Back in 2023, adidas dropped a $500 marathon shoe built specifically for a single race, and naturally, the running world collectively lost its mind. Then Tigst Assefa broke the women’s marathon world record in it at Berlin, and people starting take the brand’s pursuit a bit more seriously.
Three years later, that same playbook is finally headed for the mountains in the form of the adidas Agravic Speed Ultra Evo.
Featherweight, By Trail Standards
The Ultra Evo weighs an average of 250 grams, which is roughly 5% lighter than the outgoing Agravic Speed Ultra 2, and adidas is calling it the fastest trail shoe the brand has ever produced.
Rims Where the Rods Used to Be
The headline tech used in the silhouette is a dual ENERGYRIM setup that’s been borrowed from the road-going Adios Pro Evo 3. Rather than implementing running rods down the center of the shoe, the shoe’s rim construction lets each side of the platform move independently. The end goal is to allow the shoe easily adapt when your foot lands half on a rock and half on dirt.
adidas claims the arrangement delivers 10% more energy return and a 1% running economy bump over the Ultra 2. Underfoot, a molded LIGHTSTRIKE PRO midsole allows 15% more foam deformation.
Up top, a one-way stretch woven upper with an integrated debris collar handles lockdown duty. It fits like a sock while still offering protection from dirt, dust and small rocks on the trails.
The One-Race Question
The original road Evo 1 famously shipped with a card telling owners it was optimized for a single marathon, but unfortunately, adidas hasn’t published any lifespan claims for its trail sibling.
To its credit, the brand spent multiple years developing this thing alongside 13 athletes, refining every prototype through lab testing and actual racing. Whether all that buys you more than one lap around Mont Blanc is anyone’s guess at this point.
Spec Sheet
Brand: adidas
Model: Agravic Speed Ultra Evo
Weight: 250g (average, UK 8.5)
Midsole: Molded LIGHTSTRIKE PRO
Plate System: Dual ENERGYRIM
Upper: One-way stretch woven with debris collar
Claimed Gains: +10% energy return, +1% running economy (vs. Agravic Speed Ultra 2)
Release Date: August 25, 2026
Price: $500
Pricing & Availability
If you want a pair, hope you’re near Chamonix. The Agravic Speed Ultra Evo launches August 25th in very limited numbers at Snell Sports and Ravanel during UTMB Mont Blanc, priced at $500. Additional pairs will trickle onto adidas.com and Running Warehouse later this year, also in very limited quantities.
Recap
adidas Agravic Speed Ultra Evo
adidas transplants its world record super shoe formula onto the trails with a 250-gram, $500 racer making its debut at UTMB in seriously scarce numbers.
