adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2 Review

The adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2 is for you if...

You’re looking for something nimble, light, and fast for long trail distances

You’re pushing an uptempo pace through a variety of terrain

You’re a competitive runner looking to race at the front of the pack and set PRs

What is the adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2 made for?

The original adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra debuted in the spring of 2024 as one of the fastest super shoes on the market for peak trail performance. It maintained that positioning, as a standout trail racer, for years, but now adidas' pinnacle trail racing shoe has come back for second helpings.

While the original was built to go fast and far, with a focus on speed and energy return, a considerable revamp lets you go even faster, and even farther in this second iteration.

The adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2 keeps the nimble feel and adaptable energy rod setup that runners loved from the first Speed Ultra, and adds intentional upgrades for enhancing comfort and performance.

Starting from the bottom, the Continental rubber outsole has more aggressive lugs and a little more flexibility for better traction and versatility. The Lightstrike Pro midsole foam has been updated to be slightly softer with more energy return, for a more forgiving feel over ultramarathon distances.

The upper has been dialed in with an improved lockdown and contoured fit, for more comfort over miles on end. Wider laces aim to alleviate localized pressure points. Finally, even the insole has been updated with a molded sockliner for comfort and stability.

adidas clearly paid attention to every detail with the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra 2. Overall, we had a great time with these shoes, finding that these updates really added to the experience of an already-great trail racer. That said, did adidas miss anything? Let’s take a closer look.

Comfort

adidas did a great job at pinpointing a couple of issues with the original version of this groundbreaking shoe, and providing updates which mattered. They made the foam a little softer and more responsive for a ride that continues to be very propulsive. Underfoot, the shoe is protective yet plush enough to maintain comfort over relatively long distances. This, combined with the light weight of the shoe, made the Speed Ultra 2 noticeably “easy” to run in.

One tester experienced a minor problem with the tongue bunching at the base where it connects to the upper, and the edges of the tongue not lying flat. This was a negligible detail for us once we got moving, but for longer, ultra-distance runs, this may cause a friction issue for others.

Performance

The Agravic Speed Ultra was created for performance, and the 2nd version of this model did not let us down.

Foam, plate, geometry—all are aligned to create a pinnacle race-day tool. No matter what trail conditions we threw at this shoe—loose over hardpack, rock gardens, steep-rooted sections, smooth trail—this shoe is quick, light on the feet, nimble and responsive. We even tested this shoe on the paved road for some uptempo segments, and the resulting performance proved that this shoe is a true racing instrument.

While it works well on steeper sections and when picking your way through rougher terrain, this shoe really came into its own when the trail opened up, which allowed us to lengthen our strides and take full advantage of its inherent pace.  At these speeds, the shoes have an amazing feel, which only excelled the faster we went.

That said, this shoe is not designed to go slow. In fact, we’d say this shoe feels mediocre and clumsy at speeds slower than an uptempo pace. Some runners may have issues at faster paces on technical trail when their legs are tired and unsteady. This shoe bounces off the trail, so any wrong steps and misplaced footfalls could get overemphasized on technical terrain.

Fit

The shoe is true to length, and as iterated in the Comfort section above, the fit is adaptable to a variety of foot shapes. We liked the adjustability, lace lockdown, and overall feel that these gave us. Any previous issues with sizing, comfort, or excessive narrowness in the midfoot have been addressed by this second version of the shoe.

The redesigned upper provides a much more secure fit without being as constricting, while still being adaptable enough for a variety of foot shapes for a race-day fit.

The shoe still won’t fit those looking for a roomy toe box or a wide fit—one of our testers who has wider feet experienced some rubbing from the upper because of this—but if you want a racing shoe with a traditionally snug performance fit, the adidas Agravic Speed Ultra 2 fits the bill.