Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 1 vs S/Lab Genesis 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.

The S/Lab Genesis 2 is Salomon at its most race-focused: a lightweight trail running shoe built for short to mid distance racing, from a sharp 10k on the fells to a technical half or a fast 50k. At 249g it is genuinely light for a shoe with a 31.9mm heel, and the low 7.8mm drop keeps you connected to the ground so you can read the trail and react. There is no plate here, and that is deliberate. This is a shoe about precision, grip and control rather than pop off a carbon spring. You get a snug, locked-in Salomon fit and aggressive traction that bites on loose, wet and steep ground. In our view it sits at the premium racing end of the market, and the price reflects that. If you want a plated trail racer the Hoka Tecton X 3 is the obvious rival, but for pure connected feel and grip the Genesis 2 is hard to beat.