These days we are all seeking products that can offer up a range of functionality for our fast-paced and multifaceted lifestyles. Meet the adidas Terrex Free Hiker, a perfect example of this “swiss army knife” mentality that has started to take over the world of fashion and apparel.
The design team may not have done this with intention, but they genuinely have designed the perfect sneaker/boot hybrid that provides serious functionality and sneakerhead approved styling. They have weaved in the Boost midsole, Primeknit upper, and Torsion Bar technology to boot (pun intended) to bring extreme comfort and stability to the Free Hiker. There is probably nothing more comfortable on the market aside from the Danner Mountain 600 boot.
Most hiking boots on the market lack the styling to integrate into everyday life, either looking too mountain manish or technical to pair up with your day to day looks. Adidas solves this with moving more towards the look of a sneaker with cleverly hidden details that make it more robust and more stable than your average street shoe.
Inside the boot is a heel padding system that provides a snug, yet flexible support to keep the Free Hiker in place on more technical terrain. The Boost midsole technology gives you the walking on air feeling and the Torsion Bar provides stability on the often uneven surfaces encountered off-road.
The Free Hiker boot pairs great with jeans or shorts and blends into any surrounding with ease with its fluid athleisure looks. We tested the boots on several surfaces in Miami, from hiking trails on Virginia Key to the beach, to the urban graffiti sanctuary of Wynwood – and they handled it all with ease.
So if you are looking for a pair of all-purpose boots/sneakers that can handle most situations, the adidas Terrex line is worth every penny.
More at adidas’s website | MSRP $200
David Ireland is a professional strategist, creative, and marketer. He began his career in 1995 as creator and publisher of BPM Magazine. In August 2000, BPM Magazine merged with djmixed.com LLC, an online media company based in Los Angeles, which later evolved into the Overamerica Media Group [OMG] in 2003. In 2009, Ireland left Overamerica Media Group to serve as the VP of Marketing at Diesel. In 2011, he returned to his roots in media and cofounded the online electronic music publication Magnetic Magazine and created The Magnetic Agency Group. In June 2018, Ireland joined Winter Music Conference (now owned by Ultra Music Festival) as the Director to lead the reboot for 2019 and usher in a new era for the iconic brand. He served as Chief Marketing Officer at Victrola for three years, guiding product innovation and brand growth. He currently serves on the advisory board of Audiopool, a new music tech startup focused on AI-generated music licensing and artist revenue models.
