It’s all about the rubber at adidas outdoor for spring 2014 and specifically the market-leading Stealth rubber used by climbing and biking specialist Five.Ten who adidas bought at the end of 2011.
We don’t have full details, but apparently there are three shoes using the sticky stuff. One is an uprated version of the lightweight Terrex Solo approach shoe launched last year, which was light, stiff, comfortable but not particularly sticky in its previous guise.
The new version, called the Terrex Solo Steath and looking mean and moody in black, though there are other colours available – left – majors on having a new Stealth rubber sole unit complete with a blocked-out ‘climbing zone’ at the toe which should give masses of gooey grip on the rock as the rock boot-type rebound rubber conforms to tiny irregularities in the rock at a micro level giving superb grip.
The full spec includes:
- Wear-resistant textile mesh
- Purpose-specific approach sole with Stealth rubber compound and asymmetric climbing zone
- Rubber toe for added protection
- EVA midsole with TPU film
- Protection Plate in midsole
- adiPRENE® for optimum cushioning in heel region
- Asymmetric heel loops for attachment to backpack or harness
Also proudly on display was the new adidas Terrex Scope which landed an OutDoor innovation award. Just looking at it, it’s pretty obviously more of a mountain all-rounder than a technical climbing sort of shoe, but if it combines the precision and comfort of existing adidas outdoor footwear – we’re big fans – with some serious underfoot traction, it should be good.
More details when we have them and a few more images below.
