Adizero Boston 12 vs Noosa Tri 16

The Adizero Boston 12 is adidas at its most versatile: a £160 tempo running shoe built to be the one trainer that handles almost everything bar your easy days. It is the rod-equipped middle child of the Adizero family, sitting below the Adios Pro racers but with enough snap to make threshold sessions and long runs feel purposeful. At 267g with a 7mm drop it is not feather-light, and the ride leans firm and direct rather than soft and forgiving. That is the point. Push the pace and the Boston rewards you with a propulsive, slightly aggressive roll through toe-off. Jog it slowly and it can feel stiff and a touch dead underfoot. In our view this is a do-it-all daily trainer for committed runners who like a firmer, faster shoe, and a genuinely capable marathon training partner. The newer Adizero Boston 13 softens and lightens the formula if this version reads too stiff for you.

The Noosa Tri 16 is Asics at its most playful: a light, lively tempo running shoe with triathlon roots and a deliberately loud look. At 215g with a low 5mm drop, it sits in that sweet spot between a daily trainer and a racer, the kind of shoe you reach for when an easy run turns into a fartlek and you want your feet to feel quick. There is no carbon plate here, so do not expect supershoe propulsion. What you get instead is honest, connected speed: a firm, responsive ride that rewards a forefoot or midfoot strike and turns over fast. The tri heritage shows in details built for racking transitions and shrugging off water, which also make it a genuinely fun stripped-back trainer. We rate it as a speed-day shoe for runners who already have a cushioned daily trainer and want something snappier for tempo work, strides and shorter races. It is not a do-it-all shoe, and it is not trying to be.