Adidas Puremotion review

Adidas Puremotion review and lab test

The Adidas Puremotion running-inspired sneaker is a budget-friendly offering that fits closer to the athleisure market than those looking for a technical running shoe, even with some actually calling it a running shoe. Regardless, the shoe features a surprisingly good grip, a responsive midsole, and a comfy upper. 

Who should buy the Puremotion

The Adidas Puremotion is a low-priced running shoe that I think is perfect for people wanting to have a trainer for daily use and maybe a bit of running. With a neutral foot profile, I vouch for these to be a decent option for those shorter, 5k distances. 

Who should NOT buy the shoe

The Adidas Puremotion might not be your best bet if:  

• You want a bit more support. In that case, check out the Adidas 4DFWD 2.
• You're looking for a bit more durability and comfort. Then go for the Ultraboost 22

A simple design in the upper 

Made from almost a single piece of knit weave the Adidas Puremotion stays superlight at 9oz (256g). The knit is relatively thick when compared to the more modern shoes on the market at the moment. 

This means the shoe runs a little warm, but that’s not too much of an issue for its use case. 

The Adidas Puremotion fits true to size, which is always nice to see from Adidas, but with a toe box width of just 95.6mm it may not be ideal for people with wider feet. 

A secure fit in the Adidas Puremotion

The lacing system in the Adidas Puremotion is a pretty classic affair, with a few options for extra eyelets if you want to make sure you get a good heel lock. 

The laces aren’t particularly slip-resistant, scoring 28N in our lace slip test. It kind of bothered me how much lacing that Adidas actually gave, although it makes it always possible to get a good double knot if need be. 

The midsole lacks comfort and bounce

I’m never a huge fan of single piece midsole/outsoles on trainers and running shoes, as there’s going to be a compromise between durability and comfort. The midsole on the Adidas Puremotion comes in with a firm durometer of 49.5HA. Which feels really firm underfoot. 

It’s probably not helped that the stack height is pretty minimal, with 23.7mm under the heel (average 32.7mm) and only 15.2mm in the forefoot (average 23.9mm). On my training runs, I felt a lot of the ground underneath, which many people like, but after a few miles I started getting pain throughout the ball of my foot where there’s very little protection at all. 

Pretty flexible, in most weather

The Adidas Puremotion has a flexibility score of 19.5N at room temperature (20°C), the average is 29.0N. That’s super flexible and can be really useful for packing a shoe in a bag, and for getting that form-fitted feeling to the shoe. This suggests to me that Adidas has really leaned into the leisure shoe usage for the Puremotion. 

The Adidas Puremotion have a surprising amount of grip

Looking at the outsole of the Adidas Puremotion, I really didn’t expect to get a lot of traction from the outsole. With no rubber, just foam, and very little in the form of targeted grip I was worried. 

But, because of the softer foam slab, there’s a whole load of surface area for the Adidas Puremotion to grab onto roads and tarmac. So in good conditions, these are super grippy. I’m a huge fan of shoes that have great grip, just because it doesn’t make my runs as risky. 

I do worry about the foam wearing down quickly though, with no harder rubber to stop stones, twigs and just simple friction destroying that midsole, I doubt these will hold up for long.

Conclusion

The Adidas Puremotion are a good option if you just want to dip a toe into running, with the knowledge that you’ll probably be replacing them soon. If economics is your priority over ecology then on paper it’s probably not a bad idea. They fit well, look decent and have great grip.