adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra Review: The First Trail Super Shoe? 7 Comparisons

First Impressions, Match and Higher

Mike P: I selected a measurement 10.0 for my take a look at pair. With my true-to-size being US 9.5, I made a decision to measurement up since I actually see these as a long-ultra distance shoe. No sense risking a cosy match since I deliberate to place some lengthy miles into these. Initially I believed I might need made a mistake – they felt considerably giant on the primary strive. 

However after lacing them up, attempting some completely different socks (my dual-sock extremely setup), I am glad I sized as much as 10.0. They’re maybe a bit lengthy, and I may undoubtedly put on a 9.5, however there’s some taper on the very entrance. When the foot is flexed, I am glad to have that additional area in entrance of the toes. I would in all probability be safer in a 9.5, however once more I do not see these as a short-distance, fast-racer sort of shoe. 

[Nice, light & effective ribbed laces]

The sunshine weight of the shoe is obvious the primary time you choose them up. At 9.5 oz (270g) in my US 10.0, they’re proper within the race-weight wheelhouse of extremely footwear that I favor. Particularly given the large quantity of midsole underfoot. Kudos to Adidas right here for not disappointing within the weight division.

A hanging first impression is made by the sheer width of the platform below the forefoot. It is large, and much more hanging compared to the tremendous pulled-in midfoot platform and slim heel base. 

The outline on the Adidas web site even mentions one thing about being up on the “forefoot”, which is shocking. You do not usually see that. For me particularly, it is refreshing to see a shoe explicitly designed for forward-leaning, midfoot/forefoot working. Sometimes you see the other. Extra lodging being made towards the heel-striking realm. 

The higher is a light-weight engineered mesh – extremely breathable and non-stretch. Width on the forefoot is sweet for me, with a slight taper on the toes. It is no downside for me to have sized up, however at true-to-size I’m wondering if I might get some pinky aspect strain. Match by the midfoot is kind of snug- it is undoubtedly a race-fit with the midfoot and forefoot being solidly locked in. The heel is an space that I consider may use some enchancment. 

The inside is a bit inflexible across the heel bone space, with extraordinarily small bolsters on the perimeters of the heel. I believe maybe the bolstering might be enhanced and the internal supplies softened a bit. 

I am pleased to report no points with the collar itself. This was a significant difficulty with the current Adidas Agravic fashions I’ve examined – the Agravic Extremely and Circulation 2 have had extraordinarily harsh, excessive, and grating ankle collars. That difficulty has been resolved right here. 

The tongue then again is unquestionably brief. They went with a brilliant skinny, weight-saving light-weight design right here. It barely extends past the highest lace row, and lace chew ought to undoubtedly be a priority for some runners. That is undoubtedly one facet of shoe design I will by no means perceive. What’s the cope with brief tongues?

Midsole & Platform

Mike P: The stack is 38/30 of Lightstrike Professional foam. They went proper as much as the restrict – it undoubtedly feels such as you’re driving excessive in these. 

Primarily based on the midsole platform, many of the cushion is of course centered below the forefoot. 

It is actually fairly noticeable, that is the candy spot of this shoe. The design of the midsole below the forefoot is kind of fascinating. There are cutouts that run horizontally – these appear to permit extra flex alongside the medial and lateral edges of the forefoot touchdown space. It looks like a technique to fight the issue of desirous to have a super-wide base for stability, but not wanting it to be inflexible and unstable. It does appear efficient, for instance in tight singletrack the place a number of occasions the perimeters of the path are slanted upwards.

[You can see that cutout in the midsole here – it allows the bottom section which is in contact with the ground to effectively contour]

Throughout the large stack you’ve got the Power Rods embedded. That is my first time working on Power Rods – both highway or path. They appear to be stiff, but not “carbon plate stiff”. Actually, other than the imprecise sensation of forward-oriented effectivity, I am unable to say that I particularly seen them. Extra noticeable is the rocker of the shoe – each entrance and rear. There is a large upsweep from the forefoot ahead and likewise from the center of the heel to the again of the shoe. Extra particulars within the experience part beneath.

Outsole

Mike P: The outsole is made up of a mix of three.5mm lugs on the skin, and a pair of.5mm alongside the inside. The depth is much like that of the unique Pace Extremely – with a concentrate on dry, runnable terrain versus unfastened, rugged, muddy stuff.

They labored completely throughout my Scout Mountain 50M race – which was largely dry and rocky. There have been just a few sections of snow and dirt up excessive, and the dearth of traction in these areas was noticeable. I undoubtedly needed to tread fastidiously in these spots. If mud, or slick terrain is a priority for almost all of your utilization, these would in all probability not carry out nicely for you. However dry, runnable, think- Western States, they work nice.

Sturdiness is not any concern both – I’ve had strong mileage out of my Continental rubber Adidas path footwear earlier than. After 50M of rugged, Idaho terrain, plus coaching miles, the outsoles are in effective situation.

[Post Scout Mountain 50M]

Trip, Conclusions and Suggestions

Mike P: The experience is extremely dynamic in a approach that is a bit troublesome to explain. The excessive stack energetic Lightstrike Professional cushion undoubtedly provides that “max-stack” really feel, however not within the overly-wide stability-oriented path shoe type of approach. 

It additionally has  “tremendous shoe” bounce and dynamism that is vaguely paying homage to highway tremendous footwear. Lightstrike Professional feels gentle, and dynamic, however not fairly on the extent of ZoomX foam. I believe the Lighstrike Professional’s really feel here’s a higher match for the paths. Identical thought with the Power Rods – they offer a degree of propulsion and effectivity that appears higher suited to the paths than a stiffer carbon plate. The pure flexibility of the person rods additionally looks like a greater match. 

[IDAHO !!!  photo – @_anastasiawilde]

What I am attempting to say right here is – the Terrex Agravic Pace Extremely, for me, is the primary reliable, efficient, highway “tremendous shoe”-style adaptation for the paths. I believe that is what everybody had in thoughts and anticipated with Nike’s Ultrafly. Adidas appears to have outdone Nike right here, and the Pace Extremely feels just like the shoe that everybody anticipated the Ultrafly to be. Excellent news – all it’s a must to do is put on a distinct emblem!

A brilliant shoe for the paths does have its limitations. The stack is excessive, clearly, and there is that extraordinarily slim midfoot platform. At occasions that shoe can really feel a bit wild, like one thing to be tamed on the run. 

You’ll want to listen always in these – they simply haven’t got too large a base to let your thoughts wander and plow by stuff. The narrow-ness below the midfoot is one thing to be cautious of. The Power Rods additionally appear to converge in that space, making it maybe the stiffest a part of the shoe. You’ll wish to watch out touchdown on something uneven in that space.

One other factor – they encourage you to be forward-leaning always. There isn’t any area for sitting again and slogging alongside in these. To that finish, the heel cushion is actually not that a lot. The rocker within the heel appears to eat into heel softness, in order that’s not an space you wish to be mashing. Even throughout descents, a forward-lean is inspired, which could be a bit harrowing for inexperienced descenders. 

[with super-RD Luke Nelson at the finish]

Scout Mountain 50M was in all probability on the fringe of technicality the place I would really feel comfy working these. There’s fairly a little bit of rugged terrain, however much less of the continuous excessive boulder fields and rocky descents from another races out in Idaho. All in all, it is a strong, sincere, mountain course. At occasions I felt actually good, speedy, and environment friendly within the Pace Ultras. At different occasions, it felt a bit precarious in a few of the extra rugged, technical sections. My evaluation is that these usually are not beginner-level footwear for technical terrain. However for extra mellow, runnable programs, these are a dynamite choose for all. 

Adidas nails the “path tremendous shoe” right here. ! Hopefully extra thrilling path footwear are within the pipeline for Adidas, cannot wait!

Mike P’s Rating:  9.6 / 10

Trip: 10 – Dynamic, clean, quick, environment friendly – all the products

Match: 9.5 – Heel match & consolation might be improved 

Worth: 9 – Excessive, however not obscene, for a legit tremendous shoe 

Type: 10 – Nice trying shade that pops

Traction: 9 – Not the deepest, however works within the supposed quick stuff

Rock Safety: 10 – Massive stack + Power Rod safety

Smiles 😊😊😊😊😊

7 Comparisons

Index to all RTR opinions: HERE

Adidas Pace Extremely  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (10.0): The unique Pace Extremely is a a lot completely different animal. I personally ran it as much as 50M in a race, however most likely wouldn’t take it that far. Some Adidas execs took them longer although. A lot decrease to the bottom, and extra of a “velocity” shoe, than an “extremely” shoe, particularly within the present high-stack market. The brand new Pace Extremely goes the massive stack, tremendous foam, Power Rod propulsion route, giving it a completely completely different really feel. It’s a real, trendy tremendous shoe for trails.

Hoka Speedgoat (RTR Overview)

Mike P (10.0): An ultra-distance staple – the SG is extra adaptable to completely different runners and working kinds. Max cushion, but in addition max platform width – it’s rather more forgiving in any terrain. It doesn’t have the dynamic experience of the Adidas, nor the flat-out velocity, however it’s a greater throughout path shoe for almost all of runners, particularly in tougher terrain. The Adidas is extra superior, quicker, and shines in runnable terrain.

Hoka Tecton X  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (10.0): Tecton X is much like the SG when it comes to being large stack and likewise large platform width. It provides a little bit of stiffness although with its twin carbon plates, which makes them a bit extra environment friendly on the run and faster when transferring quicker. It’s considered one of my prime 2 picks for the long-ultra, particularly 100M distance – I’ve run a number of 100M’s in them. Once more, the Adidas is quicker in runnable terrain, extra dynamic, however much less steady. I’m conserving a watch out for the upcoming Tecton X 3. It could be PEBA-based, so maybe a bit nearer to the Pace Extremely when it comes to “velocity”. 

Merrell Agility Peak  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (9.5): The Merrell is kind of far off from the Adidas when it comes to efficiency. Simply thought I’d throw it in there as a result of it has a similar-feeling entrance rocker impact. The Merrell is far heavier although, foam is just not as dynamic, and it’s not a fast shoe. It does win on traction although.

Nike Ultrafly  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (9.5): I believe Nike missed the mark with this one. They tried to go full ZoomX, however the foam is so gentle that they needed to wrap it in mesh to maintain it below management. In addition they use a brilliant large platform to stabilize the tremendous gentle midsole. The carbon plate is extraordinarily stiff, which for me felt hazardous in any sort of uneven terrain. I believe the Pace Extremely out-does the Ultrafly in each space. The froth feels nearly as gentle, but extra steady. The Power Rods appear to work successfully with out obtrusive stiffness. The Nike higher additionally appears over-layered, and the toebox may be very large. I believe it’s a transparent win for the Adidas right here.

Nike Zegama 2  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (9.5): Nike’s latest path shoe – once more a large, unapologetic slab of ZoomX foam right here. The Zegama goes full cush, however there’s no carbon or stiffening parts. It does really feel tremendous cush I have to say, however the weight is up there, and it may well really feel a bit sluggish. It’s choose for cruising, however I don’t see it as a racer. The Zegama higher can also be rather more over?-engineered, has extra layers, and fewer of a dialed really feel. The Nike additionally has a heavy concentrate on heel softness and cushion. It’s and sturdy shoe for cruising, however can’t contact the Adidas on race day.

Salomon S/LAB Genesis  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (9.5): My prime choose for technical, extremely race day, this shoe is a shoe that I can actually take wherever and in all places. Any time we go tenting round Idaho and I’m exploring new mountainous terrain, I alway convey the S/LAB Genesis. It’s rather more steady than the Adidas in moderate-technical terrain. Nice floor really feel, and good-enough ultra-distance cushion. The higher is super-dialed, nice lockdown, efficient ankle collar/gaiter, and excellent width toebox for lengthy days. The Adidas is the choose for quick, unobstructed trails, however the S/LAB Gen wins in something technical.

Saucony Xodus Extremely 3  (RTR Overview quickly)

Mike P (9.5): Now in take a look at, I’ve been stunned by the steadiness of the XU3 in rugged terrain. Strong quantity of cushion, however not as energetic because the Adidas. I’m getting strong coaching shoe vibes from these up to now, maybe an extremely racer, though not a speedster. Extra to return within the full evaluate quickly..

Scott Extremely Carbon RC  (RTR Overview)

Mike P (10.0): The Scott is kind of firmer below foot, and includes a dual-flex Carbitex plate. I discovered them quick for his or her weight, however the weight itself was nonetheless fairly a bit excessive. They’re extra steady than the Adidas, and likewise make the most of a entrance rocker to maintain up the velocity. I had large issues with the higher although – the excessive, stiff, inflexible ankle/heel collar actually did a quantity on me. I may actually run in them after that. Once more, maybe a greater quick, technical shoe than the Adidas (if the match is okay on your ft), however the Adidas wins on velocity in runnable terrain. 

Additionally please see Marcel’s Krebs evaluate of the Pace Extremely HERE

The Terrex Agravic Pace Extremely is obtainable at our companion

Operating Warehouse US  HERE

Operating Warehouse Australia HERE

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Tester Profiles

Mike Postaski at the moment focuses on lengthy mountainous ultras – wherever from 50K as much as his favourite – 100M. 5’10”, 138 lbs, midfoot/forefoot striker – he usually averages 70 mpw (totally on trails), ramping as much as 100+ mpw throughout race buildups. A current 2:39 highway marathoner, his straightforward working tempo ranges from 7:30 – 9:00/mi. From 2022-23 Mike has received the Standhope 100M, IMTUF 100M, and Scout Mountain 100M path ultras, additionally profitable Scout Mountain 50M in 2024. He additionally set a CR of 123.74M on the Pulse Endurance Runs 24H and accomplished the Boise Trails Problem on foot in 3 days 13 hours, besting the earlier file by 7 hours. Mike’s shoe preferences lean in direction of firmer, dense cushioning, and footwear with narrower profiles. He prefers additional forefoot area, particularly for lengthy ultras, and he strongly dislikes pointy toe containers.

Samples have been supplied at no cost for evaluate functions. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and should earn fee on merchandise bought through purchasing hyperlinks on this article. These partnerships don’t affect our editorial content material. The opinions herein are fully the authors’.

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