Adidas Terrex Agravic GORE-TEX First Run: A Protective Trail Shoe for Mixed Conditions

Introduction

The Adidas Terrex Agravic GORE-TEX is a new trail shoe built around protection, waterproofing, and a versatile ride. After a 12K first run across a mix of sloppy mud, compacted forest trails, and a few road sections, the early picture is clear: this is a shoe that prioritises keeping your feet dry and protected over all-out speed.

Specs and Key Details

The numbers first. The stack comes in at 38mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot, for an 8mm drop. The shoe weighs 10.3 ounces (292 grams) in a men’s UK 8.5, measured with a little mud on it. Pricing is set at $160 or £140.

Design and Upper

The midsole is rocked and uses Lightstrike 2.0 foam, with a fairly large heel stack that brings more cushioning and a more dynamic ride than previous versions of the Agravic. Up top, the mesh upper houses GORE-TEX Invisible Fit technology: a waterproof membrane bootie that keeps water and wind out while still letting moisture and sweat escape.

Other notable details include a higher, sock-like built-in gaiter-style heel collar, a gusseted tongue, and TPU overlays protecting the toe box. The overall build feels structured, as you would expect from a shoe designed for lumps and bumps off-road.

Outsole and Grip: Continental Rubber

Flip the shoe over and you get full coverage of Continental rubber, with a mix of 5mm lugs on the outside and smaller 4mm lugs on the inside. That layout is there to create good grip in wet conditions as well as on drier ground.

On the first run, it handled boggy patches and steep, wet descents well. In the really sloppy, slick mud, the lugs will not hold, but that is true of most trail shoes. For everything else, the grip felt reliable across a wide mix of surfaces.

First Run: Mixed Terrain in Epping Forest

The test route covered super sloppy, choppy, slick mud, then firm compacted trails, forest floor, and assorted puddles and wet patches, with a few hilly parts thrown in. Protection was the headline: through boggy areas, the shoe kept feet dry and felt well defended, with only a deeper puddle letting a little water start to creep in.

Ride and Cushioning

Underfoot, the balance of cushioning stands out. Earlier Agravic versions could feel too direct, too solid, and too blocky. This one has a softer edge while still staying reasonably direct, and it handled the mixed terrain well. It is clearly not a super light shoe, and it is not built for all-out fast running, but rolling at a moderate pace it never felt out of place.

One note on fit: the shoe fits snug and secure, bordering on tight, particularly across the top of the foot. For longer trail efforts, going half a size up is worth considering. Road sections are tolerable in short stretches, but longer tarmac running would feel too direct for comfort.

Buying Advice: Who Should Pick This Shoe

This looks like a strong utility shoe for runners who want a good crossover option across mixed terrain in a single run. It is not a super agile off-road shoe, and it will not deliver an uptempo ride. What you get instead is something protective, comfortable, stable, and well balanced, with a Continental outsole that grips across a mixture of surfaces and a waterproof build that shines in wetter conditions.

At $160 or £140, it is not excessively expensive for a GORE-TEX trail shoe, and the build looks durable and feels solid overall. Coming from big-stack, soft road shoes, it will always feel a bit firmer, so more miles will tell whether the long-run potential holds up. For now, it profiles as a shoe capable of hour-long trail runs across a genuinely mixed mix of terrain.

Conclusion

The Adidas Terrex Agravic GORE-TEX makes a strong first impression as a protective, waterproof trail shoe with a balanced Lightstrike 2.0 ride and dependable grip. Size up half a size if you have a high instep or plan longer efforts, and treat it as a versatile, all-conditions trainer rather than a fast shoe. Full long-term verdict will follow with more miles.