Field Journal

The rise of adidas TERREX
Written by Harriet Osborne // Photography Courtesy of adidas

adidas TERREX spent two years working with its team of athletes to design and develop the new Agravic Speed Ultra: a cutting-edge trail shoe designed for fast running. Here, Toni McCann, Emily Hawgood, and Yngvild Kaspersen share how adidas TERREX is changing the game for the future of trail running.

adidas TERREX brought a fresh perspective to the outdoor market when it launched in 2011, seamlessly integrating high performance with a streetwear aesthetic.

Over a decade later, the brand continues to look at the outdoor market through a different lens, not only with its range of footwear and apparel for hiking, trail running, and climbing, but also in how it works with its team of athletes.

Global Sports Marketing Director Robert Muecke established the adidas TERREX trail running team in 2017. He didn’t have the biggest budgets, nor was he interested in buying out the biggest names.

Instead, he wanted to form long-term partnerships with people who share the brand’s values. People who aren’t afraid to take risks, push boundaries, and test limits – safe in the knowledge that their results don’t define their position in the team.

This human approach puts the brand and athlete on a level playing field. adidas TERREX doesn’t care how many followers athletes have on Instagram. But they do care about the person and what they want to achieve from the partnership.

As a result, athletes are deeply passionate about running – but have dreams and ambitions outside of the sport, too. ‘Supporting all areas of an athlete’s life gives them the courage and confidence to go all in,’ Robert said in a recent interview.

Robert uses the word partnerships intentionally – with a goal to phase out sponsorships from modern sport altogether. Becoming an adidas TERREX athlete means more than a group of people wearing the same shoes, because they would be helping to design, develop, and test them.

adidas TERREX spent two years working with their athletes, including Tom Evans, Abby Hall, and Petter Engdahl, on the brand’s latest innovation: the Agravic Speed Ultra, a trail shoe designed for fast running. Athletes played an integral role in the shoe’s development, experimenting with designs, material combinations, midsole shapes, and cutting-edge technology.

A standout feature is the rocker: curved carbon fibre Energy Rods placed between the foam in the shoe’s midsole. Carbon rods make running more efficient by reducing ankle flexion, and by increasing energy return back to the runner.

A gusseted tongue provides snug mid-foot support, while seamless overlays offer abrasion resistance and protection. A Continental rubber outsole gives reliable traction in both wet and dry conditions.

Early prototypes supported a number of wins among adidas TERREX athletes this year. Yngvild Kaspersen won the 2023 UTMB CCC (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc Courmayeur – Champex – Chamonix), and Emily Hawgood became the top returning woman at the 2023 Western States 100, having placed in the top 10 in the past two years.

‘The shoe has changed the game completely for me,’ adidas TERREX athlete Toni McCann – who won the 2023 UTMB OCC (Orsières – Champex – Chamonix) 55km in her third attempt – tells us over a Zoom call with Emily and Yngvild. ‘It gives you the responsiveness of a road shoe with the confidence of a trail shoe. It allows you to open up your stride on the trail – I’ve not really felt this with another trail shoe before. I believe that adidas TERREX is the first brand who have really figured out how to put carbon rods in a shoe to make them work for the trail without losing too much stability and flexibility.’

Confidence in the kit is key – especially in long-distance racing on challenging terrain. ‘Above everything else, a good trail shoe is what we need the most,’ Emily adds. ‘Grip and fit are so important to take away some of the worry from the race. We go into races with so many stresses; not having to worry about our shoes is a huge blessing. Diving into the details and being involved in the design add another exciting aspect to our sport.’

‘The shoe has changed the game completely for me. It gives you the responsiveness of a road shoe with the confidence of a trail shoe. It allows you to open up your stride on the trail – I’ve not really felt this with another trail shoe before.’ —adidas TERREX athlete Toni McCann

adidas TERREX invested heavily in developing the Agravic Speed Ultra – but they apply the same standards to every product in the range. Toni explains, ‘We’re constantly giving feedback. We all have the opportunity to have our voices heard. It gives you a sense of ownership and pride in the product you wear because you know that, in some small way, you may have had an impact on that.’

Emily adds, ‘When you step up to the start line, a lot of hands got you there. Sure, all your work is at the front of that. But there are also the designers who put this shoe on your foot or the vest on your shoulders.’

In a rapidly evolving sport, adidas TERREX works hard to create a supportive team environment. This is clear from our conversation – which felt more like talking to a group of friends.

‘The thing that I always loved about trail running is the ability to escape the busyness of city life,’ Toni says. ‘But I always felt like I was missing something. When adidas TERREX approached me, the one thing that really stuck out to me was the team element. It has completely changed trail running for me.’

Emily agrees. ‘I felt like I was needed and had an important purpose. Not just with people that wear the same gear and a pair of shoes – but racing as a team, as a family,’ she says.

Contracts are fairly paid and personal, considering both professional and personal goals, and are committed to a minimum of three years to enable athletes to go all in. ‘Having a three-year contract allows you to experiment with a new distance if you want to. To allow yourself to grow and maybe have a hiccup, because no growth is linear,’ Toni says, reflecting on one of the ‘hardest years of training she’s ever had’.

Toni raced Transylvania 100 with a niggle and came out with an injury before falling off her bike, breaking her collarbone and some ribs – with just six weeks of running training before she won OCC. There was only one person who was pushing her to compete. ‘We put so much pressure on ourselves as athletes to perform. Some pressure is good, but too much is never a good thing. It’s important to have the confidence to know that you’re supported no matter what the outcome is.’

At the same time as competing professionally, Yngvild has been able to finish med school. She now works as a doctor in a hospital as well as pursuing her professional career as a runner. ‘I could not have done both without their support,’ Ingvild says. ‘We are more than just athletes. It’s not all about running – you cannot perform on top all the time. It’s about family at home, career, and a personal life outside of the sport. It’s about sticking for the long run. adidas TERREX supports athletes. Not just in sport, but life in general.’

Basing the team all over the world is also intentional. At the time of our call, Toni was at home in South Africa, Emily in the US, and Yngvild in Norway. Regardless of how much an athlete loves running, training for ultra distances can get boring. Hosting training camps all over the world is an important part of keeping it interesting. It also allows the athletes to fully reset when they go back home.

The Agravic Speed Ultra trail shoes aren’t available to consumers until spring 2024, but they are undoubtedly worth the wait. Built by athletes united by the belief that a human approach to trail running will reshape the future of the sport.

The Agravic Speed Ultra comes in an impact orange, crystal white, and semi-spark colourway for men and an amber tint, crystal white, and semi-spark colourway for women. It will cost $230 in the US and €230 in Europe (UK price yet to be confirmed). The shoe will be available on adidas.com, the adidas app, and in selected retail stores.

@adidasTERREX // www.adidas.co.uk/TERREX
Produced with photography and support from adidas TERREX

Written by Harriet Osborne // @harrietosborne