I've put in over 100 miles on the Agravic Speed Ultra so far and am planning to run a 50km course soon before trying it on a 50-mile race. I live in an area of rolling hills with mainly hard-packed and smoothened dirt trails with some rocks and trees but, overall, fairly smooth. For such terrains, this shoe is just perfect. It's excellent for road-to-trail runs as well and feels and rides great on pavement. Considering its stack height and the overall bulk of the shoe, it isn't ideal for going fast downhill on steep technical rocky terrains; for that purpose, I'd use the Nnormal Kjerag or the Norda 002. But for "West Coast" type of trails, the Agravic Speed Ultra is really awesome. On the 10~15-mile runs I've done with the Ultra around my hilly neighborhood, I'd get around 2,500~3,000 ft of elevation gain and it's very good at both going uphill and downhill on smoothened trails. It's just not easy to be very nimble on the rocky terrains with lots of abrupt turns. It's best for going fast and long on relatively straight-line "mild" dirt trails. I've tried some carbon plated trail shoes (Tecton X/X2, Endorphin Edge, and NB SC Trail) and I had come to the conclusion that a carbon plate just isn't necessary or could even be a hindrance on trail shoes. I find them especially bad when going downhill. They'd feel "slappy" and harsh when landing. The Ultra doesn't have that feeling at all due to the PEBAX material of the Energy Rods that are forked out to the medial and lateral sides. It feels very flexible and comfortable underfoot no matter what the terrain is like. The LSP foam on the Ultra (and the Speed) doesn't feel like the LSP foam on the Adizero shoes (PXS 1/2, Adios Pro 3, Takumi Sen, Boston 12, and Adios 8 - I have them all); it feels noticeably firmer but not by much. You know it's LSP with its familiar bounce and responsiveness, but it seems to have a different formulation for trail usage, which requires more stability. The upper is surprisingly comfortable with a very good lockdown although it took a while for me to work on the lacing to get the right balance between comfort and secure lockdown. Heel slippage could become an issue due to the minimal amount of support on the heel. I'd recommend going down half-size or wear thick socks on TTS along with using the runner's knot to avoid heel slippage. The Continental rubber outsole is excellent but the lugs are shallow and best for straight-ahead running than weaving through technical trails. Again, no single shoe can be the best at everything. It's why we all have multiple shoes for different terrains and usage cases. The Agravic Speed Ultra is virtually perfect for going relatively fast over long distances on smoothened dirt trails with mild ascents and descents. For mountain running with lots of rocks and roots, I'd go with Nnormal and Norda shoes. I have the Agravic Speed as well and it's more nimble than the Ultra being that it's about a full ounce lighter, but it's also best suited for the "West Coast" types of terrains. It's a good training companion to the Ultra and for shorter races. Overall, I think Adidas got it nailed with the Agravic Speed Ultra and the Speed and they show that Adidas is now serious about trail running. I'd imagine that they are working on a shoe for running on technical terrains (Peregrine type, Kjerag, 002, Pulsar, etc.) and perhaps a general all-rounder (Tomir 2.0, Norda 001, Genesis, Xodus Ultra, Speedgoat, Agility Peak, etc.) as well. Adidas/Terrex is off to a good new start with the Agravic Speed Ultra and Speed. It's great to finally have the LSP in their trail lineup.
@@hawaiifranke7637 I find both the Speed and Speed Ultra superior to the Edge in terms of feel and ride - mainly due to the LSP foam but also because the carbon plate in the Edge felt harsh. Also, the Edge felt unstable except for straight-line runs on smoothened trails. The Edge felt like a road shoe (Speed 3 or Pro 3 which I also had) with trail outsole embedded on the bottom. It did not feel nimble or flexible to me and I gave up on it after around 50 miles. It just wasn't a shoe I wanted to run in after giving it numerous tries. I haven't tried the Ultrafly. I read/saw a lot of mixed reviews and decided to wait for the Speed Ultra and Speed. As I mentioned, after the experience I had with carbon-plated trail shoes like the Tecton X, Edge, and SC Trail, I decided that carbon plate isn't for me in trail running. Sometimes when the terrain is more like the road, it works fine, but not for most trail terrains with lots of hill ascents and descents - especially for going downhill on technical terrains with lots of curves and turns. They just don't provide the flexibility, nimbleness, and ground feel that I'd like in a trail shoe.
Had these since they were released here in the UK, worn them for a few light trails and local parkruns, done about 50km and can't decide if I like them or not. Without doubt the best looking trail shoe on the market, they do have a nice energy return that's especially noticeable on harder surfaces but I've not found that the same with softer ground and added to that I've found them difficult to get a decent lockdown in the midfoot and heel frequently having to re-tie my laces, so much so that the white thread on one of the laces has started to frey. Watching the review on conversational pace they apparently get better with mileage, so will continue to persevere, great review.
Hi, been looking at these, they are expensive so got to make sure they are worth the outlay. How would you compare them against the North Face Summit Vectiv Pro 2?
I have the European Cross Duathlon champs next month in Portugal. The run won't be long - 10km followed by a 20km mtb and then another 5km run. However, the course will be through a local park, along a riverbank, some road and some steep cobbled sections. I'm thinking either the Speed Ultra or the Takumi Sen 10. Are there any other super road/light trail shoes that are worth looking at? Need more grip/stability than the Vaporfly, but it's not really a proper trail run, either.
I got these about 3 or 4 weeks ago from Adidas UK online store. Its the first trail shoe i have bought since joining a running club. The lock down seems good, although i never have problem locking in any of the shoes i've bought, the laces are 'nobbled' and good. I've been doing club runs in them, Tuesdays around a grass track at the local school (which has been very wet), and Thursdays on tge local trails and through the woods (plenty more mud due to tge weather recently). The grip has been amazing and the shoe is pretty alright on the pavements and roads getting to the trails but you can tell this is a firmer version of lightstrike pro. Stability seems good, but i find the Prime X ok so that might tell you something lol. The shoe does general just disappear on foot and you don't notice it, which is just what you want. I think the raised area in the arch might be of concern for some though, it the first time i've ever felt it being there in a shoe. Also interested in your reviews Kieran as i always seem to find that your reviews tally up with how i find shoes when i try them out.
Tried these today on 16km, unfortunatly the midfoot is a bit too narrow and the "sidewalls" (or arch support) is rubbing under my foot .. similar to what some have experimented in the Alphafly 2 and in the Prime X Strung .. I'll have to cut the insole or try to change it somehow or add something over the insole to even the surface a bit .. I own over 50 pairs of shoes and thats the only 3 shoes that have that issue
would love to see you guys test the Joe. Nimble trail addict pro-r... they are a small manufacturer with a more “natural“ shoe...this particular shoe has a pebax foam and a plate under the big toe for natural propulsion. ..qwould be interesting to see how compares to other trail shoes. ..
Ive just got the non plated version. Havent worn them yet but feels a bit like takumi sen with an actual outsole. Hoping i dont regret not buying this one instead. Never got on with plates
Is there any similarities in this to the Fuji Speed 2? That’s my current trail race shoe and would be cool to have some options lined up for when those are retired.
Man, how you stuttered in the end . You know it's a good shoe when you say "I can race in a Marathon with these shoes"... and Why The Hell NOT?! Tom Evans "If I gave it Road .. it was Fast. Technical Uphill .. Flowing Downhill .. it was Fast."
(Nick) jumping in here-I used both the Terrex and the Ultrafly during an ultra last year, so bit of comparison here: Orion Epping Forest 50-mile Ultra | Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra vs Nike Ultrafly ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-xLf8kX3INAE.html
2 smartwatches on the chest - why? And a goretex jacket with no rain at all, if I would do this for 50 k I would loose 3 liters of sweat ... I'd like to buy this shoe but the price is quite expensive, almost like the Nike Ultrafly. How would you compare it to the Ultrafly or the Endorphin Edge?
Testing various things on the watches. When I set out it was very cloudy and looked like it might rain. Where I live we get four seasons an hour sometimes. Also that jacket is incredibly light so it's ideal for just taking the edge off. And I'm training for a race in South Africa where it's going to be very hot. So doing some long miles a bit warm won't hurt me at all.
These were kind of disappointing to me as they only seem to be awesome (for me anyway) on mild surfaces - really great on gravel and very very tame “trails” but anything remotely technical is white knuckle even if you stay on your forefoot as it’s zero stability in the heel when on roots/rocks etc…..like, ridiculously white knuckle. So, to me it’s kind of like a cool road shoe that I really can’t use as an actual trail shoe.
What shoes do you prefer that you might recommend? I'm doing my first ultra and it will be mixed terrain including sand, lots of grass and some dirt and gravel trails. Struggling with shoes choice.
Hi Thomas, it's is. And so far I really like it. Fits really well. Perhaps not as light and minimal as some of the Salomon vests but I think it's well put together.
