These shoes are fun - and that's something I wouldn't normally say about a walking boot. The Terrex Free Hiker 2 is an all-round enjoyable experience, being light, bouncy and stylish. Whether you call them shoes or boots, they're basically a fat bike for your feet. But maybe don't try any technical mountain scrambling in them, it might not work out so well!

Adidas Terrex have created something clever here that falls between two worlds and bridges the gap between people who walk in grassy fields or city parks (probably with a spaniel) and the regular everyday weekend walkers that stick to easy, walkable terrain but want to explore and have fun in the great outdoors. Many people want comfortable footwear that doesn't feel far from the shoes or trainers they wear in their everyday lives, and that's very much what you get here.

Design

Weighing just 930g for a pair of size 8.5, the Free Hiker 2 is lighter than most boots. It also features an unusual mix of materials for a walking boot, with a bouncy foam midsole and a lightweight laminate upper. They come with a full Gore-Tex lining and Continental rubber sole unit.

The 'boot/shoe' design is something we are starting to see a lot and it's effectively a shoe but with a soft ankle cuff. It's sort of like a mid, but not. Confused yet? It's definitely more supportive than a standard outdoor shoe, the extra ankle support works well and is needed to compensate for the deep foam midsole, which is very comfortable but inevitably not as stable as a traditional walking boot or a running shoe with a more conventional stack height.

Fit

My feet are pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes to volume and width, and lucky for me the Free Hiker 2 is a middle-of-the-road fit. But having said that, due to its soft nature and adaptive lacing, there is a lot of leeway for different foot types. The toe box is more low volume than most walking boots, and in that sense feels more like a standard trail/running shoe in fit.

Upper

Addidas make a lot of sports shoes and that experience does come through in the materials and lamination of the Terrex Free Hiker 2. Everything is light, but seems durable and well-finished. The upper is more akin to a running shoe in weight, softness and appearance than a walking boot which means it feels supple and soft. The disadvantage is that if you're trying to bash across a heathery Moorland or walk up a scree slope you'll feel everything - and even small rocks hurt when there is no padding. But credit to Adidas, despite the ripstop upper material being soft, there is very little stretch and it has proved more hard-wearing than I was expecting. The toe and side lamination are clean, well placed and well glued. As a plus, Adidas say the upper contains a minimum of 50% recycled content.

The Free Hiker 2 comes with a Gore-Tex liner, which I always feel performs better in lightweight boots and shoes as there isn't a large amount of other material holding onto extra moisture, or thick leather uppers stopping heat from escaping the boot. The liner allows you to walk across wet grassy fields and over muddy paths without any worries about wet feet. Throughout autumn, winter and now into spring I've not suffered from overly hot sweaty feet in these shoes, mainly because I think the upper fabric easily allows heat and sweat to pass through effectively. I can't promise it's going to work that well in warmer weather though.

Midsole

The foam midsole used here would more normally be associated with running and gym shoes but is put to good use in the Free Hiker 2. Apart from its eye-catching appearance, the foam does an incredible job of absorbing small angular stones and pieces of chunky gravel as you place your foot on the ground, giving you almost a cloud-like glide.

On trickier ground the big disadvantages to the soft foam are that the shoe has no ability to hold an edge, and you are very detached from the ground's surface. If you wanted to do any technical scrambling or even walking on rougher mountain terrain then this is not the boot for you.

Outsole

The Continental rubber outsole has a lug pattern more commonly seen on trail running shoes. This is a low-profile pattern more suited to lowland footpaths than rugged mountain trails. But to my surprise, the outsole has worked well on wet grassy hillsides and has not become choked up with mud. The rubber compound itself is sticky enough to rock hop over a stream crossing and durability hasn't been a concern, but it's worth remembering this is a 'lightweight' walking shoe/boot so there are bound to be limits to durability over the long term.

Conclusion

If you are used to a more traditional walking boot then you're probably not going to like these modern, new-school boot-shoes. But on the other hand, if you're used to walking around in a trail shoe and wearing regular street trainers, then you may enjoy the bouncy experience the Free Hiker 2 has to offer.

I now use these shoes/boots regularly for going bouldering at my local crags in the Peak District, steady walks with the family and generally exploring my local paths and trails. These are not a technical boot for use in the mountains, but they are everything you need to enjoy being out and about in less rigorous environments. They might work well for long distance walking on easy hard-packed trails too - something like the West Highland Way perhaps.