Article by Sam Winebaum
adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 Gore-Tex ($220)
Best Uses:
Hard, smoother surfaces day and multi day hiking with lighter loads.
Any wet or slippery rock conditions.
All around winter ready (GTX) boot: dog walking, commuting, shoveling snow, snowshoeing and hiking
Wider feet.
Pros:
Superb any terrain Continental traction yet smooth riding: rock, mud, snow
Energetic leg friendly mostly Boost midsole.
Flexible for a boot.
Great choice for wide feet
Spacious un bootlike unstructured and broad forefoot, very solid rear and midfoot hold
Cons:
Weight
Broad, unstructured front of shoes could challenge lower volume narrower feet and in technical off camber situations
Thick Gore-Tex upper, adds weight, retains water and dries very slowly. Non GTX available.
While energetic and very well cushioned classic Boost foam is relatively heavy. Newer Boost Light foamt is called for here.
Pricing (although now discounted)
Stats
Sample Weight: men’s 16.06 oz / 457g US 8.5 , oz / g US
$220 available now. Non GTX also available for $200.
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
The Free Hiker 2 has a modern non-boot like overall appearance. Sleek and yes fast looking.
The upper is a very dense mesh with internal Gore-Tex bootie construction. It’s for sure while pliable, soft and comfortable but a thick upper with the Gore-Tex bottie in the mix.
Rear hold in mid height lighter boots can be tricky as lacing sits higher than in low tops, the collars can’t be too thin and sloppy or to rigid. Terrex nails the rear hold. It is comfortable, secure and stabilizes the rear of the shoe well.
The rear external plastic clip really holds the heel well while above the collars are no too rigid. Lacing is easy and stays put. Even after entire days of soaking rain during our Queyras trek I only occasionally had to re-tighten.
The midfoot is well held by the combination of lacing and the Gore-Tex bootie.
The toe area is in my view quite “un boot” like. While the mesh plus Gore-Tex bootie is dense and notably thick this is a relatively unstructured upper for a hiking boot with minimal softer overlays and toe bumper upfront. The fit is broad and relatively low over the toes but no worries with plenty of give. As a result, the Free Hiker is a great choice for broader feet.
On the minus side, narrower feet used to a very sold front hiking boot hold may discover it is a bit too broad and too pliable when terrain gets more technical. Not much slipping due to the mesh stretch or instability but I wished for a somewhat more precise hold on off camber rocks and such. All this said the fit is true to size and spacious for my narrower to medium feet.
My test pair is the Gore-Tex version. I found breathability more than decent in moderate conditions wet and otherwise but given a choice for summer hiking I would opt for the lighter more breathable non GTX version.
Additionally when wet they take a very long time to dry. Moving to Gore-Tex Invisible Fit where the membrane is bonded to the upper would reduce weight and likely have them drying quicker
I prefer non GTX for non winter conditions as when it comes right down to it if conditions are really wet or one has to ford streams as we did in France water will eventually splash over or soak through under prolonged exposure. In winter, a different story. Gore-Tex always keeps my feet warmer and in snow moisture stays out.
Midsole & Platform
The midsole is mostly classic adidas Boost! Boost is an expanded TPU bead foam that has been around for a number of years and when first introduced really took cushioning in running shoes to a whole new more fun and energetic level as it is bouncier and softer than conventional boot EVA foams. The Free Hiker clearly has that vibe. On very hard surfaces there is a distinct bounce and leg friendly feel to the Free Hiker. The green firmer EVA carrier towards the front delivers front stability while the big rear rigid plastic clip holds the rear but not so aggressively that the rear is overly rigid.
But there is an if.. Boost is heavy and adidas has a newer flavor Boost Light foam which is far lighter, more stable and quicker reacting in its new Ultraboost 5 road shoe. At its $200-$220 price point the next Free Hiker should upgrade to this new foam. It would reduce the boot’s weight to be more competitive to options such as NNormal Tomir 2 Mid and Deckers X Lab Enduro, all currently also lower cost than the Terrex,
Part of my testing included an almost 20 kilometer day combining very wet rocky trails, lots of stream crossing and 7K of uphill pavement in a storm.
My legs were happy at day's end, no easy task in miserable windy and cold weather. Stability was decent from the EVA layer, the rear plastic clip and the very stout deeply lugged outsole. Unlike many boots, there is also very decent flex, essential for powering smoother climbs and descents.
That said, and as outlined above in Upper, the front of the shoe is more run shoe like in fit and flexibility and is broad leading to some limits in front stability in seriously technical terrain.
This was reconfirmed on a rugged, very bouldery hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They were decent but not the best on the rocks above.
Outsole
The outsole is Continental rubber which is used in adidas higher end road shoes, trail run shoes and here the Free Hiker 2. Traction has been outstanding on all surfaces and for sure here I trod them all: grass, steep gravel, pavement, shale, wet rock and even lots of snow.
The lug pattern has 4 and 5mm lugs with both sharp angles for grip and enough flat surfaces to smooth the ride on harder surfaces. I particularly like how flexible the Free Hiker 2 is and plenty protective from rocks despite no plate.
Often one sees Vibram rubber and their MegaGrip compound in trail runners and hikers. I find Continental equally as performant and maybe a touch softer so blending with the midsole better in trail feel and contouring to terrain better.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Modern, stylish and fun to hike, the Free Hiker is a great option as an all around hiker that can put some zip in your step from its flexible riding mostly Boost midsole. It has a comfortable broader and softer fit than most boots. It is not the ideal choice for heavy backpacking loads due to its front upper and flexibility or very warm conditions due to its GTX upper.
In a next pair, and for summer use, I would go with the lighter non GTX version but for spring, fall and winter the GTX will keep you dry, warm and comfortable.
Priced at $200-$220 with some colors now on sale it is not the best value out there. That said, its quality construction, comfort and fit (especially for broader higher volume feet), long lasting energetic Boost midsole (although for sure it could use the lighter newer Light Boost foam), and durable Continental rubber outsole for sure should put it in consideration as an all around hiking boot.
Score: 8.9 /10
Deductions for cost, weight, need for more front upper structure.
Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is in his 60’s with 2024 Sam’s 52th year of running roads and trails. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range if he gets very, very lucky. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, hiking or on nordic skis. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs, if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s
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