Adidas - Terrex Speed Ultra

Raced 25K on similar terrain recently. Having worn various trail shoes I have found that Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra (old version) work exceptionally well on this type of dirt/rock.

Recently got the speeds and they have quickly become my favourite ever trail shoe I think. They are the most road-feeling trail shoe I've worn. Light, soft enough, grippy. I've taken them up to 30km so far and felt great the whole time. I'm not sure how my feet would hold up over ultra distances but sub-ultra, they'd be my go to for sure.

Speed is a good shoe underneath, I just hate the lack of a heel counter/floppy heel.

On trails it might be more of a problem as you'll have less lateral support.

Have tried a few and here are my thoughts Saucony endorphin edges Very similar to endorphin pro 3s in ride. They are a fast shoe but let down badly by the grip (atrocious on wet rocks) and i struggled with the upper. Go half a size up to normal for these Brilliant for open firetrail Speedland SFD Is it carbon plated? Well they are in there but they offer the least assistance of any i have tried. Broad base and good grip with the absolute highlight being the lock down from the boas. Down side is they drain like shit without cutting the plug out and if you do that they let water in from any wet ground. Price is absurd for what you get Adidas terrex speed ultra This shoe is fast! Probably the quickest trail shoe i have used BUT They are incredibly unstable on anything even remotely uneven, hit a rock wrong and goodbye ankle. The instep rubbed my arch badly so only got 30k in them before passing them on l Hoka tecton x2 These have been an absolute workhorse for me. 400ks in my first pair and they have tons of life left in them. Maybe not the quickest ride but they are on par with the speedlands for stability but much lighter (cheaper too) Highlight for me is the way they drain Downside would be the tongue could be longer and thicker. Had issues with lace bite early on but got the fit dialed now. Great shoe for up to 50ks for me so far. Hoka tecton X3 Very bouncy ride, for me the most on par with road going super shoes. Took me a little to like and trust these shoes but now my go to race shoe. The grip is easily the best of all I have used including the X2s (can't beat vibram megagrip imo) They are wearing well and the ride settled down a touch to not throw me on bad landings( note it still will a bit) Down side, the lacing system not allowing a heel lock. Have to use thicker socks than normal (i prefer steigens) to mitigate the heel not locking 100% The upper is thicker than the X2s and doesn't drain quite as well but on par with most others

Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra, I just feel really quick and nimble on a rooty or rocky trail

I have the Saucony Endorphin Edge, the Nike Ultrafly, the Adidas Speed Ultra, S/Lab Genesis, S/Lab Pulsar, Hoka Tecton X1 et X3, etc. I have over 60 shoes, trail and road. Each of these super shoes is very different ... For 12km technical races, I've been using **Pulsar SG** for the past few years because it's the lightest + most nimble + deeper lugs. But it's not the most versatile imho, it's quite narrow and I would not run longer distances. I would say my top 3 so far : 1- Tecton X3 : first pick for training and for races over 25km, if it's not too technical 2- Endorphin Edge : first pick for less than 25km, if it's not too technical 3- Nike Ultrafly : first pick for soft midsole, training any distance I'm not sure what I would use for a technical 12km+ race. Maybe S/Lab Genesis but I've not tested enough. Regarding, Adidas Speed Ultra, it's a very narrow shoe, not a fan so far. Tecton X1 is fine for training. I tried Norda 001 but returned it, I was not really impressed for the price. I will probably try Norda 005.

And here's the latest updated trail collection. Trail running takes up around 40% of my mileage so there's an appropriate number of trail shoes compared to the road shoes. Like with the road shoes, pretty happy and feeling set with these for now and through most of 2026. The only trail shoes coming next year, so far, that I have some mild interest in is the Brooks Cascadia Elite, but it could be redundant when compared to shoes like the Tecton X 3 and Cloudultra Pro. The trail shoes that are getting the most mileage lately are the Cloudultra Pro, Prodigio Pro, MTC H1 & T1, and Enduris 4. I have over 200 miles each on two pairs of Tecton X 3, so backing off those for a while. Ditto for the Speed Ultra and Vectiv Pro 2, which I also have two pairs of each and with around 150 miles on each pair. Really enjoying the MTC H1 for the road-to-trail excursions (13\~15 miles) which I like to go on every Sunday. The Agravic Speed and Puma DNE Trail are two other shoes I use for road-to-trail, but the H1 just feel and ride better for the road and flatter trail terrains. Can't say I really 'need' anything more now but I'm sure I'll always be checking on new stuff coming out. https://preview.redd.it/k6edk126940g1.jpeg?width=503&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1edfeb64134c7dfde6873e6f375d6cd30027362f

Adidas Terrex Ultra

super foams and plates are new to trail shoes and still have a long way to go to be perfected. The Terrex Ultra is pretty beloved except for its stability. The Tecton X 3 is also pretty well loved, more stable, and much less rocker than the Ultra, so it might be a good fit. I think you are better off just finding the shoe that fits and works best for you, rather than limiting yourself to supershoes. Maybe check out the Speedgoats, Mafate, Zegama, Trabuco Max, Altamesa 500, Vectiv Endurance. These are all highly cushioned and well like shoes that aren't super shoes.

I’ve got both and they’re very different shoes. The Nike is softer, but more stable and not quite as exciting a ride. They fit really well and are comfy on foot. The adidas is a seriously fast shoe, but it has an aggressive rocker and feels unstable to me. The fit is poor too, particularly around the heel. On paper, I think the adidas is a faster shoe, but I’ve chosen to the Nike for most of my events as I trust the fit and feel underfoot.

Hoka challengers or adidas terrex for dry days, Salomon quest 4 gore tex for wet/muddy/snowy days

Adidas Terrex for dry days, North Face waterproof trail shoes rain/snow days

I use adidas terrex. Had them for 3 years and they’re holding up great

My Adidas Terrex served me pretty well given that I got them on a deep discount. Thinking about [Hoka Tor](https://www.hoka.com/en/us/all-gender-footwear/tor-summit/197634113876.html) for my next pair.

Adidas Terrex after years in Keens. They're lighter and I can usually find them for $60

Addidas Terrex all the way!

I’d say don’t fix whats not broken. I like the terrex personally. I’ve only tried some Pegasus trails besides the terrex but I ruined em pretty quickly. I tend to drag my back foot when I fore hand. I have a buddy who raves about the Saucony endorphins as well.

Got my terrex for $49 at sierra. Whitin for dry days, and a pair of xero boots that I waxed for ankle protection.

I traveled for a year and did many hikes around the world including the Andes. I had the Adidas Terrex Trail runners and they were the perfect shoe. On my bigger hikes in Patagonia and Colombia, I was able to rent boots where more heavy duty footwear was recommended. My terrex sufficed for other trails in the Andes, though. Renting gear is super common.

I got a pair of Adidas Terrex on sale 2 years ago and they have served me quite well.

Fellow Pennsylvanian here... and this struggle is real! I'm somewhat in the same boat as you as I've been trying to find shoes that are protective against the rocks and roots of our region while also being durable enough to get your money's worth out of the shoes. Here's my progression of footwear over the past 5-7 years or so along with some insights you can take as suggestions. None of these options are zero drop though except the Merrell trail gloves. Adidas Terrex - Pros: good coushion, plenty of padding and protection against rocks. Cons: not wide enough for my feet and they changed the cut of the heel stabilizer to be too high. Merrell Trail Glove - Pros: out of box comfort and very light. Cons: not at all good on rocks. Asics Gel Venture - Pros: out of box comfort and good tread. Cons: not durable, not wide enought, bad quality control. Merrell Moab Speed 1 - Pros: great durability of shoe body, available in wide sizes, and sufficient protection against rocks. Cons: tread is not durable. However, this is probably my favorite trail runner and I wish it was still in production. Its a 500 mile shoe with 300 mile tread. Brooks Cascadia 13 and 15 - Pros: quality tread and good rock protection. Cons - not as wide as I'd like in their 2E size and the heel lock fabric deteriorated quickly causing blisters on my heel. New Balance Hierro V7 - Pros: good coushion and heel support. Cons - that damn flappy thing on the heel, lack of padding in the tongue, durability. Brooks Cascadia 16 - Pros: great rock plate, awesome tread, and wider toebox in 2E size. Cons - shit quality. Regardless, I went through 3 pairs and just dropped the 3rd in the trash after hiking up Old Rag in Shennandoah a week ago. 500 mile tread on a 250 mile shoe body that is not worth the cost. Merrell Moab Speed 2 - Pros - lightweight and PA approved rock plate. Cons - durability and the redesign in general. Wore these on a 260 mile section hike and they messed up my feet and gave me blisters on top of my toes. Was fully refunded though. Merrell Nova 4 - arrives in the mail today in advance of a 120 mile AT section in central Va in a couple of weeks. Might move onto Topo Terraventures or Ultraventures next.

The Terrex are so bad and I am surprised people stick with them. They probably are better than others, but far far from great. Take a look at Merrell or Nike Pegasus. More expensive than Terrex, but you won't have a hole in the side mid season.

I’d ask the same question, and add that I want a show with good arch support. After years of using a combination of Terrexes and Merrell MOAB 3, my aches have become flatter 🙃 and I find that after a long round, my lower back starts getting tight..

Merrells. The Adidas Terrex wore out too fast.

For wet rocks, Continental rubber on Adidas Terrex shoes was quite nice when I had them few years ago (don’t remember the exact model though)

I wore my Terrex all over Japan, highly recommend.

I went to go outdoors last weekend and got some Adidas terrex out of the sale section for £45 and they had another pair I would have bought, if they were my size, for £24! So I’d definitely recommend going there just to try stuff on, check the sales section and check online for lower prices of the ones you do like.

Summertime, I like to wear my non-waterproof shoes so they are cooler and more breathable. Just got some Merrell MTL Long Sky 2’s and they’re decent for both traction and lightness. Got a pair of Adidas Terrex for the cold and wet courses. And Merrell Moab’s for dry cold places.

I’ve found the adidas Terrex a pretty good all rounder, would need to check the exact model though as they all sound the same.

Same issue: toe box too narrow; very stiff; does not cushion at all. Surprised!

I guess it depends. I live in the heavily wooded north. My home course is a ski resort in the winter. I need mid-to-high top trail shoes. As light as I can find while still being waterproof. Vans or running shoes won't do. I'm a Terrex fan myself. If you play on park courses more often, you can probably get away with something more basic. Go for comfort. But if you play out in the shit like me, pull the trigger on another pair of Terrex.

I have this, and it's amazing. I even use it for rucking.

Terrex trail runners. Only downside is that some of them aren't water proof.