The adidas Adizero EVO SL isn’t just a budget tempo running shoe, it’s a cultural object of desire. Combining expert innovation, controlled distribution and cultural capital, the Three Stripes took note of the current state of contemporary running culture and created a new product release blueprint for other brands to follow. The research below breaks that down.
If you were watching the London marathon over the weekend, you’ve probably already seen it. With its three bold stripes and a minimalist design, the adidas EVO SL running shoe has taken over the streets of major cities and the Instagram feeds of runners all over the world, quickly becoming the brand’s best selling runner and helping the Three Stripes deliver double-digit growth in running in the quarter through the end of 2024 (BoF).
We’re left asking ourselves, with newcomer brands like On Running dominating discourse and new sought-after collaborations from the likes of SATISFY and 247 Represent dropping every month, how did a standard issue shoe run ahead of the pack?
The Product
First off adidas started with a knock-out product. With only a reported 5% of over 100,000 runners in North American races wearing adidas last year, the brand had to face a universal truth to make up lost ground: no matter how good a shoe looks or how well it’s marketed, if it doesn’t perform, it won’t sell (BoF).
Before marketing or creative collaborations entered the frame, adidas understood that for customers product is the new black again, and prioritised innovation. The EVO SL uses the same LIGHTSTRIKE PRO foam innovation as the Pro Evo 1 (their elite level, £450, 138g super shoe that launched in 2023) but in an every day runner without the carbon plate. It paid off. Customers loved the comfortable, responsive midsole and lightweight cushioning, with reviewers commenting on the SL’s ‘hard-to-believe mix of value, versatility and performance’ (RunRepeat).
Then there’s the price positioning. At £130, the EVO SL is positioned cheaper than competing non carbon plated trainers from the likes of On and Brooks (the equivalent in Nike’s roster, the Pegasus Plus, retails for 27% more). By pricing the shoe lower, adidas managed to tap into a new aspirational running customer who previously might not have considered a tempo shoe due because of their hefty price tags.
For the design, adidas took direct inspiration from its record breaking Pro Evo 1, creating a product that looks similar, for under ⅓ of the cost. As Alberto Manganelli, global general manager of running for adidas told BoF’s Marc Bain last week, “It’s a form of equity-building fundamentally [...] some of those design elements, they become popular, become famous, create desire and can be applied in different products for different types of needs.” By leaning into the halo effect around its products (Tigist Assefa wore the shoe when she shattered the previous women’s marathon world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon), the brand has tactically expanded its product universe around supershoes to make customers feel like they’re getting a dose of the same quality and innovation.
Finally, they played it safe. To minimise decision fatigue and simplify the buying process, adidas offered the EVO SL only in black or white to start. There’d be bolder colour-ways later on.
The Roll Out
Where most running brands see their new releases as routine seasonal updates, adidas adopted a drop model inspired by sneaker culture, adding fuel to the fire through limited distribution and creative collaborations. Staggering the roll out over 7 months from announcement to general access, the brand was patient, building awareness slowly through select stores that added new cultural credibility.
The brand first announced the shoe in September 2024 during its adidas’ “Fastcore” running event—a community showcase at the Berlin Marathon 2024. An invite-only event limited to partners, creators, and special guests that tested out new additions to the Adizero line, guests spread the shoe through UGC and word of mouth to their networks. The EVO SL was now a product limited by access.
Next came the raffles. First, adidas launched a limited run of the shoe via its Confirmed sneaker drop app on October 25, quickly selling out. Retailers like Undefeated, KITH, and ExtraButter—once streetwear strongholds that have realigned with running culture—were next to host their own raffles, promoted by their own in-house editorials. Again the model sold out in limited runs.
By adopting a raffle model and restricting availability, adidas not only ensured the shoe sold out, but manipulated the type of consumer buying the product, seeding the EVO SL into culture through IYKYK stores visited by the style-centric running community. It wasn’t until March 20th that the shoe saw a wider global release, with larger men’s sizes already sold out.
Creative Capital
With its distribution strategy reminiscent of streetwear-era sneakers like the UltraBoost or YZY set, adidas then looked to its global creative community to market the shoe.
Over several months, adidas invited designers and artists across key cities to remix the EVO SL shoe. These sought after versions appeared in style-forward spaces in limited numbers, with each activation serving to ramp up energy around the shoe for new audiences and locales before a wider release.
In January 2025, adidas partnered with SneakersNStuff for a Paris Fashion Week activation around running and music. The EVO SL took centre stage of a sound-system installation, with performances from the likes of Tarzsa and Benji B.
Later in the year during the Berlin Half Marathon, adidas tapped clothing brand Ante for a limited time pop up and dye workshop. Over the course of two days, Jakob Werner of JW Studios creatively remixed the product through dip-dyeing techniques, with each version selling out in person and generating discussion online.
A few days later, the EVO SL became the focus of artistic re-interpretation in Paris. This time, young French designer Philéo collaborated with the Three Stripes on a limited edition version of the EVO SL that was stained with boot polish for a grunged-up look that launched at Dover Street Market Paris with an installation by Pascal Hachem.
More recently, adidas collaborated with Distance Athletics, a modern running store in Paris, for an exhibition-like activation that invited artist Baptiste Renault to revamp the EVO SL through dip dyeing. Two weeks later, he’s now created another tapestry-inspired version for the Manchester Marathon, with details around the release remaining mysterious.
By collaborating with artists and other members of the creative community to create limited versions of the EVO SL, adidas engineered unexpected moments only available IRL, stoking demand for the shoe and generating online discourse that added to the anticipation around its release. From a marketing POV, this says to customers, ‘You might not be able to get the artist version, but the normal version is just around the corner’.
A New Blueprint
adidas’ strategy for launching its EVO SL running shoe proves that with the right approach, running brands can generate the same demand for general release products as they can for the limited edition collaborations.
While special projects from the likes of SATISFY x Hoka and District Vision x New Balance have now become commonplace in the running space, their high price tags and stylised campaigns appeal to a small group of runners.
adidas proves that applying the strategy for a sought-after collaboration to a more general release budget shoe creates a recipe for selling out. And while that might not work in five years, right now it’s proof for other brands that the old tactics no longer work.
Running culture is richer than it ever has been. For brands to spark attention, they need to expand their scope to consider novel creative ideas, activations and iterations that truly move the needle and get consumers excited online.
In short, if we were releasing a running shoe in 2025, we’d follow these three steps:
Invest in innovation
Before hype has to come authenticity. Unlike fashion, running shoes serve a function. Brands should invest heavily in innovation and performance before testing the waters with limited edition releases and subcultural collaborations. Without a good product, you have nothing.
Go narrow first
For the EVO SL, adidas were incredibly specific about who they targeted, appearing around events that attract creative circles like Dover Street Market and Paris Fashion Week. By dialing down on the target customer, adidas built strong awareness and heat around the product amongst a small group before looking to other people. The result? Tastemakers acted as amplifiers, wearing the new running shoe as a status symbol made by access.
Build a product universe
For adidas, using the already iconic Pro Evo 1 as inspiration for the EVO SL meant that cultural credibility for the product was already baked in. By treating each of its products as mini brands with their own IP, adidas then had the confidence to remix them by inviting artistic reinterpretation. The lesson? Build a product so good that it speaks for itself, then invite people to do the talking for you.
Be patient
adidas’ decision to roll a running shoe out over seven months was a bold one. But by consistently having the EVO SL show up in unexpected ways, the brand kept anticipation for the product high and ensured it had strong awareness by the time for general release. Ask yourself: do you need to rush getting a product out when it will be on your website for months after?