It’s quite easy to follow in the heavy footsteps of older walking boots. Think about ‘traditional’ hill stompers and we bet you’ll imagine full-grain leather boots laced up to the ankles with laces thicker than twine. But these days, there’s a growing number of offerings that prefer a more lightweight approach – like this new Adidas Terrex boot.

This brings us to the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2. It’s a pair of boots that has been designed with the kind of technology you’d expect to find in an Adidas trainer, but incorporated into an overall design that is far better suited on the hills than the high street. Though, it must be said, they’re pretty good at the urban stuff too. 

We’ve got Boost technology which has been used to great success across the Adidas footwear range, but we’ve got a mid-section support area to help keep your ankles in check. So while the flashy designs might suggest a certain level of form over function, Adidas has ensured that the Terrex Free Hiker 2s have got enough ‘proper’ hiking tech to make them perfectly usable on your favourite climbs. Let’s check them out. 

The speedy run-down

If you’re after a featherweight set of boots that’ll still give you a decent amount of support, then these Adidas Terrex boots are definitely worth trying on. We like the fact that they’re impressively lightweight but still have the features we all want; Gore-Tex being included, for instance, means that you’re feet are going to stay warm and dry in poor conditions yet comfortable when things get a little toastier. Clocking in at £200 means that they’re a fair chunk of cash, but given their all-rounder ability we’d say they represent a solid investment. 

Sphere Score

We’ve given the Adidas Free Hiker 2s four out of five. Only their lack of future robustness stops them from the maximum.

For

• Super lightweight
• Eye-catching styling
• Gore-Tex means no wet feet
• Continental soles provide good levels of traction

Against

• Perhaps not as robust as ‘traditional’ boots
• Looks may not be for everyone
• Collar doesn’t have quite as much reinforcement as a heavier boot 
• Quite expensive 

Tech specs

• Full Gore-Tex liner provides great waterproofing qualities 
• Continental sole gives you all the traction you need
• Upper has an eco focus with 50 per cent recycled materials 
• Seven colourways to choose from
• Boost midsole is great at providing ‘spring’ to each step
• Lightweight nature means it’s great for faster hikes

First impressions

When you first get hold of them, it’s easy to think that you’ve not bought a pair of Adidas Terrex boots but instead opted for some lightweight high-tops. In terms of colour they’re really eye-catching, with the contrast purple sole on our set being a real highlight. As with other Adidas line-ups, the Boost section is a white contrast area which does make the whole thing look a lot more like a trainer. 

But the materials feel far more robust than you’d expect from a trainer. The toe box, for instance, is moulded and reinforced with an abrasion-resistant material so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about dinging them against rocks or inclines while the pull loops at front and back make them a doddle to put on. They slip on a lot like a sock, in truth, and you get a nice snug fit thanks to the laces which come up pretty high. 

Though the green colour is definitely one to get people talking about, there are other colourways out there. They’re not just restricted to hiking, either; the Free Hiker 2s are the kind of boots that could worn comfortably for a day around town too. 

What about the features though?

Despite that lightweight construction, we’ve got plenty of familiar hiking-friendly touches here. Gore-Tex is, of course, the big kicker here and levels up the Free Hiker 2s beyond ‘normal’ trainers. There’s a mesh upper which does mean that deeper sections of water are going to prove troublesome, but the well-entombed lower half will do plenty of heavy lifting when it comes to repelling mud and moisture. 

We’d quite like to see a more hook-like lacing system, but as we’ve mentioned the standard trainer-style fit is more than adequate for getting these boots onto your feet securely. The ankle collar might not be as rigid as, say, a usual leather boot, but they do provide some extra security and help these Adidas Terrex boots to feel comfortable right out of the box. 

Do they feel lightweight to wear?

For sure. As we’ve found with other Adidas Boost models, we did have to go up by half a size to find the right fit, but once you’re in there snugly these are a set of boots that feel cosy right from the off. They’ve got that plush bouncback feel that we’ve come to expect from Boost technology, too, and they add a little extra energy in to every step. They’ll definitely help to get you over the line on longer hikes. 

During our time wearing these boots, they fended off some serious downpours without issue – and even coped with a stomp through snow – though Adidas does offer a Terrex Free Hiker Cold.RDY model for when things get seriously chilly. At 445g for a UK size 8.5 they’re superbly featherweight, too, and the vast majority of fatigue that you get from lumbering a heavy set of boots around is completely gone. You can wear these all day without trouble and, thanks to those pull loops, they’re a breeze to get off when you do eventually want to stop. 

So what’s the final word then?

If you’ve already been won over by Boost technology in some of the other products Adidas offers, then you’ll feel right at home with the Free Hiker 2s. Sure, they’re not going to last quite as long as a ‘traditional’ boot – nor can they be fitted with new soles once they’re worn out – but as a lightweight boot for scrambling up hillsides on a Sunday before trekking through town on a Monday, then they’re really hard to beat.