The adidas TERREX Skychaser is the only hiking shoe adidas makes for more technical trails. It's stiffer, heavier, and more protective than hikers might expect from a shoe with three adidas stripes on the side. Over the past two months, I've tested the Skychaser across the desert mountains of New Mexico—from Organ Mountain National Monument near Las Cruces to La Luz (9+ miles 4000ft elevation gain) and the Pino Trail (9 miles, 3000+ ft) outside Albuquerque. My adidas TERREX Skychaser review gives you the scoop after 30+ miles of testing.
adidas TERREX Skychaser GORE-TEX: Pros & Cons
Here's a quick overview of the pros and cons of the TEREX Skychaser hiking shoe. Scoll down for my independent review of this shoe's support, weight, comfort, fit, weather protection, traction, and value based on first-hand testing.
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adidas TERREX Skychaser Review
Testing the TERREX Skychaser in Domingo Baca Canyon
SUPPORT
The TERREX Skychaser is the most protective adidas hiking shoe. Much of this protection is on the outside of the foot—from a toe cap to leather overlays to reinforced adidas stripes that wrap your feet in armor. I appreciated this external protection while hiking rocky trails outside Albuquerque, including the Domingo Baca, La Luz, and Pino Trails.
But this shoe is sturdy underfoot, too. The adidas TERREX Skychaser is moderately stiff from heel to toe, thanks to a mid-foot stability plate on top of the midsole. This prevents your feet from overflexing on uneven terrain. It also adds torsional rigidity, making it tougher to turn over an ankle.
Still, this is a lowcut—not a midcut—so there's only so much ankle support. But it's more supportive than many hiking shoes I've tested.
1 lb 2 oz per shoe (men's size 12.5)
WEIGHT
This added foot protection and support carries a weight penalty. The TERREX Skychaser is heavier than most hiking shoes I've tested and reviewed, weighing 2 lb 4 oz per pair (men's size 12.5).
This is the TERREX hiking shoe for foot protection, not weight savings. For a lighter adidas hiking shoe, I recommend the new Free Hiker SL.
The external foot protection may add comfort on rocky trails
COMFORT
Comfort comes down to fit, your hiking style, and your personal preferences. In my case, the TERREX Skychaser fit too snug for comfort in the toe box, even after sizing up a full size. I can appreciate a sturdier hiking shoe because I mostly hike moderately hard trails. Even so, I wanted to get out of my Skychasers after 5 miles on the La Luz and Pino trails. They're not as cushioned as the TERREX Free Hiker 2 and not as athletic as my favorite hiking shoes.
That said, you could find them comfortable if your feet aren't as wide as mine and you prefer more protective features that prevent rocks from battering your feet. Still, in the adidas TERREX line up, the Free Hiker is built for comfort. The Skychaser is built for protection.
The TERREX Skychaser has a standard fit
FIT
The adidas TERREX Skychaser has a standard fit that's a little tight in the toes. Even after sizing up a full size from my everyday shoe size, my moderately wide feet felt a little squeezed. The Skychaser is a better fit for hikers with standard-width to narrow feet.
This shoe also features speed-laces. Hikers will be split on if that's a good thing or bad thing. I found these laces held on my test hikes, but I couldn't snug down my fit in the TERREX speed laces as well as I can in Salomon's Quicklaces.
Testing the TERREX Skychaser's traction on the frozen Pino Trail
TRACTION
My test hikes certainly put the TERREX Skychaser's tread to the test, including snow and ice on the Pino trail, slickrock in Domingo Baca and Embudito canyons, and steep switchbacks with weathered granite gravel and sand. While testing, I found the Skychaser's outsoles performed pretty well on all of the above. I could even hike on rough ice on the Pino Trail without adding microspikes.
That said, its tread is a better bet for mixed terrain than for loose sediments, steep descents, or rock scrambling. I experienced small slips while descending steep gravel switchbacks on the Embudito trail. Likewise, my footing on smooth rock in Domingo Baca Canyon wasn't as sound as other hiking shoes and trail running shoes I tested at the same spot.
GORE-TEX waterproofing is a weather protection plus
WEATHER PROTECTION
Weather protection is a plus for the TERREX Skychaser. As its name suggests, the adidas TERREX Skychaser GORE-TEX hiking shoe has GORE-TEX waterproofing. In my experience, GORE-TEX is more reliable and more breathable than other waterproof membranes.
Two of my test hikes involved miles of snow and puddles of snowmelt. Instead of avoiding puddles, I walked through them to test the Skychaser's waterproofing. As expected, the GORE-TEX kept my feet dry. With New Mexico mired in drought, however, I couldn't extensively test this shoe's weather protection. Still, I personally vouch for GORE-TEX—which is guaranteed for life.
The Women's TERREX Skychaser comes in 4 different colorways
VALUE
Older iterations of the TERREX Skychaser had premium prices. For 2026, the TERREX Skychaser is slightly less expensive (MSRP) than most waterproof hiking shoes. For that money, you get good foot protection and waterproof-breathable GORE-TEX—a good value. To save even more money with only a little dropoff in performance, you can consider the TERREX Skychaser AX5, the budget adidas hiking shoe.
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Men's adidas TERREX Skychaser
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Women's adidas TERREX Skychaser
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Should you buy the adidas Skychaser hiking shoe?
adidas generally targets less serious hikers, but the TERREX Skychaser is the exception. It's the best adidas TERREX hiking shoe for tougher trails that call for more foot protection. You might consider the adidas TERREX Skychaser if you want a sturdy hiking shoe with plenty of foot protection and GORE-TEX waterproofing. That said, I didn't find the Skychaser as comfortable or as athletic as my go-to recs for the best hiking shoes. It's heavier than it looks and runs too narrow in the toes for men and women with wider feet.
Personally, I prefer the comfort-oriented TERREX Free Hiker series to the protection-oriented Skychaser series. But if you want an adidas hiking shoe for more technical trails, the TERREX Skychaser is your best choice.
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Men's adidas TERREX Skychaser AX5
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Women's adidas TERREX Skychaser AX5
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