Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 1 vs Ultrafly 1

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.

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.