Second, the lacing system does a nice job in terms of keeping things tight around the foot (provided it fits you well). First, the rigid design and stiff structure help keep your foot and ankle in place. The Swift R3 GTX is a low-cut shoe but is pretty darn impressive in terms of stability. Protection is great, but it often comes at the sacrifice of flexibility. ![]() It’s worth noting that all of this toughness likely contributes to the overall stiffness of the shoe described above. Throw in more hard rubber around the heel above the midsole, and you have one heckuva tough shoe given its weight. In addition, the areas along the balls of the feet protrude with even more rubber, creating zones of extra protection on the inside and outside of the foot. The Terrex Swift R3 has almost an approach shoe-like rubber toe with a full-coverage toe cap. Again, this type of design is rare for a lightweight hiking shoe. The protection continues around the toe and sides of the foot. The R3 is burly and tough underfoot but certainly not one of the more sensitive shoes we’ve worn. If you like feeling the trail beneath you, we recommend you look elsewhere (a trail runner-inspired design will get you that feel). We hiked over all kinds of rock in Patagonia and back home in the Pacific Northwest but felt none of the sharp corners that you often get with other lightweight hiking shoes. Compared to the reasonably burly Salomon X Ultra 4, the Adidas provided even more separation from the trail. Underfoot, these shoes feel much more like a hiking boot than their design would suggest. In addition to stability (covered below), perhaps the single biggest upside of the Terrex Swift R3 is protection. After putting some pretty demanding miles on it in Patagonia, there aren’t many signs of wear underfoot, which is promising for long-term durability (and I haven’t had any issues crop up since my initial test). Adidas partnered with tire maker Continental for the rubber, and the tread pattern has a distinctive chevroned shape. It’s hard to tell how much of that is style over substance, but the R3 GTX is grippy on rock, the lugs are substantial and well spaced (this helps prevent mud from caking), and the rubber is noticeably hard, which should help with longevity. Traction on the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 is excellent with deep and durable lugs. If you plan to carry a decent load on occasion or put a premium on support, we think the R3’s weight is perfectly reasonable. You can go lighter with a flexible shoe like Salomon Outpulse GTX at 1 pound 8.6 ounces, but you do make considerable concessions in stability and durability. For comparison, the popular Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX weighs slightly less at 1 pound 11.5 ounces, while La Sportiva’s similary intentioned Spire GTX (1 lb. 11.9 oz.), the Terrex Swift R3 is about average for the level of protection and stability you get. But if you want a protective and tough shoe that’s built to last, the Terrex Swift R3 is exactly that.Īt 1 pound 13 ounces for my pair of men size 9s (it’s listed at 1 lb. ![]() If you’re looking for a flexible, trail runner-like experience where you can really feel the ground beneath you, this is not the hiker for you. ![]() All told, we think the R3 wears like a hiking boot but with a lower ankle and lighter weight. This isn’t a huge knock on comfort-the shoe performed well without a break-in period, and it didn’t loosen up or create hot spots even over long trail days. The design is fairly rigid overall, including a burly sole and tough ripstop mesh upper. We’ll start by noting that the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX feels a bit stiff out of the box and generally stays that way. To see how it stacks up against the competition, see our article on the best hiking shoes. Below we break down the Terrex Swift R3’s overall performance. After taking it out hiking on the trails outside El Chaltén in Argentina, we were impressed with the toughness and hiking boot-like personality of the R3, although it does have a slightly stiffer feel than we prefer. The R3 GTX is a low-cut waterproof hiking shoe that’s reasonably light but offers great protection and stability. Adidas has come on strong in the world of hiking footwear, and its Terrex Swift series is a notable standout among the competition.
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