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Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed review

8 expert score
0 user's score
As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples. We purchased this pair at Running Warehouse with our own money.
Review written on 24th May by Jeremy Yoder Jeremy Yoder lives in Marietta, PA with his wife and 2 kids. In an earlier life, he used running to stay fit for his soccer career, where he was a co
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Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Verdict

The Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed trail shoes will kick your races up a notch. Featuring supreme cushioning, excellent traction and an airy upper. Everything about them screams fast paces and PR’s.

The pros

  • Lightstrike Pro midsole
  • Excellent all around traction
  • Light and nimble

The cons

  • Comfort is sacrificed
  • Less protection than competitors

Where to buy

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Rating breakdown

Comfort
7.0
Build quality
9.0
Upper
8.0
Sole unit
9.0
Landing
8.0
Transition
7.0
Toe-off
7.0
Traction
9.0
Durability
9.0
Value / Price
8.0

Facts / Specs

Brand
Model
Terrex Agravic Speed
Type
Weight
8.5 oz (241 g)
MSRP
160.00

Heel
34 mm.
Toe
26 mm.
Heel drop
8 mm.
Carbon plate
No plate

Size/Fit

Sizing
True to size
Heel fit
Normal
Midfoot fit
Normal
Toebox fit
Normal

Cushioning & ride

Type of cushioning
Responsive
Amount of cushioning
Little cushioning
Stability
Some stability
Flexibility
Flexible

Trail specs

Rockplate
Not present
Traction
Provide Traction
Water resitance
Good

Best for these distances

Road-to-trail
Max cushion
Trail racing  
Technical  

Best for these terrains

Moderate trails  
Technical trails  
Rocky areas  
Muddy areas  
Through creeks and streams  
Through snowy or icy sections
Dirt trails  
Paved trails
Through grassy sections  

Who should buy the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed ?

Runners requiring a light, aggressive racing shoe for sub ultra marathon trail races should consider these shoes. Also, runners looking for a training shoe with plenty of ground feel may like them as well.

Who should not buy the Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed ?

I wouldn’t buy these shoes if you’re looking for a plush, padded upper. I also don’t think they offer all-day comfort.

Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Introduction

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed

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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed

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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed


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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed

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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic 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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed

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

Picture of adidas Terrex Agravic Speed

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.

How does the Terrex Agravic Speed compare?

Brooks Catamount 3
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed
Nike React Terra Kiger 9
Expert score
10
8
6
User score
Best price
Retail price
US$169.95
US$159.95
US$149.95
Shoe type
Weight
9.4 oz
8.5 oz
9.8 oz
Heel Drop
6 mm
8 mm
3 mm
Recommended for
Moderate trails, technical trails, muddy areas, through creeks and streams, dirt trails, paved trails, through grassy sections
Moderate trails, technical trails, rocky areas, muddy areas, through creeks and streams, dirt trails, through grassy sections
Moderate trails, muddy areas, through creeks and streams, dirt trails, paved trails, through grassy sections
Cushioning type
responsive/balanced
responsive
responsive
Cushioning amount
Little cushioning
Little cushioning
Medium cushioning
Flexibility
medium
flexible
medium
Stability
very stable
some stability
not particularly stable
Sizing
buy half size bigger
true to size
true to size

Why you can trust us

As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples from companies.
We purchased this pair of Adidas at Running Warehouse  with our own money.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy.
Lowest price:

$159.95

Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed price comparison

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Best offers today in , all prices in
Sorry - Product not found. Please try RunningWarehouse.Com to check in their assortment.
This page contains affiliate links Read more

Reviewed by Jeremy

This review was written by Jeremy Yoder on 24th May.
Jeremy Yoder lives in Marietta, PA with his wife and 2 kids. In an earlier life, he used running to stay fit for his soccer career, where he was a collegiate All American. Jeremy is an avid hunter and now running keeps him prepared for outdoor advendutres. He and his wife Olivia enjoy competing in trail races in the mountains of Pennsylvania. If he could pick, every run would be on a trail run but when life gets busy, the road will do just fine.

User feedback (0)

Lowest price:
$159.95

Where to buy

Best offers today in , all prices in
Sorry - Product not found. Please try RunningWarehouse.Com to check in their assortment.
This page contains affiliate links Read more

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