Today we’re going to take a look at two very similar Adidas shoes both launched in spring 2018, the Adidas Solar Boost vs Solar Glide.
This is a comparison that will break down the similarities, the differences as well as why you should get one over the other depending on your lifestyle, fitness, and your budget.
If you’re in a hurry, Adidas Solar Boost vs Solar Glide:
- The Solar Boost is the big brother.
- The Solar Glide is more affordable. (about $20 cheaper)
- Get the Solar Glide if you are looking for an everyday versatile shoe that you can wear for lifestyle or casual running.
- Get the Solar Boost if you are looking for a performance running sneaker because it does provide and fix a lot of the issues that the UltraBoost has when it comes to running.
- The Solar Glide is heavier than the Solar Boost.
- The Solar Boost is more stable than the Solar Glide.
- The Solar Glide has a cleaner look.
- They both fit well.
- Both uppers fit nicely.
- There’s a little bit more room in the toe box.
- Both shoes feel very similar underfoot.
Let’s dive in.
Adidas Solar Boost vs Solar Glide
The primary technology in the Solar Boost is Boost in the midfoot with a propulsion system, the special specific fiber placement with the embroidery for reinforcement in the midfoot, and Continental rubber with Flexible Stretchweb on the outsole.
With the Solar Glide, you get almost the full benefit of the Solar line because of the Solar propulsion system (the gray area just above the midsole), the Boost midsole, the Continental rubber outsole, and the Flexible Stretchweb on the bottom that gives you so much stability and support when you are running. I think these are the main selling points of the Solar line as a whole.
Upper
The upper does have a couple of differences in it. The main material is different.
The upper on the Solar Boost is a stretch mesh, but it has these heat-pressed kind of materials over the top of it with the fiber placement reinforcement in the midfoot.
The Solar Glide has basically a stretch mesh also, but it has these rails on the toe box where there’s less material. It seems a little bit more breathable overall.
The tongues, the linings, and the shoelaces of both shoes are also identical.
Structure
A lot of runners complain their feet feel loose because of the loose Primeknit material used on the upper of some other shoes.
With the Solar Boost, there’s no Primeknit on the upper. Instead, you have some sort of really tight material on the toe box.
There’s also the fiber midfoot lockdown mechanism that really envelopes and wraps around your feet very securely.
So I guess your feet won’t feel loose on the Solar Boost than the UltraBoost for example.
One thing you really need to be aware of concerning the upper is you really need to find the right size for you.
Why?
Compared to the Solar Glide, the starting point of the lacing system is not that stretchable and not that flexible. So some people get a half size up and that pretty much fixes the discomfort you might have in that area.
Now what makes the Solar Glide a better lifestyle option compared to the Solar Boost is how breathable and flexible the upper is.
The flexible mesh on the Solar Glide has areas that actually allow for air to come in. Also, the starting point of the lacing system is a bit longer than the Solar Boost and has a little more give to it, which makes it easier for you to find your size.
So the Solar Glide is actually more comfortable on the upper part compared to the Solar Boost.
But one thing worth mentioning is the Solar Glide doesn’t offer the same kind of lockdown as the Solar Boost.
But don’t get me wrong. The upper on the Solar Glide still has much better lockdown compared to a lot of and stuff like that.
The Solar Boost gets a little warmer because of how snug the upper is. I think this can be some sort of a deal-breaker when it comes to looking for lifestyle athleisure shoes.
So if you live somewhere it gets really hot, the Solar Boost does get hotter and might feel really uncomfortable when running.
Having a look at the back part of the upper, both shoes have the identical same heel counter.
The heel counter connects at the bottom of both of the shoes and it is just simply a different color.
Sock liner
The sock liners are also identical with the same thickness that’s about five and a half millimeters thick. However, they do compress out quite quickly.
Strobel board
If we have a look at both Strobels, you’re going to notice a woven fabric that has holes in it. It’s the exact same pattern in both shoes and both are glued down.
Midsole
If we take a look at the midsole of each shoe, they both feature identical Boost midsole cushioning material.
- Hardness is between 30 and 35.
- Both have a ten-millimeter offset.
- Both have medial stability.
- Both have the propulsion rail from heel to forefoot.
Outsole
If we take a look at the outsoles of both of these shoes, they are identical in terms of the rubber. I could not find a difference in either shoe. They both have the Continental stretch web outsole.
Hardness is about 70 and total height is about three and a half millimeters with about a millimeter and a half lug height and millimeter and a half web height.
Let’s take a look at the torsion system of the Solar Boost. This is our first difference between the two shoes.
On the Solar Boost, the torsion system is in orange. It comes down in the heel on the medial side.
In the forefoot, the torsion system extends on the medial and lateral sides of the forefoot as shown in the picture above.
Now if we look at the Solar Glide, there’s a very similar torsion system. It’s the mint green area. It comes down to the medial side of the heel but it does not extend into the midfoot at all.
So the torsion system does not extend up and that’s the first difference besides price that I’ve noticed between these two shoes.
The Flexible Stretchweb feature on the Solar Glide also gives your feet some guidance so that your feet won’t shift as much when you’re running compared to your typical UltraBoost. Yet, the Solar Glide should be slightly less stable than the Solar Boost.
Weight
Now if we have a look at the weight, this is where it’s usually easy to tell a difference between the shoes.
The Solar Glide weighs 10.7oz for the men’s size 9 while the Solar Boost weighs only 9.5, which is 1.5oz than the Solar Glide.
That’s not a ton of weight difference, but it is interesting because it does seem like the upper on the Solar Glide is a bit more simple and it has less torsion system in the bottom.
So where there’s less torsion, there’s more Boost and since Boost is pretty heavy, that’s why the Solar Glide weighs a little bit more.
Overall, a difference of 1.5oz isn’t that much and is not that noticeable.
Construction & Durability
From a construction and durability standpoint, the shoes are made very similarly.
The only durability concern I have is I only have about 40 miles on the Solar Boost and the midfoot area of rubber is already worn down to the web and the lugs are completely worn off.
So I do have durability concerns with the stretch web outsole on the Solar Boost, but otherwise, the rest of the shoes feel great.
Sizing
I do feel like the Solar Boost and the Solar Glide fit true to size.
Price
As far as the price, the Solar Glide is about $20 cheaper than the Solar Boost.
Final thoughts
The Solar Boost and the Solar Glide are very similar shoes but I think the aesthetic is a little bit cleaner on the Solar Glide.
The Solar Glide is about $20 cheaper and if you have a little bit less money to spend I would buy the Solar Glide.
If you want a little bit of a cleaner look, I’d also buy the Solar Glide.
From a performance standpoint, if you need a little bit more stability, the Solar Boost might be your shoe, but again it’s kind of hard to tell the difference between the two.
The Glide is slightly more weight, but it’s a simpler and a cleaner look.
You can wear the Solar Glide every day, it doesn’t get warm, it’s comfortable, you can use it for your workouts and runs.
If you really want to get the better lockdown version, get the Solar Boost, the difference in price is really up to you.
Overall, both shoes have very similar uppers. The stretch mesh in the Solar Glide is slightly different than the stretch mesh in the Solar Boost while the sock liners are the same.
The verdict
If you really want to know which one I would recommend you get, well I think my vote goes for the Adidas Solar Glide. Why?
- It is one of the best bang-for-buck shoes that Adidas has released.
- It feels is great.
- It’s a great all-around shoe (great for running, working out).
- It’s a shoe you buy for every occasion.
- It’s not as expensive as the UltraBoost
- It’s priced just right and at the same time, the value that you’re going to extract out of the Solar Glide is just amazing.
Just bear in mind that the most expensive shoe is not always the best product you can buy. It all boils down to matching the features that match your particular needs.
All right, that pretty much covers it for the Adidas Solar Boost vs. the Solar Glide. Let me know what you guys think in the comments.
Have you tried both shoes? What do you think?