The Fast R is a great shoe. adidas have been making excellent trail running gear for some time now, and this shoe is no exception. The Fast R is designed for ‘moving fast on the mountain’, and while I have run in them, they would be my first choice for hillwalking. The midsole is in two parts: the heel and the rest of the shoe. The heel moves up to 1cm when the heel strikes. adidas claims this adds stability. They certainly feel solid and positive, and correct my step on the outside of my feet. The lacing system is the best here. They are similar to the Salomon shoes whereby you pull the thin cords through a toggle to tighten. It is an excellent system that cinches equally all the way down. I’m slightly concerned what happen should they fail, although they do seem very tough. You need to tuck the toggle under a ‘bungee’, otherwise it flaps around. The Continental outsole is one of the grippiest I’ve ever tried, and the lug pattern works well. There’s an OrthoLite anti-microbial sockliner. There’s a lot going on around the uppers and there’s a tight-knit mesh, so they can be warm – but less than with a waterproof liner.
First published: June 2013
