Adidas LA Trainer review

Part of Adidas' Originals collection, we believe that the LA Trainer is most suitable for people who:

• want a retro sporty vibe striaght from the '80s
• prefer slim and snug-fitting sneakers or have narrow feet 
• look for affordable sneakers tha can last a good while

The unforgivingly narrow fit of the LA Trainer will not work well with wide feet or even some medium-width foot shapes. You will want to turn to the roomier Adidas silhouettes such as the Superstar or the Campus 00s.

Another reason to look away from the LA Trainer is its lack of breathability. Look into our curated top picks among breathable sneakers instead.

A thick rubber outsole and multi-color plugs (more on those later) added a few notable millimeters to the overall stack height of the Adidas LA Trainer.

Measuring the shoe's platform thickness in the heel, we got a slightly taller-than-average reading of 31.4 mm. If you're looking for a bit of a height boost, this is it!

The shoe's forefoot stack also turned out to be a bit taller than the average at 20.2 mm.

However, it doesn't mean that the LA Trainer feels cushier. About 1/3 of that stack is made of the shoe's lugged rubber outsole.

Comparing the two stacks, we discovered that the Adidas LA Trainer has a regular drop of 11.2 mm.

This height difference is pretty common for lifestyle sneakers. When the heel is elevated above the toes by at least 10 mm, you experience a more supported platform which doesn't put extra strain on your Achilles tendons and calves.

For most people, this is the optimal setup for all-day wear.

But don't let its thicker-than-average platform mislead you, the Adidas LA Trainer is NOT a cushy sneaker.

It's not just the rubber outsole that firms up the ride but the shoe's midsole foam as well. Measuring its softness with a Shore A durometer, we got a pretty high reading of 44.8 HA. That's a whole 50% firmer than the average sneaker foam!

To give you some reference, it feels a lot like the New Balance 574 (44.0 HA) and the Vans Knu Skool (46.4 HA).

Three colorful plugs in the midsole are most likely the first thing that draws your attention to the Adidas LA Trainer.

Did you know that these plugs were removable and helped to regular cushioning softness in the original design? Find out more about that in the section below.

In the shoe's contemporary version, these plugs are merely there for looks. They cannot be removed or adjusted. But they are incredibly firm, reaching 92.0 HA on our Shore A durometer! But this is not surprising given that they are made of plastic.

We found that they merely add a bit more firmness and stability to the LA Trainer's heel.

A padded insole tops the LA Trainer's cushioning. It doesn't add a whole lot of plushness to the step-in feel but it is a very nice touch to the otherwise firm ride.

Released in 1984, the LA Trainer was the first Adidas shoe to feature the Vario Shock Absorption System more commonly known as the removable tricolor heel pegs (or plugs).

Represented by different colors of white, red, and blue (or white, blue, and black, depending on the colorway), these pegs offer varying levels of cushioning, which can be customized according to the user’s weight, running style, or the kind of running surface they use.

The Vario Shock Absorption System was a technological experiment by Adidas. It turned out to be so successful that it has also been used in other Three Stripes models such as the Kegler, the Columbia, and the Grand Slam.

But the realm of shoe technologies never stands still and the Vario System gradually became obsolete over the years. However, the memory about its hype still lives today through the LA Trainer remakes. 

Putting the LA Trainer on in our regular US size 9, we knew immediately that the shoe's fit would be a problem for wide feet. But even those with medium-sized feet should brace themselves for a pretty snug experience.

Our caliper measurement only confirmed this showing as little as 91.6 mm in the widest part of the forefoot. That's about 7.5 mm narrower than average and is pretty critical because the difference between shoe widths normally doesn't exceed 5 mm. It also by far the narrowest sneaker we've recorded in the lab!

The fact that the LA Trainer is not offered in wide widths further compounds the issue.

The shoe's fit remains slim around the tip of the toebox too. We got another narrower-than-average measurement in the big toe area of this Adidas shoe - only 72.5 mm!

Even though the Adidas LA Trainer doesn't feature any special stability components, its overall construction has enough rigidity to create a rather stable experience.

As you can see from our lateral stability check, the shoe doesn't allow our foot or ankle to roll over excessively. Its stable heel kept us nice and planted throughout the wear test.

To give you an idea of the Trainer's level of stiffness, we could barely twist it in our manual test!

Assessing the shoe's torsional rigidity on a 1-5 scale, we gave it nearly the highest score - 4 out of 5!

Even though it is not a dedicated stability shoe with arch support, we believe that this Adidas sneaker can provide enough inherent stability to those with moderate overpronation.

A stiff heel counter is another source of stability for the Adidas LA Trainer. It secured our heel firmly in place preventing both heel slippage and heel shifting inside the shoe.

On a 1-5 stiffness scale, the shoe's heel counter earned a solid score of 4 based on our manual test.

The Adidas LA Trainer's midsole is not particularly wide but we never felt as though its slimmer profile detracted from the overall stability.

Measuring the widest part of the forefoot, we recorded 102.7 mm. That's about 6 mm narrower than the average.

It is likely that we didn't feel the difference in midsole shape due to the shoe's same-as-average heel width.

Measuring its widest part with a caliper, we got a standard reading of 81.3 mm.

We found that it takes a little more effort to bend the foot in the LA Trainer. It must be the shoe's thick rubber outsole that hinders the movement.

Measuring how much force it takes toe bend this Adidas shoe to a 90-degree angle, our force gauge showed a reading of 29.9N. This is indeed about 20% more than it takes an average sneaker

We should also note that the LA Trainer has a flat non-rockered platform which makes transitions feel rather plain. Nothing to write home about.

It only makes sense to expect extra ounces on the scale given the shoe's sturdy construction...But not so fast!

With a moderate reading of 12.0 oz (339g), the Adidas LA Trainer is a whole 2 oz (57g) lighter than average!

We are genuinely amazed at how such a reinforced shoe can be so light!

Even though it commemorates the Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, the LA Trainer is very far from a summer-friendly sneaker!

None of the smoke is passing through the LA Trainer's toebox in our breathability lab test.

The shoe's tightly woven synthetic upper and suede overlays create a pretty stuffy environment for the foot in warm temperatures.

Checking the toebox through our microscope made it very clear why its textile failed to expel any smoke.

Look at how airtight that weaving is!

We tried searching for other potential airflow channels but to no avail.

Aside from the gaps between the tongue and the vamp, there are no perforations or ventilation holes in the LA Trainer's upper.

Thus, we gave it a pretty low breathability score of only 2 out of 5. This Adidas shoe is most suitable for mild spring and fall temperatures.

To tell the truth, we didn't expect to see real suede on a $100 sneaker. And yet, our fire test proved us wrong!

Applying our butane torch to the large suede panel at the back of the LA Trainer, we were surprised to see that it didn't melt or catch fire at all. Further scratching the material with an awl, we discovered that it behaves a lot like real suede.

And if it quacks like a duck...

In contrast, the three stripes on the sides of the LA Trainer are clearly made of synthetic material. See how they squirm and melt under fire? That indicates synthetics.

Even though it doesn't boast ventilation, the shoe's extra thick and tightly woven textile offers other benefits.

First of all, it undercuts regular mesh when it comes to abrasion resistance!

The shoe's toebox stood up to our 12-second Dremel test in which it was exposed to sandpaper at the speed of 5K RPM and a consistent pressure of 3.2N.

The Dremel scratched the topmost layer of the LA Trainer without even cutting through the textile entirely. Compared to the see-through holes on mesh sneakers (like the New Balance 530 above), the damage was as minor as it could be.

This earned the Adidas LA Trainer a high toebox durability score of 4 out of 5.

Unlike most casual sneakers, the Adidas LA Trainer features synthetic leather on the inner side of its heel counter. This adds bonus points to the shoe's interior durability.

You can see that our 4-second Dremel test left the material practically unscathed.

Compared to the torn-up mesh on other sneakers, it looks as though the LA Trainer was never even touched with sandpaper.

And just like that, this Adidas sneaker gets the highest durability score for heel lining durability - 5 out of 5!

Looks like Adidas is here to offer an indestructible sneaker for only $100! Because its outsole is so rugged, it makes us think that the shoe was designed for hiking.

And the hardness of that rubber makes it even more plausible. At 90.5 HA, it is by far the heardest sneaker outsole we've recorded in our lab!

Are you excited to see how that rubber holds up against the Dremel? What if we turn up the speed to 10K RPM and hold it for 22 seconds? Let's test it out!

Still unbeatable!

Our tread gauge shows that the Dremel bit away as little as 0.6 mm of rubber! That's notably less than the industry average.

The Adidas LA Trainer is ready for some serious action for sure.

As if super hard and durable rubber was not enough, Adidas also decided that a 7.5-mm thick outsole would be nice...Why not? Extra 2 mm of protection won't hurt anyone.

Looking at these crazy stats, we believe that the Adidas LA Trainer has the potential to outlast most daily beaters in your closet! Even if you choose to hit some trails once in a while.

For a casual sneaker, the Adidas LA Trainer has an unusually aggressive outsole with deep slanted lugs covering the whole thing!

That's because the original 1984 model was designed as a road-to-trail running shoe with a gripping capacity for various surafces.

Of course, trail running shoe technologies have made a huge leap forward since the 80s but we think that the LA Trainer would still allow you to walk confidently in moderate off-road scenarios.

None of the shoe's upper elements are reflective.

The LA Trainer has a sufficiently padded tongue showing a standard thickness of 8.8 mm on our caliper. It helped to prevent lace pressure and bites very nicely.

The tongue of this Adidas sneaker doesn't have any side attachments to the rest of the upper. But we didn't noticed any downsides associated with that.

This Adidas sneaker comes without finger loops or pull tabs. We recommend using a shoehorn when putting it on to avoid premature wrinkles on the upper.

The stock insole of the LA Trainer can be removed if necessary. However, not every custom insert can match the shoe's extra-slim profile.