Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra: Buckle Up and Blast Off

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

ROBBE: Back in my younger years (i.e. two years ago), when I rolled my ankles twice a year instead of every other month, I loved taking some risks on the trails. After all, what’s more fun than bombing a downhill in the first days of spring, surrounded by blossoming green growth on all sides? It’s a lush rush, especially if you’re a city dweller surrounded by pavement or concrete on most days.

One of the very best trail shoes to rip around with over the past couple years was the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra, which you may very well confuse with the shoe in this review: the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra. But hey, it wouldn’t be an Adidas shoe without a convoluted name; that’s how you know it’s authentic.

In any case, that shoe– with a two-part Boost and Lightstrike midsole– was fast and fun, even if it was a bit squirrely with its super slim platform. At the time, our trail team enjoyed it so much that we gave it our honorable mention for Best Race Day shoe in our end-of-year awards.

But that was three years ago and its been mostly radio silence from Adidas Terrex since then. If I’m being honest, since that time, Adidas Terrex has released more tanks than the Allied Forces on D-Day. Shoes like the Agravic Pro, Agravic Ultra, and Agravic Flow 2 were absurdly overbuilt; in short, they were better positioned in the REI backwoods of heavy hikers.

What we’re saying is this: the Terrex Speed Ultra was the only Adidas trail shoe we’d actually run in.

Granted, the past few years were a transition time for Adidas. Boost had once been its baby, but babies grow up to be pimply-faced teenagers who want nothing to do with you. They don’t want to be around you and you don’t want to be around them. Lightstrike was the middle child and fairly obstinate. And then there was the golden child in Lightstrike Pro, which we’d put at the top of our will. 

Found in the Adizero line of road gems like the Takumi Sen and Adios Pro, Lightstrike Pro is bouncy-yet-responsive, cushioned-but-not-soft, making it a perfect candidate for racing on trails. It first made a trail appearance in 2022, the same year Adidas Terrex pro Ruth Croft won Western States in a prototype of this shoe, the third fastest time in the event. That same year, Tom Evans would podium at UTMB Mont Blanc in the shoe, and in 2023 he would win Western States with the fourth-fastest time ever. That’s a pretty solid track record.

So of course, I – as a very average runner whose only commonality with Ruth Croft and Tom Evans is interviewing both of them for our podcast – was very excited to try the shoe.

But first, let me lay out the basics.

Coming in at $220, this is the most premium trail shoe from Adidas Terrex. It is primarily designed for faster efforts and race days, as evidenced by the extreme rocker design and the elevated components within the shoe. First, there’s the woven upper made from a lightweight and breathable mesh, with a gusseted tongue for midfoot support. Sawtooth race laces provide a snug lockdown.

Then there’s the four-pronged Peba EnergyRods combined with two heel prongs for a wishbone-like design. Sandwiched around the rods is a dual layer Lightstrike Pro midsole, the same bouncy stuff found in the Adizero line of premium race day shoes. The whole thing is finished off with a full Continental rubber outsole with 2.5 mm center lugs and 3 mm edge lugs.

All that sounds great, but is it a real trail racer, or just another swing and miss at translating speed to the trails? Let’s find out.

MELISSA:  A supershoe for the trail? When it comes to the concept of road supershoes, I’m completely sold on the performance benefits. Nothing beats the snap of carbon fiber on race day. Based on my positive experiences with road supershoes, I was super stoked to take this baby for a ride.

TAYLOR: If you have been around this game long enough, when someone mentions Adidas Terrex, there will probably be a few things that flood your brain. One of those is a recycle bin. No, I’m not throwing shade on the brand. They were one of the firsts, in my memory, to utilize recycled materials within their shoe lineups. We would love to see more of this, actually. What follows this thought, usually, is a trip to Clunk Town. Many of those options were weighty and firm.

Thought number two for me is the one shining remnant of their past: the original Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra. It’s a shoe that I still see on a surprising number of people’s feet. Three years ago might as well have been a decade in the shoe industry. This shoe combined a low-to-the-ground feel, secure upper, and layered midsole (Boost and Lightstrike) to create a unique, reliable shoe for the time.

Brainwave three is the years between the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra and now, when we trail fans zoomed in on the feet of Terrex athletes as they completely crushed a variety of races in this orange funky-looking shoe. We’re talking from La Palma to Cali to a lap around Mount Blanc — the world was rocked by athletes touting Adidas Terrex’ latest.

Now, finally…. finally, we have some beta for you. The shoe that we could only view behind the black curtain at TRE 2022 is on our feet, kickin’ up dirt on the trails. We present to you the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra.

What We Like About the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

ROBBE: I always start out with looks, and– as you can see from the above photos– this shoe pops. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for Nike Trail colorways and designs, but there is something bold and beautiful about the in-your-face simplicity of the Agravic Speed Ultra. I mean, the confidence in this shoe’s identity is such that the word ‘Adidas’ is nowhere to be found. Even the three stripes are tucked away on the medial side of the shoe.

Moving onto the materials, the woven mesh upper is lightweight and form fitting, but still has a tactile feel that provides both protection and durability. It’s not stiff, but it’s not flimsy and it still provides solid breathability without acting as a screen door for dirt. Lockdown is snug. Like, really snug. Not painful, but very similar to shoes like the Takumi Sen. From the midfoot on, nothing is moving in this shoe. Other trail racing shoes like the Nike Ultrafly have too much room in the upper, rendering it sloppy on uneven terrain. That’s not the case with the Agravic Speed Ultra.

Nike perfected the sawtooth style laces in the Vaporfly and Alphafly, and anyone is wise to copy that design, which Adidas Terrex does here. The design holds better than any other lace, and it’s 100% the right choice for this shoe. Never had any issues with them coming untied.

Underfoot, the Lightstrike Pro midsole is exactly what you’d expect if you’ve tried any other shoes in the Adizero line. And by that, I mean it’s really good.

But first, let me bring it back.

Over the past five years, every brand has released its own version of a super shoe for the road. Meaning, a race day marathon shoe with a bouncy Peba-like foam and carbon plated or carbon-rodded system for stabilization and propulsion. As you can imagine, even trail dirtbags want the fun stuff, so those same brands with separate trail lines have attempted to translate that race day performance from road to trail.

The results have been mediocre, at best, in a one-to-one comparison to their road counterparts. Sometimes they’re super fun, but also super sketchy thanks to the instability of the midsole foam (Saucony Endorphin Edge). Sometimes they’re really comfortable but just feel a little lacking in the race department thanks to the weight and too much room in the upper (Nike Ultrafly). Sometimes, they work quite well but still don’t meet that same elite level of performance found on the roads (Hoka Tecton X).

The Agravic Speed Ultra may be the first to crack the code.

I’m going to get back to the midsole and the ride, but I first want to mention the most obvious aspect of the shoe: the extreme (and I mean that in a capital ‘X’ kind of way) rocker geometry. According to Adidas Terrex, it’s designed for “dynamic forefoot running,” and, well, they’re not wrong. 

The rocker (combined with the 8 mm drop) gives you a quick turnover, putting you into your next step before you know it. On roads or gravel or groomed trails, the rocker and midsole combination make this feel like– you guessed it– a real race shoe. It’s legitimately fast.

Of course, part of that fast feeling also comes from the Lightstrike Pro midsole. Lightstrike Pro doesn’t embrace the same bouncy softness of ZoomX or pure springiness of PWRRUN PB, but rather falls somewhere in between. It’s bouncy, but with a firmer durometer that still allows for a degree of ground feel. In short, it’s the perfect foam for trails.

On actual trails, it’s stable enough that you don’t feel like you’re wobbling all over the place, a problem we’ve had in other trail racing options. In fact, it’s surprisingly stable for a 38 mm stack height, which is aided in part by the EnergyRod design which has been adapted for trails. Unlike the version found in road running models like the Takumi Sen and Adios Pro, there are only 4 prongs, and they are spaced out towards the lateral and medial sides in order to increase stability. Those forefoot prongs are attached to the heel in a wishbone design, allowing for greater adaptability.

Point is, there was a ton of thought that went into the design of this shoe to make it a true racer for the trails.

Over the course of my testing I took the shoe on a 13-mile run of mixed terrain from the Pennsylvania portion of the AT to gravel park trails to road, as well as a 12-mile run on a mix of Maryland trails and fire roads.

The shoe shines in almost any scenario. It feels nimble, lightweight, and quick, especially on roads where it just flies. And yet, the underfoot protection is more than sufficient. My legs felt great after both runs and they were my two longest training runs since my New York City Marathon cycle back in mid-October. It feels like a blend of the Takumi Sen and Adios Pro 3 (which kind of makes sense since the stack height falls between the two), but in a trail package with an extreme rocker. If you’ve run in either of those shoes, you know that’s a high compliment.

This shoe has obviously proved its mettle on courses like Western States and UTMB, and I think it’d do equally well in something like the JFK 50 Miler. In fact, this is probably the perfect shoe for that course, as you wouldn’t have to switch into a race shoe on the C&O Canal portion.  

Lastly, the full Continental rubber outsole on the shoe provides solid traction. No issues on rocks and creek crossings and felt as grippy as I wanted it to be. I really appreciate that the shoe has elongated lugs around the perimeter (3 mm), while keeping it shorter (2.5 mm) in the places where they’re not as necessary. It’s a good way to keep weight down without sacrificing performance. That said, if you’re on a really sloppy course, you may want to look for something with more aggressive traction.

MELISSA: The Agravic Speed Ultra looks fantastic. The upper is minimalistic and designed similarly to that of a performance road shoe. It’s lightweight despite an insanely high stack and is super bouncy and responsive. The rocker shape might be the most extreme I’ve ever seen, but it works.

Overall functionality and performance are where the Agravic Speed Ultra really shines. When I picked up the pace, I could feel it propelling me forward. The Continental-lined outsole and lugs provide sufficient traction on most trails. This shoe just makes you want to run faster.

TAYLOR: Again, the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra (gosh, that’s a mouthful) has been caught doing races that are short and fast, long, varied in pace, and everything in between. Honestly, it has been surprising to see athletes tackle such variety in a high-stack trail shoe. Then, again, The North Face Vectic Pro 2 and Hoka Tecton X 2 have been seen doing the same thing. So, what’s the deal?

Adidas Terrex has found a way to take a shoe that, visually, seems as if walking would be an iffy thing to do and make it surprisingly stable. There’s a lot that goes into this. One is the wider base. Even though that midfoot cut appears extreme when looking at the outsole, it’s actually the forefoot and heel that dictate stability. The forefoot is just as wide as the aforementioned competitors. The heel is quite similar, too.

Pair a unique rocker with the footprint, and more stability is possible. I say “unique” because, in most trail racers, the rocker is typically experienced in a forward-to-backward plane of motion. The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra has more of a gyrosphere like feel upon ground contact. That forward/backward rockered sensation is there, but so is a lateral rocker sensation. It seems like the shoe brings everything back to a centerline before allowing it to throw itself forward. At first, this sensation felt like instability. However, as the foam settled in (around 15 miles), the more true feeling of an active chassis came through.

Both the Summit Vectiv Pro 2 via a forked 3D plate and Tecton X 2 with its side-by-side plates attempt something similar. A Forked Energyrod system (like that seen in the Adidas Adios road line) certainly has something to do with this compliant experience. The best way to describe them is four fingers extending to the forefoot that meet in the midfoot and extend two more fingers into the heel. The “forks” are able to moderate foot strikes and release energy through toe-off. It is a seemingly very adaptable system that promotes efficiency over all else.

In my mind, this is not a bad thing! It has an appropriate density for many positives. It certainly feels protective. There is definitely some energy return through the stride. There is surely a comfortably consistent feel underfoot as well. It ticks all the necessary boxes for a shoe that’s meant to go far and fast. Another positive about this underfoot feel is that it is another option to accommodate preferences in the trail super shoe category.

Overall, the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra feels like a marble in a groove. It is so smooth and so efficient because of what’s going on underfoot.

Even though the most notable features come underfoot, the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra has some good stuff going on up top. For starters, this shoe is a racer through and through. A light, very breathable engineered mesh upper creates a roomier-than-anticipated feel. The upper maintained a nice structure despite being very light. My favorite part about the upper is the cage-like system used in the midfoot. Underlays ensure that the midfoot is hugged and held in place. This aided in the “gyrosphere” feel that kept my foot always attached to the insole, no matter which direction my foot turned.

Continental Rubber has been a consistent quality ingredient for Adidas Terrex. The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra’s lugs are not deep, but they are tacky and durable. The small bite it did have was strong, even in some mildly muddy conditions.

Because of its midsole density, crafty, surprising stability, midfoot lockdown, and consistent zippy ride, the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra is able to rock’ n’ roll on a wide range of terrain and distances. I’ve been on it all in these shoes.

What We Don’t Like About the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

ROBBE: It’s the same old song, but Adidas uppers are notoriously difficult to dial in. And whenever you do finally get a good lockdown, it almost invariably feels too tight. It’s both a good and a bad thing, but this upper is a straight-up glove with little flex. I know I referenced the ride of the Takumi Sen, but the upper fit is quite similar as well, including the heel lockdown issues. If you need more toe room in a shoe, may I interest you in the Topo Athletic MTN Racer?

Because of that severe rocker, it’s difficult to dial in the heel fit. I didn’t experience slippage per se, but it didn’t feel super locked in. That’s remedied by the fact that everything from the midfoot on doesn’t move, but it’s also not ideal. You’ll also get some collar gaping, meaning that dust and debris will get into this shoe. 

While the midsole foam is surprisingly stable for such a high stack height, the overall stability of the shoe can be challenging on uneven terrain. On really rocky terrain, it’s pretty treacherous, but you’d be dumb to run in this shoe in that situation unless you love breaking your ankles Misery-style.

Again, the Pennsylvania AT isn’t exactly the use-case for this shoe, but when you’re landing on softball-sized rocks, the narrow throat combined with the rocker makes the shoe feel like it’s in a continual state of tightrope walking, but if there were multiple tightropes on every side of the platform. So yeah… maybe just use a different shoe for that type of “running,” which is really just speed hiking anyway. On everything else (which is mostly everything else), the shoe is great.

If you’re running in muddy or sloppy conditions, the lug depth is fairly minimal, so you may want to opt for something else.

MELISSA: I experienced some issues that I assume are due to sizing (rubbing from sliding around). I personally would be wary of trying a smaller size because of my wide forefoot, but others might want to try sizing down. Like Robbe, I wasn’t quite able to get the lockdown I wanted and also experienced some rubbing above the heel. Definitely wear quarter socks or higher and nothing too thin.

While the midsole design promotes speed and stability, the high stack does lend to slight instability. I eventually adapted, but early on did experience a couple of ankle rolls while both ascending and descending.

The outsole performed mostly well, but as Robbe mentioned, the lugs are a bit small and might not provide the traction you need on super technical terrain or if race conditions aren’t ideal.

Lastly, the Agravic Speed Ultra is definitely a shoe meant to go fast, and when I felt fresh and ready to go, my experience was top-notch. On the other hand, I noticed that on slower recovery days, this shoe was almost detrimental. When I started my run without any residual soreness from training, I felt like it was beating me up and leaving me feeling worse off. And when I was running slower, it felt clunky and awkward.

TAYLOR: All three of us have had sizing issues. Sizing can sometimes be a “shame on me” type of thing. I do not think that is the complete truth here. Apparently, the general rule with Terrex is to jump a half-size down. As Melissa said, I’m not sure this will solve all of the problems I did have.

The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra was long and felt extra roomy throughout the shoe. That said, I think the length is a good fit for running long ultras that span double-digit hours. The length combined with the all-around roominess would not be, though. My foot slid around quite a bit in every direction in this shoe before I resorted to dang near cattle roping strategies to find some reprieve.

My off-sized shoes certainly exacerbated (yet wasn’t the only cause) the irritation I had from the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra. Like a famished bear on a rotten log, this collar tore me up! Again, I tried mitigating the extra space issue. The best way was to do a runner’s loop and really cinch down on the upper lacing eyelets. Even with crew socks and Bodygilde, my heels blistered from the rough padding-less heel counter, and my anterior ankles literally bled from the rubbing on the front side near the lacing eyelets. This happened in only a 90-minute run!

Breaking in the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra was a tough experience. I did get to a point where catastrophic wounds were replaced with hot spots.

Again, I do believe that getting a better size would help with this case, but I feel strongly that it wouldn’t take it away. This shoe needs some reinforcements around the heel in the comfort department.

Final Thoughts on the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra

ROBBE: It’s been a long time coming, but the wait was worth it. The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra is a true trail racer that matches the performance of its road counterparts. Adidas took the proven technologies in its Adizero line and adjusted them properly for trail racing, which — in our opinion — is the first time this has been successfully executed.

At $220, it undercuts both the Nike Ultrafly ($260) and the upcoming Hoka Tecton X 3 ($275), making it a must-have for anyone looking to get the most out of their trail race. We expect to see the shoe on plenty of podiums in the coming year.

MELISSA: The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra reminds me of Ricky Bobby from Talladega Nights. I picture the scenes of young Ricky saying “I wanna go fast, I wanna go fast!” and older Ricky saying, “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” The Agravic Speed Ultra is a shoe made to go fast during workouts and on race day. Aside from some minor instability and fit issues- if you’re ready to race at a consistently fast pace, this is a shoe you will love. Otherwise, I’d suggest its sister shoe, Agravic Speed, for easy, steadier running.

TAYLOR: Unique. Efficient. Fast. Fun.

This shoe pulled together many highly specific pieces to create a spectacular and special running experience. The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed UltraI checked all the boxes of a race shoe but came with some major setbacks. Is it worth the risk? I’m not sure at this price point, but I cannot deny that this is one of the few trail shoes that truly feels super on a variety of terrain.

You can pick up the Adidas Agravic Terrex Speed Ultra for $220 at the shop links below.

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