CUSHIONING
low
RIDE FEEL
balanced
SUPPORT
neutral
WEIGHT CLASS
standard
RUNNER LEVEL
beginner
TERRAIN
fabRunning VERDICT · Good
A comfy beginner shoe worth buying on sale if you don't want Chinese brands
The adidas DURAMO SL is nothing special, but it is a solid, reliable and comfortable shoe for beginners covering 5–10 km. Its Lightmotion foam feels traditional and gets heavy on longer runs, and at around ₱2,800–3,000 full retail it is a tough sell. Catch it on sale at around ₱1,800 and it becomes an easy beginner recommendation. My Full Review verdict is GOOD.
What works well
- Comfortable out of the box: generous padding on the upper, forefoot and tongue that most beginner runners will appreciate.
- Roomy fit: a wider-than-average forefoot and midfoot that accommodates wider feet and heavier runners.
- Easy to try on: it is common in department stores and outlet stores, so you can fit it before you buy.
- Good value on sale: I got mine for about ₱1,800 online, which makes it a solid beginner-friendly pick from a mainstream brand.
Keep in mind
- Traditional foam: Lightmotion is a basic EVA foam that feels a bit stiff and not very responsive by today’s standards.
- Best up to about 10 km: comfortable for 5–10 km, but past 10–12 km it started to feel like a brick for me.
- Tough sell at full price: at around ₱2,800–3,000 retail, other mainstream and Chinese brands offer better performance and value.
- Prices move: the video and review quote historical prices, not a current offer.
Ride, fit and daily use
After a few weeks of running in the DURAMO SL, including some rainy runs, my take is simple: it is nothing special, but it is a solid, reliable shoe for beginners. The Lightmotion midsole is a basic EVA foam that sits in the middle of the scale for comfort and stiffness. If you remember running shoes from back in the day with thinner, less responsive foam, that is what this feels like. More advanced runners who have tried foams like adidas’ own Lightstrike Pro will not find much to love here.
From a new runner’s point of view, though, it is decent enough. It covers the usual 5 to 10 km comfortably and handles easy runs, light workouts, some faster efforts, run-walk sessions and everyday wear, a good one-shoe-fits-all setup for someone just starting out.
The fit leans roomy and feels built to accommodate wider or thicker feet. My usual US 10.5 felt slightly loose, but a quick lace tightening fixed it right away. The padded tongue sits a little loose until you lock the laces, and the laces are longer than usual, which I like because you can secure the shoe exactly how you want. The extra padding adds a bit of weight, but most beginners will take comfort over saved grams.
Specifications and price context
| Use | Beginner daily training: easy runs, light workouts, run-walk sessions and walking |
|---|---|
| Midsole / plate | Lightmotion EVA foam; non-plated |
| Ride | Traditional and slightly stiff; middle of the scale for comfort and stiffness |
| Comfortable distance | About 5–10 km in my testing; feels heavy beyond 10–12 km |
| Fit | Roomy, with a wider forefoot and midfoot; true to size |
| Upper | Generously padded upper and tongue, with extra-long laces |
| Review stage | Full Review |
| Price discussed in the review | About ₱1,800 on sale online; around ₱2,800–3,000 at full retail. Check the seller for today’s price |
These details come from my own testing and the review, not laboratory measurements; no stack height, drop or weight figures were quoted in the review. The shoe finder uses medium cushioning, balanced ride, neutral support and standard-trainer categories; these are editorial matching categories, not laboratory measurements. No exact current price has been entered.
Is the DURAMO SL right for you?
Based on the fabRunning DURAMO SL Full Review after a few weeks of testing. The main photo shows the black and pink colourway I reviewed; the seller link is the adidas Official Store listing on Shopee, which is the all-black colourway. Availability and pricing may change.