T3 Awards 2020: Adidas Terrex Two Ultra Parley is a must for trail running enthusiasts
Adidas' Boost-powered trail running shoes come out on top at this year's T3 Awards
What can you do if you love running and also like to make sure you adhere to social distancing rules? Take on the trails, of course! And if you are planning on keeping your ankles intact as you tackle forest trails, you'll need the best trail running shoes, namely the Adidas Terrex Two Ultra Parley, a pair of high-performance yet sustainable trail shoes that have just been crowned King of the Mountains (and valleys) in the T3 Awards 2020.
Adidas chose a different path to Nike with running shoes innovation. Sure, there is plenty of innovation coming from Germany still but it's more along the line of sustainability and radically new manufacturing technologies, which is going to be the main focus for Adidas in the near future.
As for sustainability, Adidas teamed up with environmental organisation Parley for the Oceans to create the Adidas x Parley line of clothes and shoes that use recycled plastic from ocean waste. Each pair of Adidas Terrex Two Ultra Parley contains 11 PET bottles worth of plastic, so running in the Adidas Terrex Two Ultra Parley won't make you Captain Planet for sure but it's still an admirable effort.
• Scale technical mountains with ease in the Adidas Terrex Speed LD trail running shoes
The Adidas Terrex Two Ultra Parley utilises the Boost midsole technology, used in many Adidas road running shoes such as the Adidas Pulseboost HD. The midsole contains tiny TPU capsules that are moulded together to form a platform that's different from solid foams: Boost midsoles are bouncy and soft, reducing impact force whilst still providing loads of of energy return. Adidas also claims Boost midsoles will provide the same running dynamics all the way down to -20 degree celsius: something I won't be able to test anytime soon.
On the outsole, you'll find the durable Continental Rubber compound which provides traction on hard surfaces like rocks and firmer trail roads. The lugs bite into softer surfaces to help you move forward and change direction quickly on any surface a trail road can throw at you.
• All the other Award winners so far from the T3 Awards 2020
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Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator for T3.com and T3 Magazine, where he works as Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, action cameras, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019.
His work has also appeared on TechRadar and Fit&Well, and he has collaborated with creators such as Garage Gym Reviews. Matt has served as a judge for multiple industry awards, including the ESSNAwards. When he isn’t running, cycling or testing new kit, he’s usually roaming the countryside with a camera or experimenting with new audio and video gear.