By: Chief Editor Matthew Klein & Senior Contributor David Salas
The Adidas Glide series has changed its name a few times over the years but essentially is the neutral high mileage workhorse of the Adidas training lineup. The Solarglide 5 continues upon this tradition using a durable Continental outsole as well as a dual Boost and EVA midsole. However, this shoe is completely different from previous models. The addition of the LEP system seen in the Ultraboost 21, brand new midsole geometry, a new upper and a far smoother ride. With the addition of some good updates this shoe becomes a high quality workhorse daily trainer.
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 11.8 oz, 335 g (men's size 9.5 measured), women's weights not provided
Stack Height: 36 mm / 26 mm
Drop: 10 mm
Classification: Daily Trainer, Workhorse
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
Matt: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 is a neutral daily trainer for those wanting a
stiff but cushioned ride for high mileage training. An LEP (Linear
Energy Push) torsion system adds stiffness, particularly in the forefoot
and heel. The upper is thicker but features a normal width with some
mild stretch to it. The BOOST midsole provides a high level of
cushioning, but at the cost of making the shoe quite heavy. A
well-rockered sole creates an easy transition, making the Adidas
Solarglide 5 a solid daily trainer for getting in tons of miles.
David: The
Solarglide 5 is a neutral workhorse trainer that should be able to
tackle some really high mileage. The shoe rides more in the stable
neutral category thanks to a really well-beveled heel and integrated HEP
torsion system through the midfoot. The shoe itself feels very premium,
having a little bit more of a plush upper and quite a bit of boost
midsole. All these bells and whistles do come with some weight but the
shoe does run much lighter than the weight.
FIT
Matt: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 fits me true to size in my normal US men's size 10.
The width is normal with a taper at the toebox due to a thicker toe
guard. The upper is a thick knit material that is completely recycled.
It is fairly warm but secure thanks to extensive internal
reinforcements. The heel collar is well padded and covers a split heel
counter. Like many recent Adidas trainers, the heel counter is on the
medial and lateral sides with a gap in the rearmost portion. This works
extremely well for my sensitive heel and locks the rearfoot down well.
The tongue, however, is frustrating as the medial and lateral sides fold in
on themselves throughout its length. The tongue is not gusseted,
although has double attachments to the laces. This requires careful
placement every time you put the shoe on. The security is good
as I did not have to lace lock the shoe. The Solarglide is a warmer, highly
cushioned and traditional fitting upper that gets a pass on an annoying
tongue due to being made of recycled materials.
David: Overall
I felt the fit of the Solarglide 5 was done pretty well. The shoe fits
true to size in my normal Men's 9.5. The length is good and dialed in
well which is unique for me with Adidas as they normally run a tad long
on me. The upper materials itself is a thicker mesh that still seems to
breathe pretty well in most environments. The tongue is very padded and
plush which ends up working pretty well for me since I did need to heel
lock the shoe down. The fit is normal to slightly wide width throughout
in the heel, midfoot, and forefoot. The heel is very padded and does
have a heel counter. The instep does seem to be a little wide and so I
did have to heel lock the shoe to make sure there was no slippage.
Outside of that, the shoe fits really well throughout. There are minimal
overlays throughout the upper and it is quite comfortable throughout.
There is a toe guard up front but it did not provide any irritation upon
running. Ultimately a really well done upper if you don't mind thicker
more plush materials, though heel security could be a little better.
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 features a completely different ride than previous
versions. The transition is much smoother in the past thanks to large
and well-placed heel bevel and toe spring. This creates a well-rockered
ride. Once this shoe breaks in, the highly beveled heel rolls forward
nicely. There is a large amount of lateral heel flare, which makes
transitions abrupt at first. It is offset by the fact that the heel
bevel is slightly lateral, which helps as this slowly breaks in and
smooths out after a few miles. Like the Ultraboost 21, there is a
full-length LEP system. This is a plastic torsion system that extends
into the forefoot and heel as well as medially and laterally along the
full width of both. This creates a high level of torsional rigidity,
which also contributes to making the ride extremely stiff at first,
particularly in the forefoot. It took me a few miles to break this shoe
in because of that stiffness, so patience is required. Despite the
initially stiff transition, the underfoot feel is quite cushioned due to
the full-length BOOST midsole. This provides a somewhat bouncy feel no
matter where you land. The midsole combined with the rockered sole (once
the shoe breaks in) does make the Solarglide 5 feel a little lighter
than the listed weight. However, it is still a heavy shoe. The
Solarglide 5 does best on easy and recovery runs where pace is not an
issue. It does get a little heavy for me personally to use on long runs,
but for those that are not bothered by that, there is plenty of
protection for long mileage. It is a tank, as the Continental rubber
outsole has no major wear after 35 miles.
The Adidas Solarglide 5
has a completely redone sole design that gives it a significant rocker
with a somewhat soft ride for eating up miles.
David: I
was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the Solarglide 5. The
first thing I immediately noticed was that the heel and rearfoot
transition was so much smoother than it has been in the past. There is a
large centralized bevel at the rearfoot is a coupled with a deep
midline groove throughout the shoe functioning as a crash pad.
Throughout the late rearfoot, midfoot, and early forefoot Adidas is now
utilizing what they call the LEP system. This is similar to the torsion
system they have done in other shoes but is more of an H-shaped design
using plastic. This is embedded in between a midsole layer of boost as
well as a topsole of EVA. The result is as very smooth transition from
the heel into the midfoot with some nice stability elements sprinkle in.
The boost midsole and LEP system ends right before reaching the PIP/DIP
joints (your toes) and allows for some flexibility of the shoe up
front. For how much shoe there is the transitions are actually quite
nice. The heel and midfoot feel like a rockered shoe and the forefoot
provides a nice natural feeling toe off. Because of the rigidity
throughout and bounciness of boost the shoe is surprisingly responsive
for the weight. With that said it is still a little chunky. This is a
daily mileage workhorse. I have forced a little uptempo work, but this is
something more for logging miles. The Continental outsole provides
really good traction and I have some success with this shoe in off road
conditions as well. Outside of the obvious weight I really enjoyed this
shoe and this is my favorite boost trainer since the original Energy
Boost. It's hard for me to justify it for long runs just because of a
little fatigue from the 11.8 oz, but for daily mileage it has been one of my recent go
toes.
STABILITY
Matt: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 is a neutral daily trainer. However, there are
several elements that make this shoe a stable neutral shoe. There is a
large amount of sole flare medially and laterally at the forefoot and
heel. This does resist frontal plane motion, but also adds an early
initial contact for those that land laterally either at the forefoot or
heel. This does break in with time. The LEP torsion system also extends
across the width of the shoe in the forefoot and heel. This provides a
high level of ridigity in both areas, furthering adding torsional
resistance. One of the more noticeable components is that there are
sidewalls in both the heel and forefoot. The heel features high
sidewalls that interact well with the more forward heel counters on both
the medial and lateral side. This locks the heel in extremely well on
both sides. The forefoot also has mild sidewalls on both the medial and
lateral side which provide further guidance when the front breaks in and
transitions. For those who need midfoot stability, the Adidas
Solarglide is fairly neutral. The midfoot does narrow and there are not
extensions of any kind that resist motion outside of the center of the
LEP torsion unit being there. So for those that need guidance at the
heel and forefoot, this shoe will do extremely well without having a
post. For thsoe that need midfoot stability, the Solarglide is fairly
neutral.
David: The Solarglide 5 does pretty well in the
stability category. The shoe itself is not marketed as a stability shoe
but uses several stability elements that make this shoe ride in the
stable neutral category for me. The shoe has a really well done
centralized heel bevel that they knocked out of the park that
transitions really well into their LEP system. The H-design of the LEP
system helps create some torsional rigidity but also creates a path of
least resistance through the midline of the shoe. The shoe is also
stabilized with the EVA topsole that sits above the LEP system with a
good chunk of boost midsole underneath. The shoe is certainly cushioned
but feels very grounded and stable in all directions. The upper is also
reinforced well throughout. The only thing that can effect the stability
for me is just the heel fit and width. I think just narrowing it a tad
with the either the counter or the heel collar/upper wrap would probably
do the trick.
THOUGHTS AS A DPT / FOOTWEAR SCIENCE
Today's
DPT section may dance a little bit more into theory than research but I
believe it is important to talk about. When we look at what Adidas did
with the Solarglide to create some stability throughout the shoe, it is
both unique and traditional. People have been using midfoot shanks for a
long time to create some rigidity but not until recently are we seeing
companies coming out with H shape designs. The LEP system is an H-shaped
plastic shank that extends from the distal rearfoot, midfoot, and
proximal forefoot with the medial and lateral rod aspects riding the
side of the shoe. What this does is create a pathway for the foot to
travel along the midline of the shoe. This is what we would call the
path of least resistance. The H design of LEP creates a sense of
guidance throughout the length of the shoe. The combination with the
dual midsole is done well too. From initial contact the boost midsole
takes the brunt of the impact but the EVA topsole keeps you feeling
grounded and connected to the platform and LEP system instead of giving
you a floating sensation over the shoe. Combine that with good traction
underneath and a supportive upper and you have yourself a shoe that
feels like a stable neutral shoe. This I feel was a component that was
missing from the Ultraboost 21 where the LEP system debuted. They did a
great job utilizing the large amount of components going in the
Solarglide 5.
- David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The
Solarglide 5 is a massive step in the right direction. Versions 3 and 4
were extremely clunky with fairly poor heel transitions. The solid heel
bevel and redesign of the torsion system makes for a far better
transition once the shoe breaks in. The Solarglide 5 also features a ton
of new guidance features without being a stability shoe. However, this
shoe is still quite heavy, the forefoot tapers more than it may need,
the tongue folds on itself and the midfoot narrows in a way that feels
awkward to transition from or to the far more stable heel or forefoot.
My major suggestions are to see if this shoe can be lightened just a
little to match other major brands. This may be a consequence of using
Boost, which does have solid responsiveness and makes the shoe feel
lighter than it is. Another suggestion would be to widen the midfoot.
The previous versions did do this well and if combined with the current
design would make for an unbiased but stable ride throughout the length
of the shoe. The upper is fairly warm and may be thicker than it needs.
It may be beneficial to lighten this up, which will help with weight
savings. Additionally, the tongue needs to be redone to stop it from
folding on itself. Gusseting the tongue may help with this. Despite all
of the recommendations, I do like the Solarglide 5 and have found it to
be a massive improvement on previous versions.
David: I
really enjoyed the Solarglide 5. My main recommendation lies with the
heel fit. The fit feels a tad wide despite how much padding it has.
Perhaps it is the most dorsal aspect of the lacing system or simply a
heel width. I would look at perhaps just narrowing the heel counter or
pulling the material in the heel region a little more.
WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR
Matt: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 is for those wanting a traditional/thicker fitting
upper with a solid amount of BOOST underfoot in a stable rockered ride.
The new rockered geometry of the midsole allows for a smoother heel and
forefoot transition. The LEP system stabilizes the BOOST extremely well
at the heel and forefoot, which combined with the sidewalls in the same
area make this shoe stable in those areas. The upper is thick and warm,
fitting those with normal width feet who can handle a slightly tapered
toebox well. The heel counter is split, which may be an option for those
with heel bone sensitivities on the posterior-most side. Outside of a
fairly normal midfoot, the Adidas Solarglide 5 is a solidly stable
neutral shoe with a greatly improved transition that although on the
heavy side, is great for high mileage and letting your legs recover.
David: The
Adidas Solarglide 5 is for someone looking to have a shoe with a lot of
cushioning and protection underfoot but still maintains a somewhat firm
and grounded feel to the shoe. The shoe has a rockered feeling through
the heel and midfoot, but does have a flexible forefoot that has natural
feeling toe off. The shoe has a lot of stability elements through the
midfoot and gives you a guiderail sensation through the shoe. This shoe
is definitely a workhorse and can handle you throwing a lot of miles at
it. If durability and the things mentioned above is what you are looking
for this may be worth checking out. The shoe does run on the
heavy side, but integrates all the components pretty well.
GRADING
Matt
Fit: B/B+ (Thick upper with solid split heel counter and relatively normal width fit but tapered toe box. Upper runs warm)
Performance: B+ (Takes
a few miles for the shoe to break in, but it becomes a somewhat bouncy,
cushioned and rockered shoe that is great for easy and recovery miles.
On the heavier side but the full BOOST midsole makes it feel lighter)
Stability: A- [Stable Neutral] (Solid new-age stability from sidewalls and LEP in both heel and forefoot. Midfoot no extra methods)
DPT/Footwear Science: A- (Solid
use of LEP and sidewalls. Midfoot however would benefit from following
this to a degree as the narrowness can be awkward for those who need a
more stable transition there)
Personal: B (Solid
cushion and far better transitions than previous. Really nice stable
ride in heel and forefoot, but midfoot less stable for me. The amount of
lateral flare took time for me to get used to and the shoe is heavier
than I would like for daily miles.
Overall: B+ (A
massive step forward for the Solarglide series. A stable neutral daily
training shoe for those with normal width feet wanting to get tons of
miles in)
David
Fit: B+ (Dimensions
throughout are good but heel lock was required. The mesh still a tad on
the thicker end than I'd like but otherwise done really well and is
comfortable.)
Performance: A- (Really
smooth transitions, rockered heel and midfoot and flexible forefoot
work well together in combination with midsole composition. This shoe is
a tank though. It's heavy but really smooth.)
Stability: A- (LEP
system and midsole integration done really well, heel security before
heel lock really the only thing preventing from full A)
DPT/Footwear Science: A (I
really like what they did here. They took the LEP system and really
tuned it to the geometry of the shoe while also playing with a dual
midsole on both ends of the system. For so much moving parts the
integration was quite good.)
Personal: A- (My
favorite Boost trainer since the original Energy Boost. Transitions are
smooth and it is surprisingly responsive. Its just the weight. Its a
chunker. But I can still live with that.)
Overall: A- (A solid neutral workhorse with good stability integration. Heavy, but stable and has smooth transitions for long mileage.)
SHOP | SUPPORT DOR
*Adidas Solarglide 5
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse
*Using the link to purchase helps support Doctors of Running. Thanks so much!
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TESTER PROFILES:
Matthew Klein, PT DPT PhD(c) OCS FAAOMPT
Dr. David Salas is a 135 lb male with notable PRs ranging from 3:54 in the 1500m to 1:08:36 for half marathon. He typically runs 60 to 70 miles per week and trains from about 7:30 recovery runs to fast shorter efforts at 4:30 pace. He normally prefers neutral shoes with a firmer ride, but is completely open to other types of shoes. He is a footwear enthusiast at heart and will always appreciate a high quality shoe when it comes around. For updates on training or testing,
Editor's Note: As always, the views presented on this website belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. This website should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I am currently taking clients for running evaluations.
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