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Test Report by Michael Mosack

ADIDAS TERREX SOLO SHOES
TEST SERIES BY MIKE MOSACK
LONG-TERM REPORT
September 25, 2016

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME:	Mike Mosack
EMAIL:	mosack(at)earthlink(dot)net
AGE:	52
LOCATION:	San Diego, California USA
GENDER:	M
HEIGHT:	6' 1" (1.90 m)
WEIGHT:	240 lb (109.00 kg)
SHOE SIZE	Men's US 14 (49 EU)

I've been backpacking for over 30 years, doing day trips, weekenders and week-long or longer trips throughout the year. I backpack in all climates and seasons, from summer desert trips to Spring/Winter camping in Michigan, California and Grand Canyon, Arizona. I rely on my equipment constantly. I prefer to go lighter when possible and I am always trying new items. Quality and reliability of items are paramount to me over price and weight.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Adidas AG
Year of Manufacture: 2016
Manufacturer's Website: www.adidas.com
MSRP: US $120.00
Listed Weight: 12.3 oz (349 g) is based on US size 9 (42 2/3 EU)
Measured Weight includes insole: 15.4 oz (437 g) on my US size 14 (49 1/3 EU)
Measured Weight of the removable insole: 1.2 oz (35 g)
Other details:
This product is imported and made in China.

Color selections: Black, Multi-color
Image from mfg website
Image from mfg website

Product tested: Black, Men's size 14 US (EU 49)
Check the manufacturer's website for available sizes which may change due to availability.

The manufacturer states that these are "Multifunctional approach shoes for outdoor adventure." These lightweight shoes are designed to be versatile and allow the wearer to use them to run, climb, and fast-hike. They are low-cut, running shoe-type style, but with a more aggressive sole for the trail and a Stealth® toe-cap for increased contact with rock. The feel of the rubber toe-cap is very similar to those of many dedicated rock climbing shoes.

The uppers are breathable mesh, but sturdy enough to hold the shoe's shape and maintain a neat appearance.

The sock liners are treated with OrthoLite® which is intended to limit odor from developing.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

Checking out the shoebox revealed that the entire bottom of the box had a printed chart showing a multi-language size comparison chart as well as a legend. I photographed the bottom of the box and that image is below.

I pulled out the shoes and was immediately taken by just how lightweight they actually feel. I have such large feet, having lightweight shoes is something I really like. The "pulls" on the heels are offset and are a large loop of webbing to easily allow large or gloved fingers to get into them.

The shoes appear to be well made and I like the overall design. There are numerous features with these shoes and I'll touch on many of them throughout this test series.

The seams all appear to be well constructed. The tongue is large, well padded, and appears to be wide enough so as to not allow the laces to cut into the top of my feet. The Ortholite insoles are removable and while padded and molded to provide good heel support. While I might later choose buy after-market insoles, I will continue using the manufacturer's insoles throughout this Test Series.

TRYING IT OUT

Putting on the shoes for the first time, I found that they went on very easily and were notably quite comfortable from the onset. Having worn them around for most of the day, I do not anticipate the shoes needing any break-in period at all and they appear to be ready to tackle a hike right out of the box.

SUMMARY

So, already I know that I like these shoes for being very comfortable right out of the box and they appear to not need any break-in period. The large pull loops on the heels of the shoes, while convenient, seem that they are not needed as the shoes go on quite easily. I am a little concerned by the all-black color, as I live in Southern California, in the eastern part of San Diego County where the conditions here are desert-like and often quite hot. Having said that, the breathable mesh seems like a very good idea in concept. I look forward to trying these out.

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Dayhike at Jacumba, California USA Boulder Park Elevation 2900 to 3000 ft (884 to 914 m)
Boulder rock piles and some foot paths

Pacific Coast Trail section in Laguna Mountain region of Southern California, USA
Conditions: Foot trails and forest access dirt roads. Temperatures ranging from 55 to 90 F (13 to 32 C)
Duration: Three-day trip

Klamath River Recreational Area in Northern California USA
Conditions: Open range, some river rock, both grassy and rocky areas; clear and sunny skies with temperatures that ranged from 65 to 94 F (18 to 34 C).
Duration: Three-day trip

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

I have found that these shoes are very comfortable, with or without wearing socks. They feel like a second skin and are so lightweight and airy that they almost feel like I'm wearing sandals, yet much more secure. The shoe laces stay tied and I have not experienced any lace slippage over the tongue. On clean rock, I was able to easily maintain a solid hands-free standing grip on a 60 degree vertical on clean, dry, and relatively smooth granite rock. I have yet to experience any hot spots or blisters or abrasions as a result of wearing these shoes. I love the fit and feel of them.

The shoes lose their grip, however, when they contact slippery rock surfaces when the shoes' soles get dusty or sandy. The front toe-box is essentially smooth on the bottom, so they prove quite slippery when on conditions other than clean rock. Grassy inclines can be a little daunting as I found many times where I was sliding a little with some steps. Granted, this is by design, but there just is no normal or expected grip to the front half of the shoe's sole when wearing the shoe as a regular hiking shoe. I combat that by adjusting my step so that I place more importance on using the heel to plant my foot and then reduce my normal foot roll as I continue through my stride. This increases my positive traction with each step I remember to do that with. Fortunately, I do not have to do that much, only when climbing up a decent grade where there is sediment, debris, plantlife, etc. Hiking downhill is a little easier as long as I ensure I plant my heel portion of my shoe into the ground and not rely on the front portion of the shoe for traction.

Cleaning mud from the sole is pretty easy as the tread pattern is a wide criss-cross pattern that allows a stick or grass or a brush to wipe away the packed in mud.

Back at home, washing the shoes - I machine washed the shoes with other clothes. The settings were warm water and extra rinse. Afterward, I placed the wet shoes and insoles outside, on top of a rock in direct sunlight to dry. The temperature was approximately 85 F (29 C) and the shoes and insoles were dry in about 90 minutes.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

Numerous miscellaneous day hikes ranging from 2 to 5 miles (3 to 8 km) in the area of Eastern San Diego County, California, USA.
Conditions: Maintained trails, grassy areas, some concrete sidewalks and maintained roadway shoulders. Temperatures ranging from approximately 70 to 90 F (21 to 32 C).
Duration: Day hikes only.

Three-day trip to the Pacific Crest Trail section in Laguna Mountain region of Southern California, USA
Conditions: Foot trails and forest access dirt roads. Temperatures ranged from approximately 55 to 80 F (13 to 27 C) and elevations from approximately 1000 to 4000 ft (300 to 1200 m).

Two-day trip in the area near the Klamath River Recreational Area in Northern California where the conditions included clear and sunny skies with temperatures that ranged from 65 to 94 F (18 to 34 C).

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

These shoes remain extremely comfortable while wearing them either in the field or as my daily footwear. The fit and feel is better than many of my favorite running shoes. I no longer participate in what most would consider rock-climbing activity. I instead do some minor scrambling when needed, but I prefer to avoid those routes whenever possible at my age and due to my preference to go solo.

During the entirety of this test series, I have worn these shoes on many occasions; much more like a daily shoe than a specialized hiking/climbing shoe. So wherever I was or whatever I found myself doing, I often just had these shoes on.

I generally prefer to wear these shoes without socks as I like the ventilation that can be felt as I move my feet. Living in the eastern area of San Diego County in Southern California, the air here is quite warm and low in humidity. Having ventilated shoes is a plus. Additionally, when the shoes have gotten wet, they and my feet would dry rather quickly as I continued to walk. During cooler months, I would wear socks for the additional warmth, but in areas where there was snow or potentially freezing temperatures, my plan would be to leave these shoes behind for more appropriate footwear that would be insulated and warmer.

I have not had any issues with hotspots or blisters and am quite happy with my experiences with these as a result. The laces stay tied and do not slip over the tongue or press uncomfortably onto the top of my feet.
There is enough room inside the toe-box that my toes can comfortably wiggle around and spread out during walking. Going forward downhill, I have not experienced any pressure on my toenails or joints. The width of the sole has allowed me to maintain a solid step and I have not rolled an ankle at any time while wearing these shoes. Overall, I cant find anything negative to say about their comfort.

The only negative I have experienced is the smoothness of the sole on the front portion of the shoe. The design provides for a compromise between a hiking shoe and a climbing shoe. There are lugs on the sole for traction, but those lugs get tapered away in height from the rear (heel) of the shoe to the front (toe) where the lugs disappear to a smooth sole. On many trails, where grass or natural debris is present, I have lost traction on the inclines. Clean rock, concrete, etc are of no issue at all and traction there is solid.

SUMMARY

So, I love the way the shoes fit and feel. They are very lightweight and breathable, yet also feel quite secure. They appear to be well made with quality materials as I have yet to find even a significant scratch or any broken stitching and the soles have not separated or detached from the uppers. The shoes seem good for rock scrambling as long as the rock face is clean and dry. The shoes don't do so well when anything comes between the sole and the rock, i.e., sand, dust, plantlife, etc., as they lose their grip on grades.

The things I like include
1. The fit is ridiculously comfortable.
2. The laces stay tied
3. The mesh uppers (ventilation) allows warm weather hiking/climbing and wet weather draining to keep my feet always ready to keep moving.
4. Washing the shoes is easily done in the washing machine and air-drying in the sun is easy and quick.
5. Superior traction on clean rock, concrete, etc., even on steep inclines.

The things I don't like include
1. The traction, or lack thereof, on inclines where grass or loose debris is present. The lugs are not present on the toe-box section of the sole as they are designed with a compromise between a hiking shoe and a climbing shoe.
2. There is a large loop on the heel to assist in pulling the shoes on or off which I have found quite unnecessary, but in no way any kind of a deal-breaker for me.

I'd like to thank both Adidas and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me the opportunity to test these shoes.

Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > Adidas Terrex Solo Mens Shoe > Test Report by Michael Mosack

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