Review: adidas TERREX Speed Pro SG Running Shoe

I think these are for anyone who fell-runs. When the terrain is rough, steep, wild, unforgiving or soft (the SG stands for ‘soft ground’, in case you were wondering) these shoes will genuinely help everyone. It needn’t be a race, for off-trail mountain and hill running days these are going to look after you. 

I can’t emphasise this enough: these are the best fell running shoes ever made. I’m not from Cumbria but over the years I’ve made friends with lots of Lakes runners and I know very well that the community is somewhat circumspect of outsiders – haha! I know they won’t have relished The Three Stripes being part of the fell running scene or uniform. Walshes were always the local favourite. But I’ve known enough Lakes runners agree with me that these shoes are the current market leaders for what is actually quite a niche market. Trail and Ultra-running have boomed in recent years but true fell-running – off-trail, trackless lines through bogs, over heather, on rock, steep grass – it will quickly find the limitations of shoes that are a compromise of cushioning and aesthetics. For born and bred third generation Borrowdale runners to say that adidas have made the best fell shoe, that’s a genuinely big statement and testimonial believe me. My first pair lasted me 3+ years of pretty full on mountain abuse. According to my Strava there’s 468 miles on their clock, but remember – those aren’t cruisey tarmac miles; they’re miles getting scuffed, soaked, bashed, scratched, and pounded downhill (by a not very graceful 80kg man). 

So being classed as a ‘race’ shoe is fair enough. Save them for the weekends if durability is your guide. But from the very first wear of these, I knew right away I’d be replacing them with the exact same model as soon as they needed it.