If there’s one thing Adidas is known for, it’s creating lightweight running shoes that still have that bounce-back feel that runners love. How do you translate that on-road feel and responsiveness to the trails, though? Well, the Agravic TT is here to answer the call, with some help from Terrex. 

Encompassing a lightweight, speedy design with some of the tweaks and upgrades that we’ve come to expect from Terrex, the Agravic is aimed at those who like to make quick progress over loose terrain. Featuring some of the very latest technology that Adidas has to offer, the Agravic TT could be your ideal pace-setting trail runners – but we’ve been out in them to find out. 

Sphere Score

For

• Super lightweight
• Good feel through to the surface underneath
• Good level of spring

Against

• Might not be cushioned enough for some
• Little weather protection
• Laces are very thin

Tech specs 

• Price: £160
• Weight: 272g
• Lightstrikepro midsole
• Continental outsole 
• Synthetic textile upper

What does the Adidas Terrex Agravic TT have to offer?

The new Agravic TT shoes build on the standards of a great back catalogue of Adidas Terrex trail running shoes, but introduce a host of revisions designed to make them the best yet. The most recent instalment – before the Agravic TT – could be seen as the Agravic Speed, which had a lower cut than this latest shoe and a far more understated design. 

This new TT forms a part of a four-model-strong line-up, which ranges from the distance-focused Speed Ultra 2, to the multi-terrain Agravic 4. The TT sits somewhere in the middle, bringing extra stability over a variety of surfaces and forming a mid-way point in terms of price, too, as at £160 they’re less than the £200 Speed Ultra 2, but more than the £140 Agravic 4. It could be a goldilocks shoe, then. 

So what have we got to work with? In the all-important midsole, there’s a LightstrikePro setup which essentially aims to bring the best possible cushioning and energy transfer for each stride. It’s what gives these shoes their characteristically bouncy feel but, importantly for trail runners, means that there’s extra shock absorption and dampening when you need it. Underneath, there’s a Continental rubber sole with chunky lugs designed to key into the surface below. 

Up top, there are polyamide-reinforced uppers for extra protection, though these are definitely not being billed as a waterproof shoe. Then, inside, a textile lining adds a little bit of comfort to the whole recipe. The laces get a textured, almost ridge-like design that should help them hang onto one another more easily. 

Adidas says that the Agravic TT offers a regular fit, but it feels relatively wide and accommodating on the toe box for us. As is usually the case with Adidas running shoes, we went up by half a size on our usual and the fit was spot-on. 

The colourway you see in these shots is the Cloud White / Core Black / Impact Orange setup, but two other options are available should you need them, with the eye-catching Impact Orange / Core Black / Lucid Orange or more understated Core Black / Carbon / Ray Blue.

Wearing – what is the Adidas Terrex Agravic TT like?

On the feet, the Adidas Terrex Agravic TT feel wide and pretty accommodating. During our initial runs, there wasn’t too much discomfort, either, and after 10 or so miles of running, they felt well bedded in. There’s a relatively high cut to them, too, which adds a little extra confidence and means that you don’t feel like your ankles are quite as susceptible to rolling, which is great for a trail shoe. 

Despite that Lightstrike Pro midsole, the Agravic TT actually feel less sumptuously cushioned than some of the Adidas runners we’ve tested. That’s not a bad thing, of course, because it means that feedback from the surface below you is great and it allows you to feel fully in control.

When you’re on loose ground, you’re not feeling like your feet are getting peppered from underneath, but it’s like you’ve got an extra eye on what’s beneath your feet. When it’s gravel, this is particularly helpful. 

The upper provides more than enough protection to keep your feet mostly dry, though we happened upon quite a few puddles and ended up with a fair amount of water making its way in. That said, these aren’t designed to be out-and-out waterproofed shoes, so we can’t level too much criticism at them for that. 

So far, the quality seems to be holding up pretty well, too. There has started to be some creasing of the midsole, but aside from that, it’s all looking solid. The material used for the uppers is nice and easy to clean, so you can get them looking fresh again in no time at all. The laces are still looking good as well, though we have found that because they’re so thin, it can be a little trickier to lace them than you might expect. 

What about the odd stretch of tarmac? Well, the Agravic TT seem remarkably up for road runs as well. Of course, the chunky lugs mean you’ve got a little extra drag, but particularly given the state of the UK’s roads and pavements, it’s quite nice to have that traction to hand. There’s enough bounce in the shoes to make them comfortable and speedy on the road, which means that you’ve got another side to these runners – and that’s more than useful when you’re not quite sure what sort of terrain you’ll be facing. 

To finish

The Adidas Terrex Agravic TT is the kind of trail runner that’ll get you places. It’s lightweight enough to give you that sense of agility, but there’s sufficient midsole protection that you don’t feel those larger shocks coming through to your feet. 

Naturally, in the UK, there might be a case of damp feet to deal with, but in nearly all areas, the Agravic TT will be a trail runner that delivers comfort and speed on every run.