Terrex Agravic Speed 2 vs Ultrafly 1

The Terrex Agravic Speed is adidas at its most stripped back on the trail: a lightweight trail racing shoe built to move fast over shorter, sharper terrain. At 240g it sits firmly in the fast-and-low camp, and there is no carbon plate here, so what you get is a direct, ground-feel-forward ride rather than a propulsive rocker. That is the point. This is a running shoe for runners who want to feel the trail and react to it, not float above it. The 8mm drop keeps you in a familiar, slightly heel-biased position that most road converts will get on with straight away. We rate it as a proper trail race and tempo tool: skyrunning, shorter ultras, hard hill efforts and race-day on technical ground. If you want more shoe underfoot for long days, the roomier Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra is the natural step up. For fast trail work, this one earns its keep.

The Nike Ultrafly 1 is Nike's first proper carbon trail racer, and it plays like a road super-shoe that has been sent to the mountains. A full-length ZoomX midsole gives you that soft, springy super-foam return, a carbon plate stiffens the ride for the climbs, and a Vibram Megagrip outsole handles the wet rock and mud that would leave a road plate helpless. This is a running shoe built for one job: going fast on trail race day. At £225 it sits at the very top of the market, up against the Hoka Tecton X 3 and Salomon's S/Lab racers, and it is best kept for hard efforts rather than daily miles. On smooth, rolling and moderately technical trail it feels quick and protective. On steep, rooty, gnarly ground the tall stack and stiff plate ask for confident, committed footwork. Buy it as a specialist trail marathon and ultra weapon, not an everyday trail trainer.