adidas Terrex Free Hiker Gore-Tex 2.0 Review

Article by Sam Winebaum

adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Gore-Tex ($220)

Greatest Makes use of:

Arduous, smoother surfaces day and multi day climbing with lighter hundreds.

Any moist or slippery rock circumstances.

Throughout winter prepared (GTX) boot: canine strolling, commuting, shoveling snow, snowshoeing and climbing

Wider toes.

Professionals:

Very good any terrain Continental traction but easy driving: rock, mud, snow

Energetic leg pleasant largely Enhance midsole.

Versatile for a boot.

Nice alternative for huge toes

Spacious un bootlike unstructured and broad forefoot, very strong rear and midfoot maintain

Cons:

Weight

Broad, unstructured entrance of sneakers might problem decrease quantity narrower toes and in technical off camber conditions

Thick Gore-Tex higher, provides weight, retains water and dries very slowly. Non GTX out there.

Whereas energetic and really properly cushioned basic Enhance foam is comparatively heavy. Newer Enhance Gentle foamt known as for right here.

Pricing (though now discounted)

Stats

Pattern Weight: males’s 16.06 oz / 457g US 8.5 , oz / g US

$220 out there now. Non GTX additionally out there for $200.

First Impressions, Match and Higher

The Free Hiker 2 has a contemporary non-boot like general look. Glossy and sure quick wanting.

The higher is a really dense mesh with inside Gore-Tex bootie development. It’s for positive whereas pliable, mushy and comfy however a thick higher with the Gore-Tex bottie within the combine.

Rear maintain in mid top lighter boots may be tough as lacing sits increased than in low tops, the collars can’t be too skinny and sloppy or to inflexible. Terrex nails the rear maintain. It’s comfy, safe and stabilizes the rear of the shoe properly.

The rear exterior plastic clip actually holds the heel properly whereas above the collars aren’t any too inflexible. Lacing is simple and stays put. Even after complete days of soaking rain throughout our Queyras trek I solely often needed to re-tighten.

The midfoot is properly held by the mix of lacing and the Gore-Tex bootie.

The toe space is for my part fairly “un boot” like. Whereas the mesh plus Gore-Tex bootie is dense and notably thick this can be a comparatively unstructured higher for a climbing boot with minimal softer overlays and toe bumper upfront. The match is broad and comparatively low over the toes however no worries with loads of give. Consequently, the Free Hiker is a good alternative for broader toes.

On the minus facet, narrower toes used to a really offered entrance climbing boot maintain could uncover it’s a bit too broad and too pliable when terrain will get extra technical. Not a lot slipping because of the mesh stretch or instability however I wanted for a considerably extra exact maintain on off camber rocks and such. All this mentioned the match is true to measurement and spacious for my narrower to medium toes.

My check pair is the Gore-Tex model. I discovered breathability greater than first rate in average circumstances moist and in any other case however given a alternative for summer season climbing I’d go for the lighter extra breathable non GTX model.

Moreover when moist they take a really very long time to dry. Shifting to Gore-Tex Invisible Match the place the membrane is bonded to the higher would scale back weight and certain have them drying faster

I choose non GTX for non winter circumstances as when it comes proper all the way down to it if circumstances are actually moist or one has to ford streams as we did in France water will ultimately splash over or soak by way of underneath extended publicity. In winter, a unique story. Gore-Tex all the time retains my toes hotter and in snow moisture stays out.

Midsole & Platform

The midsole is usually basic adidas Enhance! Enhance is an expanded TPU bead foam that has been round for a lot of years and when first launched actually took cushioning in trainers to an entire new extra enjoyable and energetic stage as it’s bouncier and softer than typical boot EVA foams. The Free Hiker clearly has that vibe. On very exhausting surfaces there’s a distinct bounce and leg pleasant really feel to the Free Hiker. The inexperienced firmer EVA service in the direction of the entrance delivers entrance stability whereas the massive rear inflexible plastic clip holds the rear however not so aggressively that the rear is overly inflexible.

However there’s an if.. Enhance is heavy and adidas has a more recent taste Enhance Gentle foam which is much lighter, extra steady and faster reacting in its new Ultraboost 5 highway shoe. At its $200-$220 value level the following Free Hiker ought to improve to this new foam. It will cut back the boot’s weight to be extra aggressive to choices resembling NNormal Tomir 2 Mid and Deckers X Lab Enduro, all at the moment additionally decrease value than the Terrex,

A part of my testing included an nearly 20 kilometer day combining very moist rocky trails, a lot of stream crossing and 7K of uphill pavement in a storm.

My legs have been completely satisfied at day’s finish, no straightforward process in depressing windy and chilly climate. Stability was first rate from the EVA layer, the rear plastic clip and the very stout deeply lugged outsole. In contrast to many boots, there’s additionally very first rate flex, important for powering smoother climbs and descents.

That mentioned, and as outlined above in Higher, the entrance of the shoe is extra run shoe like in match and adaptability and is broad resulting in some limits in entrance stability in significantly technical terrain.

This was reconfirmed on a rugged, very bouldery hike within the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They have been first rate however not the very best on the rocks above.

Outsole

The outsole is Continental rubber which is utilized in adidas increased finish highway sneakers, path run sneakers and right here the Free Hiker 2. Traction has been excellent on all surfaces and for positive right here I trod all of them: grass, steep gravel, pavement, shale, moist rock and even a lot of snow.

The lug sample has 4 and 5mm lugs with each sharp angles for grip and sufficient flat surfaces to easy the experience on more durable surfaces. I significantly like how versatile the Free Hiker 2 is and lots protecting from rocks regardless of no plate.

Usually one sees Vibram rubber and their MegaGrip compound in path runners and hikers. I discover Continental equally as performant and possibly a contact softer so mixing with the midsole higher in path really feel and contouring to terrain higher.

Trip, Conclusions and Suggestions

Fashionable, trendy and enjoyable to hike, the Free Hiker is a good possibility as an throughout hiker that may put some zip in your step from its versatile driving largely Enhance midsole. It has a snug broader and softer match than most boots. It isn’t the perfect alternative for heavy backpacking hundreds because of its entrance higher and adaptability or very heat circumstances because of its GTX higher.

In a subsequent pair, and for summer season use, I’d go together with the lighter non GTX model however for spring, fall and winter the GTX will hold you dry, heat and comfy.

Priced at $200-$220 with some colours now on sale it isn’t the very best worth on the market. That mentioned, its high quality development, consolation and match (particularly for broader increased quantity toes), lengthy lasting energetic Enhance midsole (though for positive it might use the lighter newer Gentle Enhance foam), and sturdy Continental rubber outsole for positive ought to put it in consideration as an throughout climbing boot.

Rating: 8.9 /10

Deductions for value, weight, want for extra entrance higher construction.

Sam is the Editor and Founding father of Street Path Run. He’s in his 60’s with 2024 Sam’s 52th 12 months of working roads and trails. He has a many years previous 2:28 marathon PR. As of late he runs halves within the simply sub 1:40 vary if he will get very, very fortunate. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week largely at average paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, climbing or on nordic skis. He’s 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs, if he isn’t having fun with too many advantageous New England IPA’s

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