Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX review

Having tried and tested the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX on a variety of parameters, we believe that it is an excellent option for hikers who:

• need a protective and grippy hiking shoe for challenging terrain
• want a lightweight shoe with the stability of a hiking boot
• hike in cold, swampy, and rainy conditions on a regular basis

As a low-cut shoe, the Swift R3 GTX is not perfect for deep puddles and river crossings. If you foresee the water overflowing the shoe's low collar, it's better to go with the Salomon Outpulse Mid GTX.

If on the other hand, you mostly hike in warm and dry weather, the waterproof GTX lining of the shoe will only make your feet hot and sweaty. To avoid overpaying for something you don't need, we recommend the non-waterproof Salomon X Ultra 4 instead.

Built to encourage the most stable and precise footing on technical terrain, the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX is the complete opposite of the Free Hiker 2.0. The Boost midsole of the latter showed a whopping shock absorption reading of 126 SA, whereas the Swift showed only 87 SA.

But one doesn't mean better than the other if you know what you need.

The low-cushion Swift R3 GTX doesn't offer the best comfort and impact protection for long hikes on hard-packed ground. However, it provides a firm and trail-connected ride that keeps you confident on obstacle-laden terrain.

The Swift R3 GTX prioritises ground feel over a bouncy ride with its moderate energy return of 53%. It's nowhere near as springy as the Boost-powered Free Hiker 2.0 (65.9%) but it doesn't feel dead either.

A touch of rebound keeps the Terrex Swift R3's ride dynamic without disconnecting you from the trail.

Looking at the bottom of the shoe, we saw an imprinted writing: "STACK 15/25 MM." To be honest, this left us quite perplexed because we actually measured the shoe's heel stack height at a whopping 36.6 mm!

Perhaps Adidas only measured the midsole to get 25 mm?

Either way, based on our caliper measurement, there is more than 3.5 cm of protection between your heel and the ground! This is one of the tallest hiking platforms we've seen in our lab.

This makes the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX one of the best options for rocky trails with sharp rocks and other technical terrain.

In the forefoot, the midsole thickness becomes drastically smaller. With a caliper measurement of 20.7 mm, the forefoot stack of this Adidas shoe is about the same as the average but much taller than the officially stated 15 mm.

This leaves us with a significant heel-to-toe drop of 15.9 mm! A few millimeters taller than the average, it raises the heel notably higher above the toes.

This makes landings extra cushioned and protected while letting the forefoot bend more easily and feel the ground better for stability.

What's really nice about this Adidas Terrex shoe is that despite its burly and stiff construction, its cushioning happens to be not as firm as in most other hiking shoes.

Using a durometer, we measured the shoe's foam softness at 26 HA. This makes the Swift R3 GTX 18% softer than the average!

And if you want something even plusher, have a look at the Hoka Anacapa Low GTX (23.3 HA).

The Terrex Swift R3 GTX treated us to a one-to-one fit in a men's US size 9. We felt no pinching, hot spots, or lack of space during the wear tests so now it was time to see if the shoe's gel mold backs up our experience.

Measuring the width at the widest part of the mold, our caliper showed 94.1 mm. This is on par with the hiking shoe average and is expected for the measured shoe size and width.

But as you can see from the shape of the mold, the toebox of this Adidas shoe has a noticeable taper. While we didn't find it aggressive enough to affect the comfort, hikers with wider feet may need to opt for a more rounded toebox.

Taking its width in the big toe area, we got 68.9 mm which is a few millimeters narrower than average.

Gladly, the ample vertical space in this Adidas Terrex shoe prevented it from feeling tighter.

At 27.7 mm, it's got an average toebox height for a hiking shoe.

Measuring the friction that the Swift R3 GTX generates on wet concrete, we recorded a fairly low coefficient of 0.18.

The Continental rubber lugs of this Adidas shoe aren't as tacky on rocks and boulders as those on the Adidas Terrex AX4 (friction score of 0.29).

The writing at the bottom of the shoe reads 'LUGS 4.5 MM,' and our caliper measurement confirmed it! It is a perfect lug depth for tackling varied terrain which includes anything from hard-packed trails to light mud, grass, moss, logs, and rocks.

The aggressive chevron lugs of this Adidas shoe are highly effective at generating grip when ascending, descending, and sidehilling. These lugs are also well-spaced which makes it harder for mud to get stuck in between.

But please note that this outsole design makes the Terrex Swift R3 GTX less comfortable on hard surfaces like concrete and other urban environments.

From our experience, the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX definitely feels on the stiff side with its burly design and protective overlays. So when we took it to the lab, not only did our shoe flexing tester confirm its stiffness, it even proved it to be the stiffest hiking shoe in our catalog!

According to the machine, it took as much as 39.1N to bend this Adidas shoe by 30 degrees. This is over 100% more force than it takes an average hiking shoe!

Tipping the scale at 14.4 oz (408g), the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX sits very close to the average of waterproof hiking shoes (14.6 oz/414g). This is actually pretty light given how much protection is packed into this Adidas hiker.

If you want a hiking shoe with a similar design and intent but want it to be an ounce lighter, check out the Salomon X Ultra 4 GTX (13.3 oz/378g).

Having tested a myriad of GTX hiking shoes in our lab, we have come to expect zero breathability from this type of footwear. However, the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX busted that myth in a mere second!

Performing our smoke-pumping test on this Adidas shoe, we were quite surprised with the amount of smoke passing through its tongue.

It is obviously not as well-ventilated as the non-waterproof Merrell Moab 3. However, it is notably more breathable than its GTX counterparts. On a scale from 1 to 5, where 5 is the most breathable, we rated it as 2. Most Gore-Tex shoes only get 1.

But don't get us wrong. This shoe is still 100% watertight. In our transparency check below, it is clear that there are no perforations in the shoe's upper.

What's more, our microscope helps to show you how incredibly dense the shoe's material is.

Stability is truly phenomenal in the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX. In spite of its low-cut collar, the shoe actually feels a lot like a hiking boot!

Compared to other shoes in its weight category, this Adidas shoe made us feel incredibly surefooted on tricky trails involving unpredictable rocks, roots, and other debris.

We also found that the Pro-Moderator technology (embedded into the sole on both sides) is an excellent foot stabilizer. It worked very effectively to prevent side-to-side movements of the foot which made our legs less fatigued at the end of the day.

The shoe's exceptionally rigid build is the primary reason behind its stability. It is nearly impossible to twist the shoe and you have to put A LOT of effort into it.

Thus, we rated the torsional rigidity of the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX with the highest score of 5 out of 5.

Contributing to secure heel hold is the shoe's stiff heel counter. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the stiffest, we rated it as 4.

This helps to significantly minimize the wobbling of the heel and ankle.

The platform of this Adidas shoe is wide enough to provide plenty of landing surface.

In the widest part of the forefoot, we measured the sole at 114.5 mm. Thanks to the lateral outrigger, this is a few millimeters wider than average.

Back in the heel, the widest part comes in at 88.5 mm. This is a solid average for a hiking shoe.

In order to keep a GTX shoe's waterproofing intact, it must be protected from punctures and tears. And as our durability test shows, you have to be extra careful with the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX.

Applying our Dremel to the shoe's upper textile for 12 seconds at a speed of 5K RPM resulted in a small yet critical puncture. This made us lower the toebox durability rating for this Adidas shoe to 2 out of 5.

Good thing the rubberized overlays are so large in this hiking shoe! All the main impact areas are well-protected.

Another potentially frail area in hiking shoes is the heel padding. But not for the Terrex Swift R3!

The shoe's heel collar lining stood up to our 4 seconds of drilling very well. The barely noticeable scratch convinced us to rate the shoe's heel padding durability as 4 out of 5.

Like any other Adidas Terrex shoe, the Swift R3 GTX uses Continental rubber for its outsole. Having a reputation as a hard-wearing compound, it did not disappoint.

Measuring the rubber hardness with our durometer, we got a measurement of 85.9 HC. This is considered average for a hiking shoe outsole and is a good sign of long-term durability.

Of course, we turned to our Dremel to test the outsole's abrasion resistance. Drilling it unapologetically for 22 seconds at the speed of 10K RPM, we were pleasantly surprised.

According to the tread gauge, the dent was only 0.9 mm deep. This is a little less than the average and earns this Adidas shoe bonus points for durability.

We also measured the thickness of the outsole excluding lugs. The caliper returned 2 mm which is a solid average for a hiking shoe.

The insole of this shoe has a standard amount of padding. Using a caliper to measure its thickness in the heel, we got 4.9 mm. This is exactly the same as the average.

What's noteworthy about this insole is its raised sidewalls which create a cup-like carrier for the foot.

Given that this Adidas shoe is intended for colder climates, it is nice to know that its cushioning doesn't turn into a rock in low temperatures.

Having kept the shoe in the freezer for 20 minutes, we repeated the durometer measurement. At 30.5 HA, the foam only got as firm as most other hiking shoes are at room temperature.

Compared to other hiking shoes in our lab, the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX firmed up by 17.3% which is notably less than the average difference.

If you prefer to wear a custom insert in place of the default one, you have that option in the Swift R3 GTX.

No reflective elements were added to this Adidas Terrex hiking shoe.

The tongue packs a pretty standard amount of padding for a hiking shoe. Measuring it with a caliper, we got 10.9 mm. This was more than enough to keep us warm, comfortable, and free from the lace pressure.

This Adidas Terrex shoe uses a fully gusseted tongue to protect the interiors from water and debris.

A finger loop is attached at the back of the collar. It is large enough to fit an index finger and assist in getting the shoe on much faster.

Because of the shoe's overall stiff build, it takes more than one hike to fully break in the shoe. It also doesn't feel as comfy as some of the other lightweight speed-oriented hikers.

Do expect a more boot-like experience inside the Adidas Terrex Swift R3 GTX.