero Boston 13

2025 · 0 reviews

86 Good

69 Confidence
adizero Boston 12 This shoe

2023 · 58 reviews

88 Good

98 Confidence
adizero Boston 11

2022 · 14 reviews

67 Below average

90 Confidence
adizero Boston 10

2021 · 11 reviews

89 Good

88 Confidence
adizero Boston 9

2020 · 2 reviews

81 Good

79 Confidence
adizero Boston 8

2019 · 20 reviews

94 Excellent

96 Confidence
adizero Boston 7

2018 · 34 reviews

88 Good

99 Confidence
adizero Boston 6

2017 · 41 reviews

80 Good

98 Confidence
adiZero Boston 4

2014 · 9 reviews

73 Decent

88 Confidence
adizero Boston 3

2014 · 8 reviews

80 Good

91 Confidence

Runner Ratings

58 ratings

5/5 34

4/5 20

3/5 4

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 8.7 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 9.4 oz · Women's 8.0 oz
Release: 2023 Q2
MSRP: $160
Stack: 38/31mm
Drop: 7mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great all-around shoe. Looks sharp too.

5/5

Overall

FWIW, I'm a 5'10'', 170 lb, 50 yo man. I found these a bit stiff at first, but after 20-30 miles they really start to shine. I think they look great too. They're very light for non-carbon plated super shoes. I'll wear these for any run other than race day or track intervals. Some have complained about the uppers being too uncomfortable for longer runs, but that isn't the experience I have.
No problem going 20 miles in these. Some have also stated these run large, but again I'm an 11 and they feel spot on for my foot.

Anonymous runner · Aug 15, 2025

50 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Boston 12

5/5

Overall

Great show bit toe box is large and has a break in period of 50-100 miles. Otherwise, great shoe.

Anonymous runner · Nov 15, 2024

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Reasonably priced for a solid supershoe

5/5

Overall

Great for long runs and speed workouts. Bought them for road races and paved tempo workouts, but they preformed surprisingly well for grass speedwork and other XC training although that isn't their biggest strength. Most of the miles on these are from Long Runs, typically 17 miles around 6:00. Some of my teammates use them as a daily trainer and that works for them but I prefer to keep them for long runs and speedwork.

Anonymous runner · Nov 9, 2024

75 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38

Comfort: 4/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Great every day trainer

5/5

Overall

I've been in Adidas shoes for decades. With the advent of higher stack height trainers, I just couldn't find something that didn't look chunky and didn't feel clunky on easy runs. As I've aged and gotten heavier, I need something with room for my forefoot to move and some decent cushioning. I was pining for the Response model from the 90s. Along came the Adios Boston. Great shoe. Great cushioning. Excellent comfort. And not too "chunky/clunky".

Anonymous runner · Nov 7, 2024

35 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas SL20

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Great for faster paces, but only in straight lines

5/5

Overall

I have approximately 200 miles in the Bostons, doing everything from short recovery runs to longer, faster runs (10 at half marathon pace), to track work (300s @ ~42). Out of these types of runs, they felt best for the longer and faster runs as they were too aggressive for easier runs. On the track stuff, they felt too unstable for going around the corners on the track and slightly too soft for sprinting. However, they really forced me up onto my toes which helped me to increase my cadence and decrease over striding. I would recommend these shoes for someone working to get their foot strike underneath them as it heavily rewards forefoot striking. This feeling does not properly kick in for about 30 miles, before which point they feel overly firm. I would recommend getting these shoes half a size down because they fit quite long and wide, so it is difficult to get a good lockdown.

Overall, these are an incredibly good long distance uptempo trainer that feels good even if you do end up doing reps closer to mile pace.

Anonymous runner · Nov 7, 2024

60 mpw training for middle distance came from the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3