Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 1 vs Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2

The Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra is Adidas at its most single-minded on the trail: a lightweight competition racer built to move fast over long, technical ground. At 259g it is featherweight for a trail shoe, and the moderate 8mm drop still lets you react quickly to the ground on rough terrain. This is a running shoe for the sharp end of a race, not a plush daily trail cruiser. It rewards a runner with a quick, midfoot-led stride and enough strength to handle a firm, ground-feel ride over the miles. In our view it slots in as a premium trail racer, sitting alongside plated rivals like the Hoka Tecton X 3, though the Adidas takes a leaner, more natural route with no carbon plate. At £190 it is a serious investment, so we would save it for race day and key sessions rather than everyday muddy plods.

Adidas kept the second Agravic Speed Ultra fast and fussy, and fixed most of what people disliked about the first. The upper is far comfier than on the original Speed Ultra and the lugs bite harder, and the reviews we read broadly agree most runners will prefer it. It is still a trail racing shoe with a narrow heel, a pointed toe box and a rocker that wants you up on your forefoot. Women's Running UK gave it five stars as an ultra racer for runners who put speed and control ahead of plush cushioning. On our spec sheet it is effectively zero drop, and lab testing says the heel rocker makes it feel less flat than that. At a £200 RRP it sits alongside the S/Lab Genesis 2 and Tecton X 3 as a race-day trail shoe. If you land midfoot and race on fast, runnable trails, we'd pick it over both. Heel strikers and wide feet should look elsewhere.