The adidas TERREX Free Hiker 2 Continues A Decades-Long Legacy

Originally published on Sneaker News (September 22, 2022)

Ever since their humble beginnings over seven decades ago, adidas has lived and breathed sport. And when the brand’s founder, Adi Dassler, helped lead the German National Football to victory in the 1954 World Cup, he effectively established The Brand with the Three Stripes as a key player in the world of sportswear.
 
A lot has changed since Dassler crafted his then-revolutionary footwear boot. But beyond the high fashion partnerships and focus on casual options like the Adilette 22, adidas still thinks of the athlete first, continuing to innovate in the realms of running, basketball, and beyond. Even the great outdoors have become familiar with the Three Stripes, as hikers have left the TERREX mark across some of the most grueling of trails.
 
Much like the brand’s other collections, adidas TERREX is introducing new – and extremely functional – products for Fall/Winter ‘22. And at the helm of the collection is none other than the Free Hiker 2, the latest in a long line of technical, waterproof sneakers. But before we get into the shoe itself, we ought to look back on where everything began.

The history of adidas' outdoor exploits dates as far back as the 1970s, the decade the brand would introduce their very first trekking shoe.

These were designed for and, in part, by legendary climber Reinhold Messner, who took the model along his famous ascent of Mount Everest in 1980.
 
Almost mirroring the effect of the very football boot that popularized the Three Stripes in the first place, the above-mentioned trekking shoe effectively opened the doors to an entirely new demographic. And in the following decades, adidas would continue to cater to this audience with numerous hiking-adept sneakers, all of which released under the adidas Outdoor sub-label.
 
It wouldn’t be until 2009 that adidas Outdoor would introduce their first, full-sized collection, which consisted of not only footwear but also equally capable apparel. This set the groundwork for what would become adidas TERREX, which was introduced in 2011, a mere two years thereafter.
 
Since then, adidas has built up the TERREX catalog across almost every category, purveying everything from Multisport Backpacks to insulated PrimaLoft Jackets. But though more diverse in their offerings, the line-up has not yet lost its touch in regards to footwear. New silhouettes are continuing to be developed every season – and earlier this September, they debuted one of their most advanced propositions yet: the Free Hiker 2. 

Enter the Free Hiker 2

Highly regarded when it initially hit the market in 2019, the original Free Hiker was groundbreaking for its use of BOOST, a technology never-before-seen on adidas TERREX boots. Considering this as well as the shoe’s stylish, Primeknit-constructed design, it’s no surprise that the outdoors model was one of the sub-label’s most popular releases of the last few years.
 
Three years later, adidas would follow up their prized Free Hiker with a heavily-upgraded sequel. Aptly dubbed the Free Hiker 2, the shoe – which hit shelves in both standard and GORE-TEX versions – evolves the design language of its predecessor all the while improving the features that made it so great.
 
Beginning to establish a legacy of its own, the Free Hiker 2 – with its more sustainable construction and enhanced sole unit – is available in both its standard and GTX forms, which retail for $200 USD and $230 USD, respectively. If you’d like to get a pair of your own, there are several men’s and women’s colorways available right now on adidas.com.

The Free Hiker 2 wasn't the only thing adidas TERREX announced in the last few months. At the close of the Summer, the sub-label debuted its newest endeavor: United by Summits.

Presented alongside an accompanying short film, the campaign aims to make the outdoors a more inclusive space by “celebrating all the different personal summits people reach every day.” Through this, the Three Stripes are inviting adventurers — whether solo or a part of a group — to apply to have their own ascent, expedition, or project funded and supported by the My Summits initiative.

“The outdoors should feel accessible to every single person,” says Carla Murphy, General Manager adidas TERREX, explaining the idea behind United by Summits. “At adidas TERREX, we’re on a mission to change the way the outdoors is represented, to challenge the notion of what makes a summit, and to connect more people in nature. We’re doing this by celebrating all the different peaks people reach every time they take an adventure, no matter the climb, as well as the diverse communities, groups and individuals who are out there achieving their goals every day. By showcasing these personal summits, we believe we can challenge the norms and expectations of what the outdoors means and encourage and invite more people to get outside and connect with nature to find out what their own personal summit looks like.”