Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Introduction
Introducing the latest option in the Terrex lineup, the Agravic Speed trail shoes. Terrex is the name behind Adidas’ outdoor performance gear. Primarily focused on hiking, trail running and mountain biking, there’s a clothing or footwear offering for just about anyone.
The Terrex Agravic Speed is designed to be a short to moderate distance racing shoe. Priced at $160, the shoe features some premium features typically found in super shoes. Adidas continues to partner with Continental for outsole rubber material. Lightstrike Pro and Lightstrike Foam make up the midsole and an engineered woven upper promotes breathability and sheds water quickly.
These shoes rival Brooks Catamount 3 and the Salomon Genesis as lightweight, technical racing shoes.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Impressions
On my first run, I instantly fell in love with the bounce produced by the Lightstrike Pro midsole. They were just plain fun to run in. There was an effortless feel to each stride.
The Lightstrike Pro, which is Adidas premium midsole, is found in the road super shoe lineup. Some even consider Lightstrike Pro to be the best foam on the market.
Not only is this a responsive, energy filled material, but it’s also ultra durable. Lightstrike Pro holds its integrity longer than many other foams. So you’re getting one of the best materials, and it also lasts longer than competitors. What’s not to like?
Better agility is also a major perk of the Terrex Agravic Speed shoes. Rounding corners, shuffling through tight sections and tip toeing between rocks felt more controlled which allowed me to run those sections faster.
The design and purpose of the Agravic Speed is different from that of its predecessors. The Agravic Ultra and Agravic Flow 2 are geared towards protection, comfort and longer distances.
I’ve worn the Agravic Flow 2 and love them. They are roomy and bullet proof but not at all a racing shoe. In fact, other than the first two words in the name, these shoes are nothing alike.
So if you’ve run in either of the previous models, don’t expect the latest to be a continuation of the same experience.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Protection
In terms of foot protection, the Terrex Agravic Speed takes a minimalist approach. There’s just enough of what you need and nothing you don’t.
The toe box is wrapped in an overlay that provides some structure to the thin mesh material. Underfoot protection comes from the lightstrike pro midsole and a solid layer of Continental rubber.
Because this is a racing shoe, you’ll need to compromise in areas like comfort and protection to make for a faster, lightweight shoe.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Durability
So far so good on the durability front. I had some concerns if the ultra thin upper could hold up to the continuous impact of our rocky terrain here in Pennsylvania. I’m happy to report that they’re holding up well. Overlays around the toe box and the transition from midsole to upper have prevented tears in the engineered mesh.
Another feature that will contribute to the longevity of these shoes is the solid, continuous Continental outsole. There are no areas of exposed midsole foam which means less chance of the rubber sole separating from the midsole. Sure, Adidias could have saved a bit of weight by reducing rubber, but personally, I’m a fan of it.
These shoes will hold up to short and intermediate distances of technical terrain very well. This means shoe choice is one less thing to worry about on race day.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Responsiveness & speed
The analogy, however bad, that I could think of to compare running in the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed is like driving a Ferrari. The faster you go, the more fun it becomes. To the point of even becoming reckless through some technical sections.
Hill climbs and descents were surprisingly my favorite parts to run in these. Climbs felt like less of a challenge and I found myself really opening up my stride on the downhills.
In other shoes, I’ve found the downhills to be harder to control, but not with the Agravic Speed’s. If needed, I had no problem slowing to a stop or maneuvering around rocks and then picking up speed again.
I found myself being able to turnover my stride much quicker and also increase accuracy of my foot placement. Another contributor to increased speed was the rocker design. All of these things become important on trails where there are unknown obstacles. Small gains in speed and less effort over technical sections will lead to more promising race results.
The final factor that aided in the speed factor of this show was the traction. Loose dirt, gravel and mud were no match for the Continental rubber.
It also outperformed expectations in wet sections with rocks and downed trees. In fact, I tried at times to slip in these shoes and they just wouldn’t falter.
For trail running shoes, Vibram rubber is by all means the standard. I felt that the rubber on the Agravid Speed’s was just as good as Vibram.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Comfort and fit
One area I was pleasantly surprised about, was the fit of the Agravic Speeds. Because they were built to be a fast shoe, the profile and footprint are naturally smaller. My first impression was that the shoes would be narrow. This wasn’t the case at all. In fact, they were quite roomy through the midfoot. The shoes provide your feet adequate mobility which comes in handy traversing over obstacles and through single track sections.
Some online reviews stated that the shoes run large, however my 11’s fit perfectly in both length and width. I recommend sticking with your normal size as that worked for me.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Conclusions
There’s not really anything that I didn’t enjoy about the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed trail shoes. They’d be my go to shoe for trail races that are marathon distances or less and that are mostly runnable. They are a blast to run in and make the miles fly by.
Races that are closer to a marathon and more technical, I’d have to choose a shoe that offers more protection than what’s here. Sure you can compete with them in this scenario, but your feet will take a beating. It just depends on what you’re willing to sacrifice.
All in all, I’d say the Terrex Agravic Speed more than delivered on its purpose and will continue to wear these shoes for certain trail races in the future.
