HIKING WITH ADIDAS TERREX | GEAR REVIEW

This post features a collaboration with adidas.

When I mentioned that I was collaborating with adidas this year, a couple of my friends said, “do they do hiking stuff then?”

I guess a lot of people think adidas is all about running. Or fashion. But as they are in the business of sponsoring entire Olympic teams, they must have something for every kind of sport going, right?! In my case, as someone who loves outdoorsy stuff, I can confirm that adidas do a great range of gear designed for hiking and climbing, much of which is labelled with their Terrex brand.

Since early March, I’ve been doing my day hikes – and a couple of long-distance hikes – in predominantly adidas gear. Not exclusively, but certainly getting excellent use out of a few bits I purchased with the voucher I was given.

You’ll have already read about my adidas sports bras in my post about sports bras for hiking, but I also treated myself to an almost-complete hiking outfit consisting of a warm and functional mid-layer, pair of lightweight tracksuit bottoms, and some grippy Gore-tex hiking shoes.

Terrex AX4 Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes

Let’s start with the shoes. You know, because I love shoes, and I could quite easily talk about shoes all day long…

The Terrex A4X Gore-Tex Hiking Shoes are designed for summer walking in wet and dry conditions on all kinds of terrain. They are lightweight but also rugged – these aren’t low profile flexible trainers, they are chunky-soled hiking shoes that provide masses of stability and support. I’ve been wearing them on my favourite local trails, lunchtime walks, and weekend wanders.

I had to size up in these, which was a surprise as adidas trainers are normally pretty bang on for me (my Terrex Two Flow trainers I featured in my couch to 5k post are a 7.5, these are an 8). I also had to work on breaking them in, because they really are a solid pair of shoes. But with the right size (I should add that the online exchange was so easy, thanks adidas), and having worn them for a fair few miles, they are now easily as comfortable as my other textile hikers. And much more used than my old textile hiking boots, which have been relegated to the back of the cupboard.

The most impressive thing about these outdoor boots is the grip; that wide Continental Rubber sole is superb, and makes me feel secure even on the wettest woodland footpath, the slipperiest of all the footpaths. They are an excellent all-rounder, a versatile shoe ideal for spring and autumn but also light enough for summer, especially when the weather is unpredictable and you need to guarantee dry feet.

Terrex Everyhike Half Zip Fleece

With the exception of the ridiculous heat I hiked in the Lake District a couple of weeks ago (my Cumbria Way adventure journal series will start as soon as I finish writing my Cotswold Way one!), I tend to always hike in two layers – a short sleeved tee, and a half-zip mid layer.

I’ll be honest. I was drawn to the Terrex Everyhike Half Zip fleece because of the colour. It’s a fantastic block of mustard yellow, and I rather like it. I might have hiked in all black in years gone by, but these days I do prefer something a bit brighter.

This low-profile waffle fleece packs an incredibly amount of warmth for how thin it is. Made from recycled polyester, it’s an excellent warm layer, and has been ideal for hiking outings on cooler days, as well as a layer when motorcycling.

It fits well; it’s form fitting without feeling clingy, has plenty of length in the body to work with a hiking pack, and long arms with thumb holes. The collar is quite short, as is the zip, but there’s enough here to keep the neck warm when it’s done up, and allow a bit of air flow when undone.

Thankfully, and I know because I carried it for a whole week without needing to put it on at all, it rolls up nice and small and is lightweight.

It’s well-designed basics like this that I will reach for every time I head outside; you will see me in this one a lot.

Terrex Liteflex Hiking Pants

These trousers are the big win for me out of the adidas Terrex gear featured here. Described as “hiking joggers”, the adidas Terrex Liteflex Hiking Pants are basically a pair of tracksuit bottoms made with hiking in mind.

They made it into my currently loving post in April, and I reckon I love them even more now. I wore them exclusively for my Cumbria Way hike a couple of weeks ago – that’s six days in a row, and am just about to checkout on a second pair in a different colour because I’ve been converted to this style of hiking pant (and they’re on sale!).

Totally different to my old faithful Craghoppers Kiwi Pro Stretch (did you read my musings in weekly blog episode 113?), they are just so super comfortable for hiking. Okay, so I don’t think they look quite as nice – they are baggy and probably not the most flattering item of clothing, so I can’t get away with them for work in the same way I might do with other hiking trousers. But what they don’t have in a fashionable cut, they make up for in practicality.

Practical Features

The adidas Terrex Lifeflex hiking pants have a wide elastic waistband which sits neatly under my pack, with a drawstring that can be infinitely adjusted so there’s no need for a belt. They are made with a slightly stretchy material so I can move without constraint, and have plenty – and I mean plenty – of room for my wider-than-average thighs. This means I feel unrestricted in movement whatever kind of terrain I’m on.

The material has a slightly water-repellent finish which is great in damp weather, and is super thin and lightweight which was so (so, so) appreciated in the recent heatwave. The latter also means I can hand wash and drip dry them in any random hostel or B&B bathroom overnight, although it also means that nettles will sting you through them which was a surprise! After quite a few washes (actual washes, not just sink washes), they’re holding up very well, no signs of wear even after scrambling along Striding Edge and Swirral Edge. 

Importantly, they also have zip pockets which are big enough for my phone, and reinforcements around the ankles so they sit well around my hiking boots or shoes.

Trusted Gear

It takes me a long time to trust new gear. I find it very easy to stick with things that I’ve tried and tested, which is one of the reasons reviews take a long time to appear here on Splodz Blogz. But with these, after just a couple of wears I chose to take these as my backup pair of hiking trousers on the Cotswold Way, and after that I ended up with them as my only hiking pant for the Cumbria Way – plus some big mountain days.

And that same thing goes for the mid layer and the hiking shoes. While adidas might not be your initial thought for outdoor gear, they do have some great stuff that is made and works well. Worth considering when you next need to replace some basics.

So there you have it… adidas do make hiking gear, and it’s really rather good. I admit that I might have my eye on a bunch more of it now I’ve tried these basics; see my next weekly blog episode for the next instalment of my outdoor gear wish list!

Thanks to adidas for the Terrex gear. I’m excited to be part of the adidas blogger community; this (gifted-basis) collaboration is ongoing throughout 2023; there will be more content coming this summer.