Why We Chose It: Lightweight, responsive, comfortable
When a shoe has been co-created with the input of an ultra runner, you know it’s going to feel fast and light over technical terrain – and this is certainly the case with the all-new Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra 240 Trail Running Shoes. Designed from the experience of British ultra runner, Tom Evans, the Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra 240 strikes an impressive balance between weight and performance.
Who Are The Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra Trail Running Shoes For?
At 245 grams, the Terrex Speed Ultra 240 sits in the featherweight category of 200 – 300 gram trail running shoes. Similar to Salomon’s new Pulsar shoe, this shoe is also packing a good deal of cushioning and rebound for long mileage over hard-packed ground.
Materials and Construction
Starting with the upper, which is made of a lightweight and breathable mesh that’s been beefed up with abrasion resistant welding in the typically vulnerable areas (toe box and heel).
The upper also features a firm bit of material that sits behind the lightweight mesh to provide structure and protection where it’s needed most, while not sacrificing too much on airflow. We’ve seen this style of construction on some favourite trail shoes of ours, including the Salomon Sense 8 (195g) and Arc’teryx Norvan SL (235g), so we can see why Adidas has utilised it to create this lightweight runner.
The midsole is perhaps the most interesting component of this shoe. Made up of a combination of Adidas’ notable Boost material and their all-new Lightstrike foam, Adidas claim this combination creates “incredible energy return and responsiveness.”
The idea of this foam mix is quite a simple one, really. The firmer, and more responsive, Lightstrike foam sits at the front with the softer, and more comfortable, Boost foam at the rear. This gives you a great mix of responsiveness and comfort over long distances. This cushioning is 18mm at the front and 26mm at the rear, resulting in fairly standard 8mm drop.
“The Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra 240 strikes an impressive balance between weight and performance.”
The tongue features a nice bit of perforation that runs for the entire length. This perforation will work wonders in keeping your feet cool during high mileage runs.
Grip on the trail is maintained through a Continental rubber outsole. This outsole material isn’t anything new from Terrex, but the lug pattern looks to have been updated to provide traction on technical ground. These lugs are 2.5mm, which can be called shallow, particularly in UK conditions. Given this shallow lug depth, we’d be hesitant to say the Speed Ultras are made for typical UK trail running conditions (we’re thinking slippy peat bogs). Stick to well trodden trails / rocky sections and these shoes will see you right.
If you’re after a shoe with a little more bite over soft ground then Adidas also produces the Terrex Speed SG, which comes with a lug profile designed for maximum traction. There’s also an Adidas Terrex Speed Ultra 210, a slightly more stripped back shoe, which offers a lighter ride.
