adidas Terrex Skychaser GTX review

You are likely to benefit from the Terrex Skychaser GTX if:

• you need a robust and rigid shoe for technical terrain
• you want superior grip on varied terrain including rocks, roots, and dirt
• you prefer snug-fitting shoes for confident foot placement on rocky inclines

If the Skychaser GTX sounds like overkill for your hiking needs but you like the silhouette, you can opt for its less performance-oriented counterpart, the Skychaser AX5 GTX. It is cheaper, lighter, and better suited to day-hiking use cases.

The Skychaser's above-average weight can also be a deal-breaker for people seeking a light, speedy option for off-trail roaming. In that case, the La Sportiva Ultra Raptor 3 could be a more suitable alternative at 12.2 oz (346g).

With a modest shock absorption of 97 SA, the Skychaser GTX proved to be the polar opposite of the brand's max-cushioned Freehiker 3.

But despite its less comfort-oriented design, the Skychaser offers enough cushioning to prevent premature foot fatigue on long distances.

Notorious for its lack of responsiveness, the Lightstrike foam showed little rebound in the Skychaser as well. With an all-time low energy return of 40.4%, it provides one of the dullest underfoot experiences among hiking shoes.

But on the flip side, it helps the shoe feel incredibly planted and connected to the trail.

Measuring this adidas shoe's heel stack at 33.8 mm, we found it no different from most other hiking shoes in our lab. It's neither too platformy nor too low-profile.

The same is true for the shoe's forefoot stack. At 21.8 mm, it also sits right in the middle of the category.

The difference in our measured stack heights resulted in a heel-to-toe drop of 12.0 mm. That's 2 mm higher than the 10 mm listed in the shoe's product description.

But the discrepancy is not critical, as both offsets provide a similar underfoot experience. There is a moderate elevation of the heel, which takes pressure off the Achilles and calves.

To our surprise, the Lightstrike cushioning turned out to be softer than we expected from a technical shoe like the Skychaser.

Pressing our durometer against the foam returned a moderately soft reading of 35.5 AC. That's indeed 20% more forgiving than the average hiking shoe midsole foam! But please note that the Lightstrike is encapsulated in a tough platform that adds hardness and stability around it.

It's also important to note that Lightstrike becomes noticeably firmer in cold conditions. It lost a good 27% of its softness during our 20-minute freezer test!

Intended for challenging routes on rocky terrain and even some occasional scrambling, the adidas Terrex Skychaser GTX is destined to have a snugger fit.

Even though we measured its widest part at a perfectly standard width of 94.1 mm, it's the shoe's aggressively tapered toebox that makes all the difference.

Even before measuring it, we could see just how pointy this adidas shoe gets towards the front!

And with a calliper reading of 66.6 mm in the big toe area, it proved to be one of the tightest hiking shoe toeboxes we've tested!

Luckily, the amount of vertical space is still decent in this adidas shoe as it showed a toebox height of 28.0 mm.

But your toes may still feel cramped by the shoe's tapered toebox and burly toe bumper.

The Continental rubber on the Terrex Skychaser GTX showed a fantastic friction coefficient of 0.78 in our lab test!

On the trail, this translates into a highly reliable grip on smooth and wet surfaces, including granite slabs, stream-polished river rocks, limestone, shale, wood, and more!

The shoe's mighty bite is also enhanced by deep 4.9 mm lugs. This aggressive tread proved effective on both loose rock and soft terrain, including some muddy and slushy areas.

The shoe's lugs get smaller and sharper towards the forefoot to accommodate steep ascents and 'rugged summit scrambles.' However, they become wider and smoother towards the heel to keep landings comfortable enough on varied terrain.

The Skychaser also features a pronounced heel brake for added stopping power on rocky descents.

Designed with demanding terrain in mind, the Terrex Skychaser GTX packs a solid amount of stiffness to provide a stronger lever for going uphill, scrambling, and picking up the pace.

You cannot bend this adidas shoe so easily, as it requires 25% more force than the average hiking shoe! According to our lab machine, it takes up to 23.0N to flex its forefoot by 30 degrees.

While it can feel too stiff and unforgiving on rolling trails, that rigidity prevents the foot from overworking itself on unpredictable, obstacle-laden terrain.

Positioned as a crossover between an agile trail-running shoe and a stout hiking shoe, we expected the Skychaser GTX to be on the lighter end of the spectrum.

Alas, it turned out to be much heavier than the category average at 15.3 oz (434g) in a men's US size 9! On a positive note, it doesn't really drag the foot down as it is on par with the popular Merrell Moab 3. But again, it could be lighter for its intended use.

We found the adidas Terrex Skychaser GTX to be the most stable offering in the brand's hiking shoe lineup.

Its rigid platform and secure upper lockdown form a tough exoskeleton that feels highly supportive and protective on rock-heavy terrain.

Its firm midsole cradle, with large TPU clips on both the heel and forefoot, makes the Terrex Skychaser GTX impressively rigid.

Requiring a torque of 20.6 Nm to twist in either direction, this adidas shoe's stiffness proved to be more on par with hiking boots!

The largest TPU clips are placed around the heel to prevent it from undesirable wobbling as you hop between rocks or wander off the trail.

But it's not overly structured either, hitting a middle-ground stiffness score of 3 out of 5.

As for its midsole dimensions, the Skychaser GTX stays within the category average, measuring 114.3 mm at the widest point of the forefoot.

Its heel also showed a merely average calliper reading of 88.2 mm.

That ensures confident landings while keeping the platform streamlined enough to maintain quicker paces and avoid getting caught between rocks.

Adidas uses ripstop textile as the Skychaser GTX's primary upper material, and it proved its worth in our Dremel test as well! Showing only moderate wear after 12 seconds of drilling, it earned a solid score of 3 out of 5.

Meanwhile, the front of the shoe's toebox is further reinforced with a synthetic rand and a tough rubber toe bumper to withstand frequent encounters with sharp rocks.

Unfortunately, the shoe's interior lining looked less reassuring, tearing apart within seconds. We didn't expect a low heel-padding durability score of 2 out of 5 for a shoe in this price range.

The Skychaser's Continental rubber also left us wishing for more with an above-average dent depth of 1.3 mm. Not like it's going to get destroyed within months, but again, it could be tougher for the price.

With a 2.2 mm rubber thickness, the Skychaser has sufficient outsole material for long-term durability without adding excessive weight.

With a thickness of 5.1 mm, a well-padded Ortholite insole helps soften the blow on hard surfaces.

Easily removable, it can be swapped for a different insole kind if needed. But please keep in mind that the shoe's pointy toebox may not allow all types of orthotics.

With no reflective elements on it, the adidas Terrex Skychaser GTX won't help you get noticed in the dark.

Beneath its rugged exterior, the Skychaser GTX is surprisingly generous with padding. Measuring its tongue thickness with a calliper, we recorded a solid 9.3 mm. That's a typical amount of foam for a hiking shoe, protecting the instep from lace bites and pressure.

Fully-gusseted tongue in a waterproof shoe? Check!

Sliding into the Skychaser's narrower shoe opening is made easier with a finger loop at the back of the collar.

Considering its niche purpose and technical construction, we believe that the Terrex Skychaser GTX is fairly priced compared to the rest of adidas's outwdoor lineup and to similar models form other brands.

Adidas features a proprietary Speed lacing closure on the Skychaser GTX, allowing for quick fit adjustment with a toggle. A webbed loop helps store leftover shoestrings so they don't flop around.