As you may have already gathered, I love nothing more than escaping into nature and exploring the great outdoors. And if you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’ll know how much I love the adidas Terrex range of women’s walking boots and hiking shoes. I’ve never met a pair of walking shoes that fit like a glove (or should I say a sock!) from the first moment you put them on and they’ve never even given me blisters. They are the literal dream.
That’s why I wanted my husband to have a pair of good walking shoes too. Let me explain more…
Why My Husband Needs a New Pair of Walking Shoes
My husband has been wearing the same old, cheap, crappy walking shoes for longer than I can remember. I make him keep them in our boot room, because apart from everything else, they absolutely stink. They have no support, the insole has shifted and he doesn’t even bother to tie them properly, preferring to slip them on and off like slippers. And I’m sure they’re probably as comfortable as a pair of slippers, but they can’t be good for his feet and they certainly aren’t good for my nose!
If he had his way, I’m pretty sure he would hold on to them until they reached a point where they would be covered in holes and fall off his feet, but something happened on one of our dog walks that made him evaluate his life decisions, or at least his shoe decisions anyway.
I noticed he kept stopping and playing with his shoes. I’m not going to lie, I found this incredibly boring as I wanted to get a bit of a rhythm and continue walking. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was constantly putting rocks in his shoes. I then mentioned, in a rather smug tone, that I didn’t have this problem since I was wearing decent walking shoes that supported my feet and could be tied properly. And that’s where his lightbulb moment came. Such a simple thing, so simple, but he found it so irritating and uncomfortable to have these little stones in his shoes that he decided then and there that he needed a new pair of walking shoes. That’s when I recommended adidas Terrex to him.
Now, luckily for him, I’m an adidas blogger, which means I pretty much have my pick. And having experienced the Terrex myself (I actually have 2 pairs now, I love them so much) I knew this range was made for him. I sent him several different choices and this is the one he chose…
Adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 hiking shoe
What stood out to my husband the most when he looked at the selection of men’s walking shoes I had put together for him was that the adidas Terrex Free Hiker 2 has a built-in cuff in the shape of a sock. This gives the shoe the appearance of a tall boot, but because the cuff is stretchy, it hugs the top of the ankle and reduces the risk of chafing, while allowing more supportive movement in this area. This snug fit also means that the sock essentially acts as a gaiter, keeping out small stones, gravel, etc. to penetrate the shoe. BINGO!
Terrex shoes include Continental™ rubber grip, the same Continental™ that makes car tires so super, super grippy. If it can keep your car on the road in all conditions, it will definitely take care of you when you’re walking. Which is great news, because my husband often takes the dog for a walk in the forest at the bottom of our garden, and the walks involve a lot of hiking up and down hills, all of which are muddy, slippery and hide many things. hidden tree root, so grip is a necessary feature.
What makes the shoe so comfortable then? Well, aside from the sock-like cuff that I already mentioned, the shoe features BOOST midsole cushioning, which is adidas’ trademark magic ingredient – a form of granules that are compressed and molded to the specific fit of the shoe. This gives 20% more energy return with each step, but what you need to know is that it’s like walking on nice soft, bouncy cushions. And what that means for my husband is that he can wear a pair of shoes that are indeed as comfortable as his slippers, but he can feel safe knowing that they also properly support his feet.
My husband chose to go with classic black (goes with everything, requires less cleaning!), but of course adidas doesn’t just make black, they call it Core Black/Core Black/Grey Six. There are also two other colorways available in the adidas Terrex Freehiker 2; Pulsed Olive/Linen Green/Impact Orange and Happiness Lilac/Beam Orange/Pulsed Magenta.
So, what does the husband really think of his new shoes?
And of course, he loves them! If only he had listened to me sooner, huh? Like me, he was very impressed by their immediate comfort. Whenever we have purchased walking shoes or trail running sneakers in the past, we have always had to wear them. But with adidas Terrex, that’s simply not necessary. They are comfortable from the start.
But enough about me, here’s what he has to say about them…
“For centuries I suffered from having pieces stuck in my shoes when walking in the woods, constantly having to stop and try to remove them. The concept of walking sneakers with a well-fitting sock-style edge was therefore very attractive! I chose a black pair and took a half size, on the advice of the adidas website. They were a little difficult to put on, which is to be expected with this style – especially when new, but the fit was really good and they felt very comfortable straight away. On a 5 mile walk that included many wooded trails, not a single piece of twig or gravel came near my feet and the comfort level of a brand new pair of shoes was truly unlike anything of what I had known before. I’m really happy with them and will now be my go-to shoe for many walks.
So I think the lessons we’ve learned here are to always make sure you have a pair of walking shoes that are comfortable, up to the job, comfortable and support your feet in the best possible way, but most importantly that you should always listen to what your wife suggests!
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Author biography
Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web editor, and blogging coach. She continually strives to promote a realistic, sustainable and positive image of how to live a healthy life. When she’s not writing, she can be found running through muddy puddles, making lists of lists, letting out a good old whine, speaking in a funny voice to her dog, renovate your house in the countryside and teach others how to make money through their blogs.