DynafishXiaonianLightweight / tempo88/100 · 1 review
adidasAdizero Evo SLLightweight / tempo93/100 · 2 reviewsWhich should you buy?
Choose the Xiaonian if you want the lightest, best-value option and don't mind ordering from AliExpress.
Choose the Adizero Evo SL if you'd rather buy from a high-street shop, try it on and return it easily.
The Xiaonian is 30 g lighter than the Adizero Evo SL. It has 2.5 mm more foam under the heel. Its drop is 7 mm against 6.5 mm. It costs £10 less at full price.
Side by side
| Spec | XiaonianDynafish | Adizero Evo SLadidas |
|---|---|---|
| Review score | 88/100 (1 review) | 93/100 (2 reviews) |
| Type | Lightweight / tempo | Lightweight / tempo |
| Weight (men's UK 8.5) | 193 g | 223 g |
| Heel stack | 41 mm | 38.5 mm |
| Drop | 7 mm | 6.5 mm |
| Cushioning | Balanced | Balanced |
| Bounce | Bouncy | Springy |
| Plate | No plate | No plate |
| Support | Neutral | Neutral |
| Fit | True to size | True to size |
| Widths | standard | standard |
| Waterproof version | No | No |
| UK RRP | £120 | £130 |
Weights are for a men's US 9 / UK 8.5. Prices are UK RRPs; shops often sell for less.
What the critics say
The reviews comparedReviewers rate both as light daily trainers. RTINGS' testers found the Dynafish Xiaonian deeply cushioned but unsteady in corners, and Road Trail Run's Derek Li found its foam firmer than Dynafish's racer. RunRepeat's Carlos Sánchez and Doctors of Running's Matt Klein rated the adidas Adizero Evo SL versatile and great value, though Road Trail Run's testers found its upper loose and Klein lost rubber early.
Xiaonian
- Very light for so much cushioning
- Strong forefoot energy return with a smooth rocker
- Durable, with little wear after many miles
- The pronounced rocker won't suit everyone
- Firmer than the PEBA in Dynafish's racer
- Hard to buy outside China, with no half sizes
Scores from Road Trail Run.
Adizero Evo SL
- Full Lightstrike Pro bounce at a mid-range price
- Light and versatile from easy runs to workouts
- Breathable upper and smooth transitions
- Tapered toe box and narrow midfoot offer little support
- Outsole and upper durability concerns
Scores from RunRepeat, Road Trail Run.
Paraphrased from published reviews.
About each shoe
About the Xiaonian
Chinese brand Dynafish pairs its carbon-plated Dynafish 1.0 racer with the Xiaonian, a high-stack, plateless trainer intended for daily training, long runs and racing from 5K to the marathon.
Its midsole is a single slab of TPEE foam, with no secondary layer and no plate. Instead the shoe relies on its geometry: a forefoot rocker that starts early in the shoe, plus a smaller heel rocker. A thin, hard rubber outsole leaves part of the midfoot exposed. The upper is a perforated nylon mesh with a padded tongue, a semi-rigid internal toe guard and an extra set of eyelets for heel-lock lacing. It weighs 193 g in a men's UK 8.5 with an advertised 7 mm drop, and comes in a single standard width without half sizes.
Specs and features from rtings.com, roadtrailrun.com and our own spec data. A factual overview, not a review.
About the Adizero Evo SL
Built entirely on Lightstrike Pro, the same foam adidas used in the Adizero Adios Pro 3, the Adizero Evo SL is a plateless road shoe that adidas aims at runners who want versatility, from daily miles to tempo sessions and personal-best attempts. In place of a plate there is a plastic shank embedded in the midfoot, and the forefoot rocker geometry is borrowed from the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 1.
In the Adizero range it sits below the Boston 13, which adds carbon-based Energy Rods 2.0 and a firmer Lightstrike 2.0 base layer, and well below the Adios Pro 5 racer. A water-repellent version for mixed surfaces exists as the Evo SL ATR. Grip comes from Continental rubber across the forefoot, with two clear rubber pieces at the heel, under a single-layer mesh upper. The shoe has a 6.5 mm drop.
Specs and features from runrepeat.com, adidas.co.uk and our own spec data. A factual overview, not a review.
Xiaonian vs Adizero Evo SL
In short
Two light, plateless, high-stack trainers that do almost everything. The Xiaonian is 30 g lighter with a little more foam and a strong forefoot rocker, and testers rate it as a match for the big brands. The Evo SL's Lightstrike Pro is bouncier and it's easy to buy and return, but it runs small with a tapered toe box.
- Better reviewedAdizero Evo SL
- LighterXiaonian
- CheaperXiaonian
- More foamXiaonian
- BouncierAdizero Evo SL
Get the full story
DynafishEverything on the Xiaonian3 video reviews, scores from 1 published review, what critics loved and didn't, fit and sizing advice, full specs and today's prices.Explore the Xiaonian
adidasEverything on the Adizero Evo SL3 video reviews, scores from 2 published reviews, what critics loved and didn't, fit and sizing advice, full specs and today's prices.Explore the Adizero Evo SLMore comparisons
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