Adidas SL 72 review

We think that the Adidas SL 72 should be on your sneaker radar if you are looking for the following:

• a proud retro silhouette from the Adidas Originals
• a very lightweight and flexible kick that feels barely there
• an alternative to Adidas Gazelle and Samba that would help you blend in but stand out
• a slim-fitting upper for narrow feet 

Putting the SL 72 through our lab and wear tests, we found it to be a rather niche Adidas sneaker that doesn't fit a wide range of scenarios and foot types.

We recommend that you check out the following alternatives to the Adidas SL 72 if you have a problem with one or more of its drawbacks:

• Adidas LA Trainer (better support and stability)
• Adidas Ozweego (better cushioning for all-day wear)
• Adidas Superstar (better for wide feet)

Despite looking minimalist, our stack height measurements showed that the Adidas SL 72 is just on par with the average of popular lifestyle sneakers.

Our caliper showed 28.9 mm of platform thickness in the heel which is only about a millimeter away from the average. We also found it to be enough of a buffer for city walking.

However, the SL 72 RS edition seems to have a slightly thicker and bulkier midsole. So we would expect a few millimeters more in that shoe.

Measuring the forefoot stack of this Adidas sneaker, we got 17.0 mm which is also within 1-2 mm of the average.

This amount of underfoot material delivered sufficient impact protection but was also thin enough to let the sneaker bend effortlessly on the go.

As you can see from the sliced view below, the heel of the SL 72 is notably higher than the toe area.

To be precise, our stack measurements show that its heel-to-toe drop is 11.9 mm which is similar to the industry average.

This is a common midsole layout for a casual sneaker because having more platform under the heel contributes to impact protection and takes the pressure away from the Achilles.

Wear testing the Adidas SL 72 certainly didn't feel like walking on marshmallows. Employing a very basic EVA foam, the sneaker's midsole surely feels firm. But luckily, it's not brick-like either.

Pressing our Shore A durometer against the shoe's primary (white) cushioning foam that extends from the heel to the midfoot, the tool returned as much as 40.0 HA. That's almost 40% firmer than the average!

The shoe's slim insole doesn't add any substantial cushioning either. Even measuring its thickest part returned only 3.5 mm.

If you have experience wearing Adidas' renowned Gazelle or Samba, the one-to-one toebox fit of the SL 72 is going to feel familiar.

Measuring its toebox in the widest area, our caliper returned 96.2 mm which is slightly but not critically narrower than average.

The fact that this Adidas sneaker has virtually no padding also helps to make the fit slightly roomier. But if the SL 72 feels tight straight from the box, we wouldn't rely on a break-in period because its nylon and suede materials won't stretch that much.

Measuring the tip of the shoe's toebox at the big toe mark, we got a typical reading of 74.4 mm.

But even though it is on par with the average, the shoe's tapered toebox will lose some wide-footed customers for sure. These folks are more likely to feel comfortable in the Adidas Superstar.

A major drawback of the Adidas SL 72 is its almost complete lack of support.

As we shifted our ankle side-to-side in the test above, we felt little to no resistance from the shoe's upper or platform. And the shoe's narrow sole shape didn't help either.

We believe that this is a problem for people with overpronation who rely on wider, more stable, and supportive sneakers.

Our lab tests only seemed to prove the shoe's lack of support and stability that we experienced on foot.

First of all, this Adidas sneaker was fairly easy to twist with our bare hands. There is not much torsional rigidity in the SL 72 to guarantee no foot spills or ankle rolls.

On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest, we gave the shoe a moderate rating of 3.

The back of the shoe has no padding or structure whatsoever so it didn't do much to hold our heels firmly in place. 

Manually testing its heel counter, we could easily bend and squeeze it in all directions. Thus, it also received a low stiffness score of 2.

Looking at the bottom of the Adidas SL 72, we immediately knew that its narrow sole is not many people's cup of tea. Especially if they want to feel very stable and supported in their casual sneakers.

Even though we measured the widest area of the shoe's forefoot, our caliper showed nothing more than 95.1 mm. This is by far the narrowest forefoot width measurement among sneakers in our lab.

You should be specifically looking for that kind of slim profile to enjoy the SL 72.

Consequently, the shoe's heel also returned a notably narrower-than-average reading of 70.4 mm.

It's more than 10 mm narrower than our lab average! And if you look at the shoe's midfoot, it looks alarmingly slim as well.

The Adidas SL 72 feels like the complete opposite of the currently popular chunky kicks. Very light and agreeable, it lets the foot decide the movement and not the other way around.

To compare the flexibility of this Adidas shoe to other sneakers, we measured how much force it takes to bend the SL 72 to a 90-degree angle.

Just as we expected, the gauge showed only 16.0N which is 45% less than it takes a casual sneaker on average. As long as you don't mind the nylon creases, this bendy Adidas shoe will keep you good company.

Did you know that SL stands for "super light" in the name of the Adidas SL 72? That's because the original shoe was designed for track athletes just in time for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.

Putting this Adidas kick on our scale indeed confirmed its lightness at only 10.9 oz (308g).

Not only is the SL 72 lighter than the average by 2 ounces, but it is also lighter than the wildly famous Adidas Samba (12.1 oz) and Gazelle (13.0 oz)!

And would you believe that the Adidas SL 72 is the great-grandpa of the contemporary Adizero SL - Adidas' lightweight speed trainer?

Even though a nylon upper is not your best bet for hot summer days, the Adidas SL 72 is doing all it can to stay as breathable as possible.

Performing our smoke-pumping test on the shoe, we were pleasantly surprised by the amount of smoke passing through its upper. But then a transparency check revealed that the nylon material is actually quite porous (not super tightly woven) and the tongue is generously perforated to keep the airflow going.

Taking a closer look through our microscope also unveiled numerous tiny pores in the nylon fabric.

But despite Adidas' best attempts to keep the sneaker well-ventilated, it still lags behind most mesh-covered kicks. Thus, we graded it with a moderate breathability score of 3 out of 5.

As one of the shoe's highlights, velvety suede overlays proved to be the real deal in this Adidas sneaker.

Putting it to the test with our butane torch, the material behaved just as expected. It did not melt or catch fire but crushed into dust when we scratched it with an awl. Genuine suede confirmed. 

On the other hand, the leather strip on the heel collar turned out to be made of fake leather. Not a big surprise considering the SL 72's moderate price point.

You can see how gooey the synthetics got after being exposed to fire.

Aside from boosting the shoe's visual appeal, suede overlays also keep it more resistant to abrasion.

The material didn't seem to care one bit as we drilled it with sandpaper for 12 seconds! The barely noticeable scuff looked convincing enough for us to rate the shoe's toebox durability with the highest score of 5/5!

We already discovered that the collar lining of the Adidas SL 72 is made of fake leather so we didn't have very high expectations for its durability.

After a drilling session as short as 4 seconds, the synthetic material gave in and tore under our Dremel. Because we have seen notably more wear-resistant fabric linings on equally affordable sneakers, we couldn't rate this kick's heel padding durability higher than 2 out of 5.

The jagged outsole of this Adidas silhouette made a pretty strong impression on us so we couldn't help but test if it was just as sturdy in substance.

Outsole hardness - pass! According to our Shore C durometer, the rubber on this Adidas kick is harder than average at 88.1 HC. That's a promising start.

For the next test, we ramped up the speed of our Dremel to 10K RPM and extended the drilling time to 22 seconds.

Examining the drilled area, it's hard to even call it a damage - looks more like slight balding. Our tread gauge measurement showed that it is not even deeper than 1.0 mm. That's a robust outsole indeed!

Aggressive treads also play a part in making the SL 72 thicker and tougher.

Measuring the outsole thickness of this Adidas sneaker, we got a solid reading of 4.6 mm - that's a lot of rubber to get through before you need to consider a replacement pair.

No reflective elements were spotted on the Adidas SL 72.

Stemming from track spikes, the Adidas SL 72 has a very minimal upper with no padding even in the tongue!

We measured it to be as thin as 1.7 mm. Think Converse Chuck's thin.

Even though there is no loop or tab at the back of the shoe, we didn't have any issues getting the shoe on and off without a hassle.

The insole of this Adidas shoe is removable but keep in mind that the in-shoe space is quite limited and it may not fit a highly cushioned insert.

The Adidas SL 72 was unveiled in 1972, in celebration of the 1972 Munich Olympics. It was the first in the Super Light (SL) footwear line and was instantly voted as one of the 25 best-designed products by Fortune magazine that year!

Almost five decades later, Adidas re-introduced the low-profile Adidas SL 72 to the modern market, not as running footwear but as a stylish lifestyle sneaker.

The Adidas Originals SL 72 which we are looking at in this review was launched in an almost OG form, to the delight of numerous Adidas fans.

The retro look of the Adidas SL 72 trainers flaunts a style that depicts the world-class legacy of Adidas. The brand kept the authentic shape and materials, just like the 70s version, which was the first to flaunt the Adidas Trefoil logo in the market.