Adidas Terrex Freehiker 3 Low GTX Review

Likes

For the most part, we were pleasantly surprised by the overall comfort of the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker Low GTX. The slightly angled toe box sometimes rubbed our big toes, but we were able to break-in the upper and compress the insole after a couple of hikes so that it's barely noticeable now.

The foam midsole is surprisingly comfortable. Adidas Dreamstrike+ foam provides cushioning and impact absorption, while its Hyperboost Pro foam provides the rebound. Fancy names aside, it felt great when we were pounding out the miles on hard-packed dirt, plus we felt confident when hopping among boulders off the trail.

The Terrex Free Hiker 3 Low GTX uses a unique adaptive heel pocket that cushions and snugs against your heel. When you tighten or loosen the laces, the heel pocket also adjusts. We like it a lot. Feels great with zero slip.

The waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex membrane provides very good water resistance. We could step through a mountain stream without getting our socks wet, and early morning hikes shed dew without saturating the upper.

When it comes to abrasion-resistance and stick-fighting durability, we're fans of the ripstop upper. We could step off the trail and tromp through the brush in the mountains of Idaho and not worry about the upper getting snagged, poked through, or torn.

Dislikes

All of our dislikes are really annoyances over minor shortcomings that hold this shoe back from reaching greatness.

For instance, we wish the traction was a bit more aggressive. To be fair, Adidas markets this shoe toward urban hikers, “where city style meets outdoor grit.” We just want a bit more outdoor grit in the sole to match the rugged upper.

On trail and scrambling on boulders, the traction was quite good, but it lacked bite in thick forest duff and didn't dig into the mud on wet trails.

The fit could use some tweaking. In our opinion and experience, the toe box has more angle than it needs. While the shoe fits true to size, it's also a tiny bit longer than it needs to be, maybe because it has to be to make up for the angled toe box. It's not cowboy boot angled, but for a high-performance trail shoe, a bit more width would give tired feet and toes room to swell on all-day hikes.

Overall, the initial build quality and fit-and-finish is bomber. Love it. We're not fans of lace loops, which have a tendency to wear out in abrasive dirt-and-dust environments, but we're resigned to seeing them in most trail shoes.

The one design feature that makes us pause is the lace loops that attach to the adaptive heel pocket. If they ever wear through, the adaptive pocket won't snug up as designed. It won't be a catastrophic failure because the heel pocket will remain in place, but it won't be quite as huggy. Of course, we'll report back if this becomes an issue as we put more mileage on these shoes.

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Should You Buy the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 3 Low GTX?

If you're an Adidas fan, you should definitely buy the Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 3 Low GTX. They are quite good overall for basic trails and scrambling around. They're great in wet conditions, and they offer a cushioned ride that doesn't skimp on upper protection and support. The only reason to look elsewhere is if you need a wider toe fit or want more aggressive traction.

What Other Hiking Shoes Should You Consider?