About

Super Light, as the name suggests

The Adidas SL20 is a lightweight running shoe, and the SL in the name stands for Super Light. It has a sleek, low silhouette with a thin engineered-mesh upper, the 3-Stripes on the side and a low, fast last. Underfoot lies Lightstrike, adidas’s lightweight foam designed to weigh little while still providing cushioning. It’s a shoe made for running tempo, not for standing out.

Lightweight with Lightstrike

The core of the SL20 is the Lightstrike midsole. Unlike the softer Boost, Lightstrike targets low weight and a responsive, firm push-off—exactly what you want for faster sessions. The name is literally printed on the sole’s rim. Beneath that sits a rubber outsole that adds grip and durability on asphalt.

The fast side of adidas running

The SL20 is part of adidas performance running, positioned between the racing Adizero and the more cushioned UltraBOOST. Where the Adizero aims purely for speed and the UltraBOOST for soft comfort, the SL20 seeks the middle: light and quick, suitable for tempo workouts and daily miles.

Multiple generations

The SL20 has been developed over time, with successors like the SL20.2 and the SL20.3. Each generation tweaks the upper and sole tuning, but the starting point stays the same: a light, fast trainer on Lightstrike. If you’re looking for a specific generation, note the number after the name.

What differs by version

The lightweight construction, the mesh upper and the Lightstrike sole remain the same across versions. What varies is the generation and the finish of the upper. Put two versions side by side and the fast silhouette is the same; the details differ.

On this page you can see which versions of the Adidas SL20 are currently hottest according to the Hypescore, from what price they’re available and in how many shops they are in stock.