Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 Review (2024)

Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 Review
By Matthew Klein

I was fortunate enough to be invited to a recent Running Warehouse/Adidas Terrex trail event that gave me the option to test out some of the new Terrex models. The main group was randomly assigned either the super trail shoe (Terrex Speed Ultra), the faster trail shoe (Terrex Speed) or the daily training shoe (Agravic 3). Of course, I wanted to test the Terrex Speed Ultra given that although this event was not timed or competitive, I would probably make it competitive. However, I was assigned the Terrex Agravic 3, the daily training shoe. At first, I was disappointed because I wanted to go as fast as possible. Thirty seconds later while warming up on the steep, unstable trail we were going to run, I changed my mind and was happy with what I was assigned. The Terrex Agravic 3 is a trail daily trainer that is classically firmer, slightly snug, stiffer and surprisingly stable. The stability saved my ankles over what could only described as a "choose your own adventure wait where did the trail go" event that made me realize that the Agravic 3 is the shoe that most people will need, especially when getting used to technical terrain.

Adidas Terrex Agravic 3
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.3 oz, 292 g (men's size 9), 9.1 oz, 258 g  (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 34 mm / 26 mm
Drop: 8 mm
Shoe Purpose: Trail Daily Training Shoe

Pros: Stable, Secure, Good Grip
Cons: Somewhat Clunky Transition, Firm Midsole

RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY

The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is a trail daily training shoe for those who want a stable ride on technical terrain. A full-length Lightstrike 2.0 midsole comes with a stability plate and a thick continental rubber outsole, providing a stiff and firm ride. The rigidity from the midsole combined with extensive sidewalls make this one of the few stable neutral trail shoes. Combined with a lower volume, slightly snug and secure upper, this shoe is best for those with normal-to-narrow feet wanting an introductory or standard stable daily trail runner for rocky, soft and technical terrain. 

SIMILAR SHOES: ASICS Gel-Trabuco, Brooks Cascadia
PAST MODEL: Adidas Terrex Agravic 2

FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)

Matt: The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 fits true to size in my normal US men's size 10. The upper is a woven engineered woven mesh with heavy overlays that provides a stiff, slightly snug and lower volume fit. The toe box is fairly straight with a quick taper at the end. This transitions into a normal-to-slightly snug forefoot. The midfoot is also snug with a strongly gusseted tongue that locks down the foot well. I did not have to lace lock the shoe and did not have to tie the laces that tight due to the fairly good security. The heel is slightly snug with only a little heel collar padding and a stiff counter. Those sensitive to counters will not do well in this shoe but those who like a stiff counter will enjoy it. I would absolutely use socks with this upper as the inner aspect is aggressive and tough. Thanks to how stiff the upper is, the additional overlays/reinforcements, the gusseted tongue and the slightly snug fit, the security is good. I did have to tighten the laces slightly on unstable terrain but the shoe stays on the foot well.

Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5

Doctors of Running Checklist

Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: No
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average

PERFORMANCE

Matt: The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is a sturdy trail daily trainer. The midsole is full-length Lightstrike 2.0 with a TPU stability/rock plate wedged toward the bottom. Along with the Continental rubber outsole, this creates a firm and stiff ride throughout the length of the shoe. While protective against rocks and any type of hazards underfoot, the midsole cushioning is hard and the shoe is fairly rigid. This creates a fairly clunky ride initially throughout the length of the shoe that takes several miles to break in. Although the Agravic 3 is technically on the lighter end for a trail shoe at the low 10 oz range, that stiffness makes the shoe feel heavier than its weight. This makes it best for easier and daily efforts. Picking up the pace feels awkward in this shoe, so those that want a faster uptempo shoe should use this for daily miles while looking at the Speed or Speed Ultra for faster stuff. There is an 8mm drop although the shoe feels closer to 5-6 mm. There is a large central bevel that does offset some of the stiffness during heel transition. The lack of flexibility still makes the heel transition a bit clunky. The midfoot continues this rigid feeling and is fairly stiff but stable. The forefoot has an early forefoot rocker that provides a somewhat quick transition that helps make up for the stiffer back part of the shoe. There is some mild flexibility up front that takes 20 miles to break in. Combined with the early rocker, this makes the forefoot the smoothest part of the shoe.

Purpose-wise, the Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is best for easy daily paces on technical terrain. The stiffness and rigidity of the shoe make it feel awkward on smooth trail and terrible on road. The 4mm lugs provide great grip that combined with the other elements make it best for soft, technical, unstable terrain. The more technical the terrain, the better the shoe feels as the stiffness and rigidity provide inherent stability on those surfaces.

Thanks to the extensive outsole and stiffer ride, the durability is extremely high. I have put a combination of (uncomfortable) road miles transitioning to dirt and highly technical, rocky terrain miles on these shoes and have not made a dent in the outsole even on the lugs. So those wanting a stiff, firmer, highly durable trail daily trainer will like this shoe.

STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)

Matt: The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is a stable neutral shoe. There are several elements that create stability/guidance, including prominent sidewalls, a stiff stability/rock plate and a firm ride. There is a large sidewall in the medial midfoot and lateral heel. These provide a highly centered ride and are noticeable the second you put the shoe on. The firmer ride and rigidity create a stable shoe that does not twist. This offsets the narrowed midfoot, making both the heel and midfoot fairly stable. The forefoot does not have any sidewalls but is both the widest part of the shoe and rigid torsionally. The early rocker and mild flexibility help keep transitions moving forward. Overall, the Terrex Agravic 3 is stable neutral throughout the length of the shoe but most prominently in the heel and midfoot.

Thoughts as a DPT: Stability vs. Responsiveness on the Trail
By Matthew Klein

Trail shoes have different designs and features compared to road shoes. The varied and often technical terrain requires a thick lugged outsole, a firmer ride (often due to a rock plate or just for protection) and a more dense/protective upper. The firmness comes from the combination of the thick outsole as well as the need to provide protection from hazards on the trail and provide a degree of stability on the inherently unstable softer ground. The introduction of higher stack height, softer/more responsive trail shoes has been exciting, but most require narrow/less stable soles to reduce weight and keep them in the racing category. Additionally, having a super responsive and often unstable sole may be challenging on unstable terrain, particularly for recreational runners.

It is for that reason that most people will need a shoe like the Agravic 3. Like road shoes, not everyone needs a super shoe. On trails, there is a need for more stability, security and firmness particularly from a proprioception (body awareness) standpoint, especially as runners get used to adapting to slips, ankle position changes and unstable terrain. Lateral ankle sprains are some of the more common trail running injuries and the higher off the ground on a more unstable surface you are, the greater potential risk for them on unstable terrain (Vilijoen et al., 2021). A firmer, moderate stack height shoe with significant sidewalls on both sides of the foot is a far better option for both newer and recreational runners during daily training trail runs. If someone has great ankle stability, runs faster and has the reactiveness and proprioception to adapt to running in a less stable but responsive shoe, some of the trail super shoes may be ok. However, like any tool, they must appropriately train in and prepare their bodies for using it. Thus, given the different needs of trail running, I would highly encourage most runners to stick with standard daily trail shoes for safety and injury reduction purposes. If there is interest in the trail super shoes, a gradual transition with extra unstable surface / ankle proprioception training should be done to reduce injury risk. 

References:

Viljoen, C. T., Janse van Rensburg, D. C., Verhagen, E., Van Mechelen, W., Tomás, R., Schoeman, M., ... & Korkie, E. (2021). Epidemiology of injury and illness among trail runners: A systematic review. Sports medicine, 51, 917-943.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Matt: The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is a shoe that initially disappointed me but the stable ride helped win me over. The ride is quite protective and is a great introduction for the newer runner just getting used to running more technical terrain. For smooth trails or road/trail transitions, this shoe is too aggressive but as a trail daily trainer or a shoe for newer trail runners it is a solid, more affordable option. That said, there are still several areas that could be improved. Although the firmness and stiffness adds to the stability, it is to the point that it makes the shoe clunky. Even with the heel bevel and forefoot rocker, it takes a long time for this shoe to break in. My suggestion is to soften the midsole material and consider using a plate or rock plate that has more flexibility in the sagittal plane while maintaining stiffness in the frontal plane (side to side). This would make the ride a little more forgiving for daily miles and newer runners while still maintaining protection and stability. While the stability is quite good, I would love to see Adidas integrate their split heel counter design in this shoe. The counter is stiff on the posterior side and I think it would be beneficial to have the medial and lateral sides be stiffer for side to side stability while leaving the posterior side softer. This maintains the stiffness of the counter without being as aggressive on the back of the heel, which is a personal ask more than anything else. 

WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?

Matt: The Adidas Terrex Agravic 3 is a trail daily training shoe for newer runners and runners wanting a simple, protective shoe that will work best on softer trails and technical terrain. The midsole is stiff and firmer, providing good proprioception for those who want an inherently stable ride. The ride is a bit clunky, so those that land farther forward and can access the slightly flexible forefoot will do best in the Agravic 3. The shoe does have a stable neutral ride, so those with medial midfoot stability needs or lateral heel instabilities will do great thanks to the sidewalls. The fit is on the snug side, so those wanting a stiffer, secure ride with normal to narrow feet will do best. The Agravic 3 is a daily trainer/more affordable introductory shoe to the Terrex line compared to the Terrex Speed and Terrex Speed Ultra. Most people do not need a super trail shoe given the aggressive nature of both the shoe and terrain. This is a great starting point for many people who find hybrid road/trail shoes to not provide enough protection or traction. If people are patient enough to break this shoe in, it serves as one of the few stable trail shoes for those looking for guidance/stability. 

GRADES

Matt
Fit: B+ (Secure, slightly snug and lower volume upper. Mild pressure on instep with longer miles)
Performance: B- (Firmer and stiffer ride that is a bit clunky in the back but better in the front. Feels heavier than listed weight and mostly great at easier paces. Stiff ride with aggressive lugs best for softer and more technical terrain)
Stability: A- [Stable Neutral] (Large medial midfoot sidewall and lateral heel sidewall combined with stability plate and stiffness make for a stable neutral shoe that offsets even the narrowed midfoot)
Value: B+/A- (Affordable price with extremely high durability makes this a great early value purchase for those getting into more technical trail running. This may be a solid transitional shoe to more expensive/faster trail shoes)
Personal: B (I like the stable neutral ride but it is too clunky for me to use on most of the trails I typically run)
Overall Design: B+ 

SHOP | SUPPORT DOR

Adidas Terrex Agravic 3
Price: $129.95 at Running Warehouse

Shop Men | Shop Women

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Editor's Note: As always, the views presented on this website belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. This website should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist. If you are in the Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Danbury and Stevens Point areas, we am currently taking clients for running evaluations.

***Disclaimer: These shoes were provided free of charge in exchange for a review.  We thank the people at Running Warehouse and Adidas Terrex for providing us a pair.  This in no way affected the honesty of this review. We systematically put each type of shoe through certain runs prior to review. For trainers and performance trainers, we take them on daily runs, workouts, recovery runs and a long run prior to review (often accumulating anywhere from 20-50 miles in the process). For racing flats we ensure that we have completed intervals, a tempo or steady state run as well as a warm-up and cool down in each pair prior to review. This systematic process is to ensure that we have experience with each shoe in a large variety of conditions to provide expansive and thorough reviews for the public and for companies. Our views are based on our extensive history in the footwear industry and years testing and developing footwear. If you are a footwear rep looking for footwear reviews or consultations on development, we are currently looking to partner with companies to assist, discuss and promote footwear models. Partnership will not affect the honesty of our reviews.

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