adidas Outdoor Terrex Scope High GTX

Traction

Really good sticky rubber is not easy to make. Fortunately for adidas designers, they didn’t have to start from scratch: They just borrowed Stealth rubber from sister company Five Ten. Stealth has long been one of our faves because it sticks like glue on every surface, including wet rock. The Scope High’s L-shaped lugs bite into soft, mucky terrain, and they’re spaced widely enough to shed mud.

Durability

Thick, high rubber rands on the toes and heels act like battle armor. After 120 miles of hard hiking in Alaska’s ruthless backcountry, our samples show hardly a mark and the soles still look (almost) new.

Comfort

Straight from the box to a 10-mile hike up Alaska’s notoriously steep and switchback-free Mt. McGinnis: not a single hotspot.

Support

The polyurethane midsole absorbs shock—consider these best for loads below 40 pounds—and provides a bit of torsional stiffness. The high ankle kept us stable while sidehilling and scrambling over scree fields.